Want Better Quality Sleep? Avoid These 5 Mistakes
Not getting the sleep you need? You may be committing one of these 5 mistakes. Read on to enjoy better quality sleep every night.
The majority of us experience poor sleep from time to time. If we’re lucky it may only be for a couple of nights, but some people have poor or unrefreshing sleep nearly all the time. What then is the answer to better quality sleep? Well here’s 5 mistakes to avoid!
Don’t sleep in on weekend mornings —
It’s so easy to do especially on cold grey mornings when we don’t have to get up for work. But don’t be seduced by sleeping late on weekends. You will severely disrupt your sleep pattern by disturbing your circadian rhythm.
Going to bed and getting up at the same time every day maintains a healthy circadian rhythm. It’s one of the most important habits to acquire for a better night’s sleep.
Plan something to look forward to on weekends so you won’t be tempted to lie in bed and waste the morning.
Having a drink or two before bed won’t help you sleep —
After all alcohol is relaxing and should help you fall asleep, shouldn’t it? Well, yes that’s true. The trouble is it also wakes you up a few hours later as it metabolizes in the body. One drink with dinner probably won’t hurt though
Don’t work on the computer just before bed —
We get so busy sometimes that we have to squeeze things in where we can and before bed seems like an ideal time. But did you know that working on your computer, or even surfing late at night can speed up brainwave activity. The bright flickering monitor also disrupts your circadian rhythm. Save computer tasks for the next morning, you’ll be more alert and will probably get thing done a lot quicker.
Stop your worrying when you go to bed —
Easier said than done I realize. This was one of the things that always used to keep me awake when I was dealing with insomnia. During the day our thoughts are occupied with our daily activities, but as soon as we get into bed it seems to trigger the worry button and out thoughts come streaming into our minds, keeping us awake for hours. Even if everything in your life is going well, you can always find something to worry about!
The best anti-worry strategy is to create a worry time – say 20 minutes – before bed. Spend this time worrying solid about anything and everything. You can even have a special journal to write your worries down. When you have finished, tell yourself you will continue worrying about these things tomorrow, but tonight is for rest. This was how I broke my worry habit so give it a try.
Wait until you’re feeling sleepy before turning off the light —
Spend some time winding down before hitting the sheets. Either by doing some slow breathing or reading for a while. Reading in bed can make some people pleasantly drowsy but it can keep others awake. Try it to see how it works for you.
Hopefully knowing about these 5 mistakes will improve your bedtime habits and help you get the better quality sleep you need.
