Tired of tossing and turning at night? Unhealthy daytime habits and lifestyle choices can leave you tossing and turning at night and adversely affect your mood, brain and heart health, immune system, creativity, vitality, and weight. But, by following these tips, you can enjoy better sleep at night, boost your health, and improve how you think and feel during the day. Here’s how.
Keep in sync with your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle.
Getting in sync with your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle, or circadian rhythm is one of the most important strategies for sleeping better. If you keep a regular sleep-wake schedule, you’ll feel much more refreshed and energized by following your body’s natural flow than by sleeping the same number of hours at different times. This holds true even if you only alter your sleep schedule by an hour or two.
Control your exposure to light.
Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone controlled by light exposure that helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle. Your brain secretes more melatonin when it’s dark (making you sleepy) and less when it’s light (making you more alert). However, many aspects of modern life can alter your body’s production of melatonin and shift your circadian rhythm. Avoid bright screens within 1-2 hours of your bedtime. The blue light emitted by your phone, tablet, computer, or TV is especially disruptive to melatonin.
Exercise during the day.
People who exercise regularly sleep better at night and feel less sleepy during the day. Regular exercise also improves the symptoms of insomnia and sleep apnea and increases the amount of time you spend in the deep, restorative stages of sleep. The more vigorously you exercise, the more powerful the sleep benefits. But even light exercise—such as walking for just 10 minutes a day—improves sleep quality. So, take any opportunity you can to get moving, and enjoy enhanced sleep at night.
At Woodhaven at Park Bridge Apartments in Alpharetta, Georgia, nothing is more important to us than your health, happiness, and overall well-being. We offer these informative blogs as a way to enhance your lifestyle beyond the scope of physical features and services we provide in our beautiful and welcoming community.