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It is so frustrating when you can’t get to sleep, or when you do get to sleep but then wake up well before your usual time. Lying in bed, restless, tossing and turning, your brain active and your body tired, it’s a horrible feeling. We all have this happen from time to time, especially when we have something on our minds, and that’s perfectly natural. Most of the time, it’s a one-off thing, and we can get back to our normal nighttime routines quickly.
However, if this is a problem that plagues you more often than not, or at least fairly regularly, it’s important to try to do something about it. Ideally, a grown adult will need between seven and nine hours’ sleep each night, and if you are not getting this, your immune system could be affected, and even your mental health might start to have problems. Read on to find out how to combat this issue and get a restful night’s sleep.
Have A Nighttime Routine
Having a good nighttime routine that is the same every single night (as far as possible, at least), will help you to sleep better. It will give your body some extra hints that you are winding down after your busy day and will ensure that you start to get sleepy at the right time.
Your bedtime routine should be something you are comfortable with and that is easy to follow and remember. Something as simple as switching off the lights in the same order, taking out your one day lenses before brushing your teeth, reading for 10 minutes, and then listening to your favorite song before you finally drop off to sleep can work wonders. Once you have developed your own routine, stick to it, and sleep should come a lot more easily.
Replace Your Pillows
It might not be your brain that is causing the problems when it comes to your restful night’s sleep at all – it might be your body instead. If you’re not comfortable, even in a minor way that you’re not consciously aware of, sleep could be hard to come by.
Most of the time, this will lead people to think about their mattress, but could it actually be your pillows instead? If your pillow is old or wasn’t good quality when you bought it, even if it’s quite new, it may not be supporting your back and neck properly, leading you to experience discomfort and lack of good sleep.
Limit Your Coffee Intake
Coffee first thing in the morning is a great way to wake up, but it should be limited to that time of the day, and certainly shouldn’t be consumed after around three or four in the afternoon. That’s because coffee contains a lot of caffeine, which stimulates the nervous system and keeps you from falling asleep. It stays in the body for many hours, which is why you won’t want to have any coffee – or anything containing caffeine – a certain amount of time before you want to go to sleep.
If you enjoy a warm drink in the evening, try to have something without caffeine in it, such as chamomile tea, warm milk, or decaffeinated coffee.
