Overview
We all love to sleep but many people find it hard to fall asleep at night or find themselves staying up all night doing homework, playing video games, or watching tv. There have been many nights where I stayed up all night binge watching the latest show on Netflix, but I always regret it the next day. I find it hard to stay awake throughout the day and hard to focus on my work. Many of us don’t realize the importance of getting the right amount of sleep each night. Sleep affects our mental, physical, and emotional well-being. I’m sure many of you have experienced getting angry or upset about something small because you were tired. It happens to all of us, but it is important to not make a habit out of it, not getting enough sleep not only affects our mood but also the we do things. Not getting enough sleep can affect your performance.
It is recommended that you get roughly 8 hours of sleep each night. If you’re not hitting this 8-hour mark, then it might be time to start going to bed a little earlier. If you are having trouble sleeping at night, there are many things you can do to help get to sleep faster and stay asleep longer.
Things That Can Help
- Stick to a Schedule: Going to bed around the same time every night can help your body to set a rhythm and make it easier to fall asleep at that time. When you go to bed and wake up at the same time everyday your body forms an internal clock and knows when it is time to go bed.
- Sleep Only at Night: We all love a good nap but taking naps during the day can make falling asleep at night very difficult. For example, if you get home from work and decide to take a 30 minute nap, you may think “no big deal it’s only a half hour.” It may only be a half hour but that only leaves a few hours of your body being awake before its time for bed again. This can make it hard to fall asleep at the right time to get your necessary 8 hours.
- Exercise: Exercise has been known to help you sleep better because the body uses this time to recover. Exercising each day can make the body tired and make it easier for you fall asleep when it’s time for bed.
- Taking a Hot Shower: Taking a hot shower before bed can relax your muscles and make it easier to fall asleep. When you get out of the shower and get into bed your body will already be relaxed and ready to fall asleep. Showering at night will also save you time in the morning.
- Avoid Eating Before Bed: Try and give yourself at least 2 hours between eating and going to sleep to allow proper digestion. When your food is not fully digested it can make it hard to fall asleep, so let’s try and break that midnight snacking habit.
- Avoid Caffeine: Many people use caffeine to wake their bodies up in the morning and keep them awake and alert throughout the day. But drinking too much caffeine throughout the day can make it hard to fall asleep at night. This includes coffee, soda, energy drinks, and tea.
- Make the Room Cooler: Trying to sleep when you are hot can be very difficult. If you find your bedroom gets hot at night, try buying a fan to keep yourself cool throughout the night or talking to your parents about turning down the air conditioning. A cooler room temperature can make it easier to fall asleep.
- Silence: I know many of us get into the habit of falling asleep with the TV still on. While we may be able to fall asleep with the TV on, it doesn’t allow for a sound sleep all night. Having background nose such as a TV while you are trying to sleep can cause our sleep to be disturbed throughout the night and leave us feeling tired in the morning.