I think we could all do with a few extra Zzz’s! For some of us, a good nights rest isn’t easy to come by, tossing and turning all night long.
62% of adults around the world have reported they don’t sleep as well as they would like to. That’s over 4.7 Billion people worldwide who aren’t getting enough, or enough good quality sleep. 67% of adults across the globe say they have disturbed sleep.
With sleep being one of the most beneficial and important facets of life we need to be getting more of it. But what can we do?
Here is a list of five things you can start to employ tonight to get a better nights sleep! This list is by no means exhaustive! There is a lot you can do to optimise your sleep hygiene and routine. So share this article and leave your own tips for a better nights sleep.
Get Some Sun As Soon As You Wake Up!
Circadian Rythym is a term you may heard thrown around quite a lot, all throughout life. But what is it?
Your Circadian Rythym is simply put, your bodies natural internal clock. It is what triggers cortisol in the morning to help you wake up. And what releases melatonin at night when it’s time to wind down. But this clock can (at least these dats) be very easily thrown out of whack!
Too much time spent indoors with artificial lights can reduce your Circadian Rythym. So much to the point your body won’t know what time it is! You may even be in a similar situation now.
The simplest solution is everyday, as soon as you wake up (assuming the sun is out when you get up) get a solid 10-15min of sunlight. Go for a walk, lounge in the backyard or even just stand there! If you can’t get your sunlight in durnig the morning, try to get 30min of Sun in throughout your day for an even better nights sleep.
But be consistent with it! 30min of Sun won’t cover you for the rest of 2021!
Caffeine Lasts Longer Than You Think!
To explain why you should be weary of when you have your last coffee, we need to talk about half-life.
The half-life of a quantity is the time it takes for it to decline to half of its original value. In physics, the word is used to explain how atoms disintegrate radioactively and how long stable atoms survive.
In simple terms and in relation to caffeine, it would be how long it would take your caffeine to come down to half of its strength from when you consumed it, and the half-life for caffeine is 5 hours.
So realistically if you have your last coffee at work in the afternoon around 3-4pm by around 9pm where most of us are getting ready to wind down and go to bed, your coffee is only half way out of your system! So rethink the timing of that last cup of Jo’ moving forward.
Arise and Conk Out At The Same Time!
That Circadian Rythym we discussed earlier comes into play here as well!
Not only does your Circadian Rhythm need the sunlight to remain functional and in check, but routine is the next big step in maintaining your rhythm!
Another super simple fix you can start to employ tonight is just to wake up and got to bed at the same time (or as close as you can) every single night. Not only will this improve the quality and duration of your sleep, it’ll give you an incredible routine to smash out the day! Early morning struggles will be a thing of the past! Consistency is key.
Make It Cold In There!
I don’t need to be the one to tell you that sleeping on a hot night during the summer is not only the hardest thing in the world to do, but it’s defnitely not pleasant!
So if you’re lucky enough to have some AC or a good fan, crank that puppy before you go lights out so you can have a cooler sleeping environment. Not only will this be much more comfortable for you, you’ll fall asleep faster, sleep for longer and get a much deeper quality sleep. The last thing anyone likes waking up to after tossing and turning is sweat everywhere!
Get Checked Out!
If after all of this you are still havnig trouble falling asleep and you’ve done the other things everyone will tell you to get a better nights sleep; No phone before bed, no games or TV etc. it might be time to go to your preferred GP and get yourself checked out. You may or may not have a sleeping disorder but you’ll defintely want a professional opinion to get you to a goodnights sleep even sooner!
We here at Recovery Plus Support hope you find some solace and sleep within these tips and tricks, but keep in mind none of this is medical advice! If you think something is wrong call 000 or see your GP at your earliest convenience!
