The older we are, the more we don’t have enough time to sleep. We’d be working for up to 10 hours a day, commuting for another two or three hours, and several hours more on different screens of various devices. Add a couple more for our family and loved ones and an hour or so for regular bodily functions and activities.
Whatever’s left is for sleep, and it’s not the best shuteye you can get since you’ll be worrying about more things for the next day. That’s why you need to improve the quality of whatever amount of sleep you have left for the day. Even with just a few hours, you can manage a restful sleep if you’re not interrupted or disrupted by many different factors.
Here are some tips to help you improve your sleep every night.
Get Clean Sheets
You may not know it, but the biggest culprit keeping you from a good night’s rest is your dirty sheets. If that hasn’t been changed for a couple of weeks now, you’ve probably dragged in various dirt and debris. You won’t notice this when you’re awake, but while sleeping, this could bring discomfort, interrupting your normal sleep cycle. Instead of feeling well-rested in the morning, you’ll feel tired and sleepy.
By regularly changing your sheets, you’re also removing the allergens that have accumulated, especially if you have pets at home. You really can’t sleep right when you have clogged sinuses or you constantly sneezing.
A bedbug infestation is also another problem you can avoid simply by changing your sheets regularly. You don’t want to give them a chance to multiply on your old sheets. Now, if you think it’s too late and an infestation has already taken over your bedroom, you can hire bed bug control services in your area. They’re professional exterminators armed with the right tools and experience for the job.
Reduce Screen Time Before Sleep
The blue light coming from screens of various devices including mobile phones can keep you from having a restful sleep. Blue light affects the melatonin levels of the eye, so it takes you longer to fall asleep, and have less REM sleep, so you don’t get that well-rested feeling even after eight full hours sleeping.
To avoid this problem, start powering down your electronics one to two hours before you sleep. Avoid looking at your mobile phone around this time. If you’re doing a bit of reading before you sleep, don’t use fluorescent or LED lights for illumination. The classic yellow bulb is better if you want to fall asleep the soonest. Fluorescent and LED light emit the same blue light as your screens.
Make Your Room Conducive for Sleep
Aside from powering down your screens and turning off blue light sources, you should also create a conducive space for sleep. The ideal setup would be a dark, cool room with proper noise dampening. You can use dark, thick curtains for your windows, not only to keep the light from coming in but also to dampen the noise outside, especially if your room is by the roadside or you’re near a crowded place. Having a comfortable bed is given, but if you could splurge on a memory foam mattress and pillows, go ahead.
Getting quality sleep affects your performance in your daily activities. Poor sleep can also lead to health problems later. Make sure you get the best sleep every night so wake up energized every morning.