Imagine starting off the day without having a shower or cup of coffee! It sounds terrific right? And it is only because we are accustomed to following a morning routine. This is strongly embedded in our daily habits and nobody wouldn’t trade it for anything. We can explain this reality simply by the fact that our minds associate the smooth running of the day with the execution of these actions.
In that case, when facing troubles to fall asleep, why not develop a night routine? Following one could allow you to experience a great changement regarding the quality of your sleep.
Here you will find some interesting tips on how to create your own routine.
Commonly, after work, we are all going through the last hours of the day. There is no better time to start enjoying ourselves and relieving pressure. We do sport, we go out, we catch up with our favorite shows and most important; we try to disconnect.
Just as a morning routine, a night routine consist of dedicating time and space to prepare yourself, but this time to go to sleep. Pampering yourself at night is very crucial, unfortunately it’s a considerably neglected step, there is more to do than just washing your face and brushing your teeth prior going to bed.
Why is it important to have one?
Our environment has a great impact on the quality of our sleep, for instance what, when and how much you eat before sleeping could prevent you from having a pleasant night, the same goes for strong beverages, electronic screens and anything that could possibly interact with melatonin and adenosine, which are the hormones produced by the brain to make us fall asleep. Consequently, it’s highly recommended to create a break between daily activities and night time to improve the secretion of cells in charge of our sleep drive.
How should it be?
As distinct individuals, it is clearly impossible to follow an universal outline. For this reason, it’s only through experience that one can understand what is convenient. Nevertheless, fundamental rules can be applied to everybody.
- The bedroom
Ensuring a delightful and convivial ambiance of where you rest is a must. You have to make sure to sleep in a clean and well-organized environment to ease your mind and not to feel hemmed in your own space. Moreover, your bedsheet play a significant part, having fresh and perfumed bed linen can help you relax and give a signal to your brain that you are finally ready to fall asleep.
- Avoid overconsumption
It is well known that eating load of food is not healthy, it forces the digestive system to deal with more than it can handle and weakens the organs often leading to health problems. Thus, we have to pay attention to the quantity and quality of food we eat in a day. Studies say the perfect timing is to stop eating three hours prior going to bed. With that being said, it is essential to find a fine line between overconsumption and starvation. Both are extreme, harmful and poor diets. Although, consuming an unreasonable amount of food should be reprimanded, there is a misconception about how much one should eat. Standards help us to understand what the human body really needs to function properly, however the lifestyle plays a noteworthy part in the regimen that one should follow. In view of this, take time to acknowledge and become aware of your needs, don’t go hungry or on a rumbling stomach to bed because it will also prevent you from having a good sleep.
- Sugar
A high level of sugar will keep your body in alert and won’t let you fall asleep because of the energy that it brings. Moreover, a study has shown that the more the level of sugar is high the more we can be subject to nightmares.
- Acid
It is always a pain to have acid reflux or heartburn. If you want to avoid this disturbing sensation you have to stop eating food full in acidity.
- Fat
Aliments loaded with fat are hard for the stomach to digest. It will take longer for it to burn the calories and the process will continue during your sleep. All the energy used by your stomach during the night will make you feel unrest in the morning.
- Alcohol
Drinking alcohol emphasize drowsiness. But that’s only an impression, truly it will interfere with the various stages of sleep. For instance, you could spend a night without reaching the stages 3 or 4 which are the deep sleep ones.
- After the storm comes a calm
You probably had to sit for the whole the day in front of screens (laptop, smartphone, tablets, etc). The brain and eyes are the most affected by the time we spent on these devices. Hence it is better to reduce the use at home and dedicate your spare time to doing activities you barely have time for.
Privileging relaxing activities is a must. There won’t be any better time than before going to bed to indulge yourself in reading a book, writing a journal or eventually having a great massage! It is also a convenient moment to have appreciable conversation with your partner and catch up with each other’s days.
- End today and prepare tomorrow
Reflecting on your day will allow you to get rid of the accumulated pressure and toxins. Reviewing the various accomplishments you realised, the points you should work on, will help you in your personal development. Step by step you will create your own path to follow.
Furthemore, it’s the perfect occasion to prepare tomorrow. Writing down your schedule allow you to be more organized thus less stressed directly impacting the quality of your sleep.
You won’t fall asleep burdened with the fear of forgetting an important event or task to achieve.
The most important would be to have the perfect bed! At SleepHappy we offer a wide range of mattress ensuring that you would find the perfect bed and you will have marvellous night!
Now, you know all the secrets to create your own night routine.
Never forget the secret to get ahead is to get started. Try and you will see how the quality of your sleep will significantly improve as well as your productivity!