May is Better Sleep Month, 5 Healthy Tips for a HealthierU

 Getting enough quality of sleep is essential for our physical and mental health, yet countless people struggle on a regular basis to get a good night’s rest. Here are various tips for managing your sleep routine and achieving better sleeping patterns:

1. Stick to a sleep schedule, consistency is key.

Having a consistent sleep schedule is key to maintaining good sleep health because it regulates your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. This cycle is also known as your circadian rhythm, which is a biological process that regulates your sleep patterns and processes over a 24-hour cycle.

With a consistent sleep schedule, your body gets adjusted to falling asleep and waking up during the same time of each day. This proper sleep routine helps your body release natural hormones like melatonin, making you sleepy at the right time and awake in the morning.

2. Create a relaxing bedtime routine.

Creating a relaxing routine to follow before bedtime will help your body wind down and prepare for sleep. This can include activities as simple as reading a book, taking a warm bath, listening to calming music, journaling, or meditating. These activities help calm your mind and reduce your stress levels, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep. Having a relaxing bedtime routine is helpful in preparing your body and mind for sleep, improving your quality of sleep!

3. Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bedtime.

Caffeine is a stimulant that may directly interfere with your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. Caffeine can stay in your system for up to 6 hours after consumption, meaning, if you consume caffeine in the late afternoon or evening, it can directly interfere with your ability to fall asleep that night.

Alcohol is also known for disrupting sleep, but not for the same reasons as caffeine. Although you may initially feel sleep after consuming alcohol, alcohol consumption is known to lead to more fragmented sleep patterns and frequent awakening throughout the night. This can lead to feeling groggy and tired the next morning, even after what may have seemed like a full night’s sleep.

Avoiding caffeine and alcohol before bedtime can help improve the quality of your sleep by reducing the chances of sleep disturbances and improving the ease of falling asleep. It is recommended to enjoy these products in moderation and earlier in the day to reduce the impact they have on your sleep.

4. Limit your screentime before bed.

Limiting screentime before bed is crucial for better sleep help because the blue light emitted from electronic devices may interfere with the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. This blue light can suppress the production of melatonin, making it more difficult for the body to fall asleep and decrease the quality of your sleep. In addition to blue light, engaging with stimulating content on screen such as work-related emails or social media may keep your mind active and alert, making it difficult to relax. To improve your sleep quality, it is recommended to avoid screens for at least one hour before bedtime.

5. Exercise on a regular basis.

There are several reasons why exercise helps with improving your sleep.

Exercise has been shown to reduce levels of stress hormones like cortisol, which can interfere with the natural sleep-wake cycle.

It also increases the body’s sleep drive. You create a sleep debt when you exercise, which in turn helps make it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep at night.

It is known to improve sleep quality as well. Exercising improves the quality of sleep by increasing the amount of deep sleep and reducing the amount of time spent in the lighter stages of the sleep cycle. Deep sleep is the most restorative stage of sleep, which is essential for physical and mental health.

Exercise is also known to boost your mood and energy levels, which can help you fall asleep at night. However, it is important to note that exercising too close to bedtime can have the opposite effect and make it more difficult to fall asleep. It is recommended to exercise at least a few hours before bed to allow your body enough time to wind down.

Overall, getting enough quality of sleep is essential to our mental and physical health. Following these tips may help improve your quality of sleep. If you continue to struggle for sleep, talking to your primary care provider for advice and support moving forward, we’re here for U!