When we get older, you most likely find out that your sleeping habits are not what they used to be when you were younger. It seems when we were younger, we had all kinds of energy, could stay up till all hours of the night and after just a few hours of sleep, we were up to do it all over again. But, as we age we get tired earlier in the evening than we normally did. There are things that you can do to ensure you get a great night’s sleep so you wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.
Stay Physical
Studies have shown that women who exercise regularly will sleep an average of 50 minutes more than women who are sedentary. Also, the active women rated their overall sleep an 8.3 while the sedentary women rated their overall sleep at 5.8
Alter Your Nightly Routine
You need to develop proper sleep hygiene to ensure you have a restful night of sleep. Think about starting a pre-sleep ritual such as a warm bath or eating a healthy snake at night. It is important you don’t want to eat any heavy meals before bed and don’t engage in tough exercises at least six hours before you go to bed. Also, stop drinking beverages 6-8 hours before bed and avoid alcohol and cigarette smoking as well.
Set a Consistent Sleep Schedule
Sleep schedules are important because it helps your body develop a normal sleep time and a normal wake-up time. This schedule helps your body get into a pattern of going to sleep at the same time every night and waking up at the same time each morning. You want to adhere to this schedule each and every day, including weekends.
No Naps During The Day
If you are one of those people who have a tough time sleeping at night, you don’t want to nap during the day as this is only aggravate your insomnia even more. Just think at how much more tired you will be when it comes to bedtime if you don’t take that one-hour afternoon snooze.
Provide Yourself with a Peaceful Sleep Environment
If you create a soothing, peaceful and calm atmosphere in the room where you sleep, you will have a much better chance of getting a good night’s sleep. The first thing you want to do is to dim the lights about 2 hours or so before bed. This doesn’t only mean the lights in the bedroom but all the lights throughout your home. Dimming the lights in the home sends a signal to your brain to start producing melatonin, which brings on sleep. Next, you want to neutralize noise. There are so many things that disrupt sleep like your dog barking, the faucet in the bathroom dripping or the critters running around up in your attic. If you need to have some type of sound on at night, try something that produces white noise like a fan or air-conditioner. It is important that you keep your room at a cool temperature. You don’t want it cold, you don’t want it warm and you don’t want it hot either.
Just keep these five tips in mind, and you will sleep like you did when you were a baby.