If you are looking for one thing to improve that will make a massive difference to the quality of your life, it’s your sleep. It’s not a surprise that everybody is experiencing issues with their sleep, whether it’s due to modern stresses or simply overworking and under recovering, but while most of us know that we’ve got to stay away from blue light, eat the right things, and avoid caffeine, what else can we do to actually keep track of our sleep quality?
Optimising Your Sleep Schedule
Many people don’t go to bed and wake up at the same time. You may not even be aware of when you fall asleep and wake up. If you wake up feeling groggy, one of the best things you can do is to keep track of your sleep. These days there’s a lot of technology that can help you look at your sleep quality. An Apple watch can help you track your sleep and you can purchase refurbished Apple watches for a decent price. If you see the times you are not sleeping properly throughout the night, this can start to give you insight into the quality of sleep and the schedule. When you start to realise how your sleep quality is dipping, you can then optimise your sleep schedule by, for example, setting a fixed wake up and sleep time, and adjusting the schedule very gradually to accommodate your lifestyle.
Focusing On a Pre-Bedtime Routine
You may have issues falling asleep and one of the biggest mistakes we all have is thinking that the problem only occurs when we lie down. In reality, the run-up to bedtime plays a major role in how you fall asleep. This is why you could benefit from some of the following:
- Winding down for 30-minutes prior to dozing off. Incorporating low impact stretching and relaxation exercises at this point can get you into the right frame of mind for sleep.
- Not drinking much water. If you want to avoid waking up in the middle of the night, it’s best to gently sip on water in the run-up to going to sleep.
- Lowering the lights can also help you transition to bedtime which helps your body produce the sleep hormone melatonin.
Remembering Good Quality Habits During the Day
Ensuring you sleep well is about getting the right practices throughout the day including some of the following:
- Exposing yourself to light early on in the day. Getting a dose of daylight as early as possible can set your circadian rhythm.
- Limit your caffeine intake. If you need caffeine to wake up, this is fine but be aware of your individual tolerance and remember that caffeine can stay in your system for up to 12 hours.
These are a few simple things that can get you started. But if you spend a long time trying to improve your health to no avail, your sleep could be the missing ingredient. Perhaps it’s time to prioritize this practice so you can improve your life?
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