The quality of your sleep is as important as the quantity. Getting the right number of hours every night is unlikely to benefit you if you are frequently waking up if you sleep at wildly different times, or if you sleep shallowly.
Alcohol, caffeine, light, noise, and worry can all interfere with the quality of your sleep.
Here are some habits that help you get quality sleep:
1. Establish a regular bedtime and wake-up time
You will sleep the most soundly if you go to bed and wake up around the same time every day. This rhythm helps your body prepare for sleep. Work, children, and other demands on your time may determine your rhythm.
You may be tempted to sleep in longer on weekends. Try to keep the same wake-up time, even on weekends. If you have been sleep deprived, you may need a little extra sleep for a few nights.
If you are sick, let yourself sleep extra. Reestablish your sleep routines as soon as you can.
2. Determine your natural sleep schedule
If you have the freedom to determine your own sleep schedule, do so around the rhythms of your body. Your body has natural waking and sleeping moments. Notice the when you feel sleepy, and when you feel the most awake.
3. Sleep enough
Most adults need to sleep between seven and nine hours a night. Teenagers need eight to 10 hours of sleep, and school-aged children need at least 10 hours. Sleeping too little can expose you to higher risks of illness, anxiety, and disease.
Sleeping too much, however, may reduce the quality of your sleep and may actually leave you feeling groggy when you wake up.
Read also: 20 Ways You Can Reduce Stress And Improve Your Health
4. Stay asleep
Do everything possible to avoid waking up at night. This can be difficult if you are an evening person, if you have children, or if you are a light sleeper. Making arrangements in your bedroom and winding down properly can make a huge difference, but so can prioritizing staying asleep.
Limit liquids in the hours before bed if you are someone who gets up to use the bathroom during the night.
5. Wind down the same way every night
Your bedtime routine should be consistent. Start brushing your teeth, washing your face, and doing your final shut-downs of the house at the same time and in the same order every night to get quality sleep. Add steps that you find soothing so that your body knows it is time to relax.
- You might take a warm bath or shower every night, for instance.
- Dim the lights to encourage your body to produce melatonin, a hormone that makes you feel sleepy.
- Play soothing music rather than watching television or looking at a screen. Screen time before bed may keep you awake.
6. Get up briefly if you don’t immediately fall asleep
Although you are best off getting in bed and falling asleep at the same time every night, some nights you can’t fall asleep right away. If you haven’t fallen asleep after 15 minutes, get up and do a brief, relaxing activity. Read a magazine, do some gentle stretches.
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