Becoming more MINDFUL of your sleeping habits
Want to improve the quality of your sleep?
Most people are under the impression that if they are waking up each day and still feeling tired, they must need to sleep more each night.
However, I soon realised for myself that the real problem was the quality of my sleep, not the quantity of my sleep, which was making me still feel tired after sleeping well over 8 hours.
That’s when I started reading and researching more about mindfulness and the quality of sleep. Here are some of the things that I learned over the years that greatly improved my overall quality of sleep.
Keeping a regular sleep schedule—even on weekends—helps maintain your body's internal clock. It can help you fall asleep and wake up more easily. Making just a few small changes can improve your sleep dramatically.
Eating before bed may actually harm your sleep. It can cause the body's metabolism to slow down. Try not to go to bed full, hungry, or thirsty- Going to bed on a full stomach isn't a good idea either.
To avoid alcohol and caffeine at night before bedtime,
It's recommended by experts to wait at least three hours after you've eaten to go to bed. This allows your body time to digest your food, so you're not up at night with an upset stomach.
If you find yourself hungry, just try having a light snack before bedtime tea without caffeine to promote relaxation.
Take a warm bath
If you struggle to get a good night’s sleep, taking a hot bath before bed could help you.
There’s nothing like a soak in a warm bath to relax your muscles and prepare you for sleep.
Research lends credibility to the warm bath effect. A meta-analysis of 17 studies found that taking an evening shower or bath in water between 104 and 108.5 degrees Fahrenheit improves sleep quality.
Those who bathe or shower one to two hours before bedtime also fall asleep faster. "
Put your worries to SLEEP!
"Finish each day before you begin the next, and interpose a solid wall of sleep between the two" -Ralph Waldo Emerson
Create a restful sleeping environment. Studies have shown that people simply sleep better when their bedroom is optimized for light and noise levels, cooler temperatures, and comfort. Develop a routine of doing something quiet every night before bed, like reading.
Write your to-do list before bedtime
Take a few moments to write down a to-do list for tomorrow of any current tasks you are worried about. The idea of this activity is to simply put these tasks aside for the night while you have a good night's rest.
You are also putting aside any anxiety you might have about these tasks. Surely, thinking about these tasks won't help you get a good night's sleep.
Remember that it's not always possible to complete your tasks the next day. The next evening, before bedtime, take some time to review your to-do list and see what you can cross off your list and what needs to remain until the next day.
If you’re up all night worrying about the things you need to do tomorrow, does thinking about them in bed actually get them completed? Instead, take time to plan your next day's tasks to help ease your mind of any anxieties before bed.
Day time napping
Keep naps short. Between 10 to 20 minutes. The longer naps may cause you to feel groggy afterward.
Take naps in the early afternoon. Try napping before 3 pm. After 3 pm can interfere with your nighttime sleep. Most importantly, everyone's different see what works best for you.
For me personally, I find at least a 30-minute nap in the afternoon before 2 pm works best for me. Listen to your body, some days you'll need a shorter or longer nap, but try to stick to less than 30 minutes.
Take a moment to reflect on all the positive things in your life
At the end of the day, everyone has experienced some rough moments in their day, and you don't want to take these negative thoughts from your day to bed with you.
Use this time to remind yourself of all the positive things that happened throughout your day and all the productive things that you achieved.
Tell yourself that almost all problems are temporary and fixable. No one's life is perfect!
It's so important to practice gratitude before bed as well. Think about the things and people you’re grateful for in your life.
Time to reflect on your day
It’s worth taking the time at the end of your day to put yourself in a more relaxed mood so that sleep happens more naturally.
Getting a good night’s sleep is one of the best ways to ensure that you are ready for each new day, so try these suggestions out and see which ones work for you.
If you have any suggestions or have activities you do that help you sleep better at night, feel free to share them below in a comment.
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