How To Fix Your Sleep Schedule So You Can Sleep Well At Night
indrani karmakarBA Hons Experience: 2.5 yearsIndrani is a writer and artist who likes to add a dash of humor to everything she does. She has two years of experience in writing articles across beauty, health, and lifestyle genres. After graduatin... more
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Getting your circadian rhythm back on track is absolutely necessary if you find yourself staying up late, or have trouble waking up in the morning even after a good night’s sleep. However, this is easier said than done, and only someone with an estranged relationship with their sleep knows how problematic it can be. And the fact that this article caught your eye means that you are someone who has been struggling to get into a healthy nighttime routine. So, to help you fix your sleep schedule, here are some ways to make sure you don’t have to twist and turn in bed hours before you get some quality sleep. Read on!
In This Article
1. Sleep In A Cozy Environment
Your environment does have an effect on how well you sleep. The inability to obtain a good night’s sleep is a common result of sleeping in a noisy environment. Get some earplugs if you can’t avoid the noise while sleeping.
2. Dim The Lights
The circadian rhythm is highly sensitive to light. It’s possible that your body’s internal clock won’t tell you to get up if you wake up in a pitch-black room first thing in the morning. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent your body from becoming tired by focusing on a screen late at night. To prevent this from happening, try to limit your usage of screens after dinner and let natural light into your bedroom in the morning.
3. Do Not Take Naps In The Day
While you’re working on your sleep routine, avoid sleeping through the day. It might be challenging to get to sleep at night if you snooze during the day. Try to keep yourself occupied and put off the want to sleep until later.
4. Refrain From Oversleeping
You might think that sleeping longer would help you get your sleep routine back on track more quickly, but resist the urge. Adults should strive for 7–9 hours of sleep every night. Too little and too much sleep can have negative effects on your health.
5. Stick To Your Bedtime Routine
Once you have reestablished a regular sleep routine, you should adhere to it religiously. Consistency is key since even a single slip-up may undo all your hard work. Changing the settings on your bedroom radiator may make going to sleep much more bearable. Or, if you find yourself unable to sleep, keep telling yourself, not to sleep. It seems contradictory, yet this is one of the tried-and-true approaches that advisors recommend!
6. Tense Your Muscles
If you wake up in the wee hours of the night, you may force yourself back to sleep by tensing your muscles. You can try to go to sleep for hours by lying in bed, but it won’t help because your entire body is stiff. Here’s a tip to try. Start at your toes and work your way up to your head to ease tension everywhere. Hold the tense position for 5 seconds and rest.
7. Keep Your Room Cool To Have An Undisturbed Sleep
Researchers have shown that a room with a cool temperature is a crucial component of a restful sleep environment. Ideally, a bedroom should be at 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18.3 degrees Celsius). However, medical professionals advise keeping the temperature between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit (15.5 and 19.4 degrees Celsius). This is because it is biologically normal for the human body to cool down when night falls. You may send your body a signal that it’s time for sleep by switching to a cooler setting.
8. Don’t Nap After 3 PM
Most people can take naps without it interfering with their nighttime sleep. Napping, however, may exacerbate the symptoms of insomnia and other sleep disorders. If you prefer to sleep in on weekdays, consider adopting these practices. Avoid long snoozes. The longer you sleep during a nap, the more probable it is that you will feel groggy when you wake up.
9. Practice Writing Before Going To Bed
Although it may seem counterintuitive, research shows that writing a gratitude journal before bed might help you relax and sleep better. Every night, take 15 minutes to reflect on your day through writing; remember to include both the positive and negative aspects of your experience.
Did you know, acupuncture along with aroma therapy can help you sleep by stimulating certain places in your body. You can also practice taking a shower, doing some breathing exercises, and then hitting the bed without touching any electronic devices including your earphones. So which of these do you think is the most helpful for having a good night’s sleep? Let us know in the comments section.
Sources
- Effects of thermal environment on sleep and circadian rhythm, NCBI
