Sleep is more important than a lot of people realize. When you are not getting enough of it, you are going to struggle to function healthily. You might even feel grouchy and sluggish despite drinking coffee or other caffeinated beverages to try to wake yourself up. If you want to know how to get a deeper sleep where you are comfortable throughout the night, follow the simple tips below.
Do Not Drink Caffeinated Beverages at Night
If you know that you are going to sleep in a few hours, avoid drinking beverages that contain caffeine. Drinking caffeine before bed is not ideal because it works as a stimulant and it could make it harder for you to fall asleep. Along with caffeinated beverages, you should avoid drinking alcohol before bed, too. The alcohol that you drink could make you feel like you need to urinate in the middle of the night. The urge to use the bathroom is going to interrupt your sleep and prevent you from getting the rest you need.
Lower the Thermostat at Night
If you become overheated while trying to sleep, you might get up to pull the blankets off your body and to remove some of the clothes you are wearing, such as socks and pyjama pants. You can avoid feeling too hot and sweaty at night by simply lowering your thermostat down to a cooler temperature. If you have some concerns about spending too much money to keep your home cool during the summer, you can always raise the temperature on the thermostat a bit while running a few fans throughout your bedroom, such as a box fan for the window and a pedestal fan near the bed.
Start Meditating Before Bed
Get prepared to shut your body down for bed by meditating beforehand. You can close your eyes, imagine yourself in a peaceful place, and then breathe in and out at a slow pace while you are taking it easy. You can meditate anywhere in the home, but it might be best for you to meditate in the dark while you are sitting on your bed. Meditation helps you relax and puts you in a calmer mood right before you are ready to go to sleep for the night. Make sure that once you are relaxed and ready for bed you get into a comfortable bed, invest in a Sleep Number mattress.
Think About Getting a Sound Machine
If you cannot sleep when it is completely quiet in the house or if you are constantly hearing strange noises coming from the neighbors, you could benefit from using a sound machine. The sound machine will block out all that other noise while providing you with something to hear as you start falling asleep. The sounds produced from the machine are relaxing and can help you fall into that deep sleep.
Check Out Your Sleep Patterns
Use technology to find out more about your sleep patterns. You can use a fitness tracker that monitors your heart rate and sleep cycles while you are resting. You can find out when you are sleeping lightly and when you are getting plenty of deep sleep. It is useful information that you can use to your advantage when focusing on getting better sleep each night.
Do you display unusual behaviour such as pauses in breathing during sleep? Cessations in breathing or apnea episodes are symptoms of a sleep disorder called sleep apnea. These episodes can happen five to 100 times an hour and can severely affect your sleep quality. Seek help from your doctor if you or your bedfellow notices this behaviour.
Treatment options for sleep apnea include continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. CPAP therapy uses a machine that supplies pressurized air to the user’s airway through a CPAP facial or nasal mask to prevent apnea episodes and help the user sleep soundly.
Other common sleep disorders that may affect your sleep patterns include insomnia, restless legs syndrome, and narcolepsy. Schedule an appointment with your doctor if you suspect you have a serious sleeping problem.