Easy Tips to Improve Sleep Quality
Mar 11, 2024
Getting better rest sounds great, but it isn’t always easy to achieve. If you’re struggling to fall and stay asleep, use these tips to improve your sleep quality starting tonight. Simple habit adjustments could give you the sweet dreams you deserve.
1. Use a Blue Light Filter
Blue light is emitted from cellphones, laptops and televisions. Attach a filter to your computer or use a phone screen protector that blocks it if you must be online before bed. Research shows exposure keeps people awake, so limiting your screen time at night and filtering blue light could improve your sleep quality.
2. Eat Earlier Every Night
Eating huge meals can trigger sleep disorders by keeping the digestive system active later in the evening. Try having dinner earlier than usual to see if you sleep better. A nutritionist could also teach you how to make healthy portions with nutrient-dense foods that are easily digestible. You’ll be able to identify food triggers that disrupt your sleep and avoid them in the future.
3. Try a Sleep Tracker
Sleep trackers are attachable devices that monitor your sleep cycle through your heartbeat, body temperature or brain activity. The resulting data helps people work with their doctors to pinpoint undiagnosed sleep conditions or unhelpful nightly activities.
People use wearable smart devices to improve numerous aspects of their lives, like counting steps or monitoring heart rate. If your device has an adhesive that resists heat and moisture, you can comfortably wear it to bed to learn more about your health with accurate data. A sleep tracker could be the most precise way to understand your brain while it rests and improve your sleep quality.
4. Understand How Caffeine Works
A cup of coffee with your lunch might sound delicious, but the caffeine in your system doesn’t disappear when you finish eating. It takes four to six hours for the body to break down half a serving of caffeine. Double that time and it’s likely lingering in your body while you're trying to sleep.
Drinking less caffeine in the afternoon might unlock your ability to sleep soundly. It could also improve your memory, which may help you stick with your sleep routine as you add new habits to your life.
5. Breathe to Deactivate Your Nervous System
The nervous system stimulates your brain to keep you alert in case you’re in danger. The instinctive mechanism was helpful when people needed to survive in the wild, but it can’t tell the difference between daily anxiety and feeling anxious about avoiding a predator.
Deep breathing soothes the nervous system so it settles into a relaxed state, helping you fall asleep without much effort. Try following meditation breathing videos to reduce your anxiety before bed. You’ll calm your mind and body simultaneously, making sleep easier.
Improve Your Sleep Quality Tonight
These simple tips will improve your sleep quality with minimal changes to your daily routine. Try one at a time to see which helps you more. You can always talk with your doctor if you have questions or concerns about your sleep habits.