Is Sleep Your Companion or Your Enemy? 6 Tips To Get Better Sleep

Is Sleep your companion or your enemy?

Sleep plays an important role in our physical health. It is involved in the healing and repair of your heart and blood vessels. Constant lack of sleep is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and even stroke.
Stress from everyday life, family duties, and unexpected challenges can interfere with a good night’s sleep. Even though you may not be able to control all the stress factors, you can try the following tips to encourage better sleep routines. These simple tips may seem obvious but sometimes we need to just be reminded.

 

Start with these simple tips.
1. Develop a Sleep Schedule
Some studies show that your deep sleep should at least be 20% of your overall sleep. Which means that since most adults need 8-9 hours of sleep, they will need about 1.6-1.8 hours of deep sleep to fully function the next day.
Go to bed and get up around the same time every day. Try to keep your schedule as close as possible even on the weekend. Keeping regular or as close to a regular schedule reinforces your body’s sleep-wake cycle.
If you don’t fall asleep within about 20 minutes after going to bed, get up and leave your bedroom. Do something relaxing. For instance reading or listening to soothing music. Try not to drink anything. It will only disrupt your sleep by having to use the bathroom, then go back to bed when you get sleepy.
By staying in your bedroom reading or listening to music your brain associates the bedroom with these activities instead of sleeping that’s why I suggest leaving the bedroom until your sleepy.
2. Observe What You Eat and Drink
Don’t go to bed hungry or stuffed. Avoid heavy or large meals within a couple of hours of bedtime. The stuffy feeling will interrupt your efforts to get comfortable enough to fall asleep.
Nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol can affect your sleep patterns too. The stimulating effects of nicotine and caffeine take hours to wear off keeping you from a good night’s sleep. And even though alcohol might make you feel sleepy, it can disrupt sleep later in the night by having to go to the restroom.
3. Create a Restful Atmosphere
Create a room that’s ideal for sleeping. A cool, dark, and quiet room makes it easier to fall asleep. Exposure to light could make it challenging to fall asleep. Avoid prolonged use of blue screens just before bedtime. Blackout shades or curtains can keep unwanted light out.
4. Limit Daytime Naps
Too many naps during the day can interfere with nighttime sleep. If you choose to nap, limit yourself to shorter ones and avoid late naps.
If you work nights, however, you might need to a nap late in the day before work to help make up your sleep debt.
5. Include Physical activity in your daily routine
Regular physical activity can promote better sleep. Avoid being active too close to bedtime, though.
Spending time outside every day might be helpful, too. Vitamin D from the sun can promote sleep.
6. Manage your Worrying
Worry seems to be an enemy at night when you lay your head on the pillow. Every thought, concern, or idea seems to want to expose itself causing you to focus on it instead of falling asleep.
Try and replace the worries with positive thinking. Focus on the good things in life even if you’re going through the worst of times. Yes. It’s easier said than done but trying it can help.
Serotonin is a hormone found in various parts of the body, including the brain and the stomach. This hormone plays an important role in several bodily functions, including regulation of mood, regulation of appetite, learning and memory and regulation of sleep. It is sometimes called the happy chemical because it promotes wellbeing and happiness.
Our Smart Coffee contains serotonin among other natural hormones:
Dopamine —> the reward hormone.
That feeling (oomph) you get from eating chocolate when you’re stressed or when a bunch of people loves your blog post… that is dopamine.
Oxytocin —> the bonding hormone.
The first time you saw your sweetie and you drew in a breath releasing it slowly knowing he/she had to be yours. Or, hold your baby for the first time and hearing the cooing he or she gave you.
Serotonin —> the great regulator.
Serotonin helps regulate mood, social behavior, appetite, desire, sleep, memory… Did I mention sleep?
Endorphins —> the relief hormone.
This is the good stuff that your body produces to relieve stress and pain.
To find out more on our Smart Coffee you can leave a comment or message me on messenger. I would love to tell you more. I believe in this coffee and only want to share the benefits with you.

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