10 Ways to Sleep Better at Night

We all need to sleep. But for some, it is harder than others. We all know that person who starts snoring as soon as their head hits the pillow, while you lie tossing and turning into the early hours.

There’s nothing worse than turning up to work in a daze, bleary-eyed from lack of sleep, and chugging black coffees just to get through the day.

The occasional night of poor sleep is not going to kill you. You can always catch up the next night and feel refreshed and recharged. But a consistent pattern of restless nights can do much more than make you feel tired. It can have significant impacts on your health.

Sleep is essential for repairing and restoring our brains and bodies overnight. It is an essential and involuntary process, and just as necessary for our survival as eating, drinking, and breathing. It helps us process information, organize memories, and undergo a variety of physical maintenance functions that enable our bodies and minds to perform optimally the next day. Without sleep, everything is a struggle.

In the long term, consistent sleep deprivation can disrupt your nervous system, harm your mental health, play havoc with your digestive system, and impact hormone production. It can greatly increase your risk of a variety of medical issues, including heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

With this scary information in mind, what can you do to improve the quantity and quality of your sleep? It’s clear that getting more Z’s at night will be beneficial to your health, as well as your personal and professional lives. The following tips outline some ways you can get more rest in the bedroom, and feel better the moment you wake up.

Follow a sleep schedule

Our bodies have an in-built clock, known as a circadian rhythm. It tells our body when it is time to sleep, and time to be awake. Lille a regular clock, it is consistent and reliable. But for it to work effectively, we need to be consistent in our sleeping habits. If you go to bed and wake up at wildly different times each day, the quality of your sleep and your daytime energy will deteriorate.

Instead, you should follow a sleep schedule, setting an alarm to wake at the same time each morning and getting into bed at a similar hour each night.

Get comfortable

The more comfortable you are, the easier you will find it to drop off. So you should make an effort to keep your sleeping environment as comfortable as possible. This may mean setting your thermostat to maintain an optimum temperature in your bedroom, or setting up a fan in the hotter summer months. Your bed itself is the most important factor, and you cannot compromise on comfort. Perhaps consider getting a new mattress or bedding that is softer and more appealing. Set the lighting to a pleasant level before you go to sleep and dress up in your comfiest PJs.

Put your phone away

We are all guilty of using our phones too much, and excessive screen time before bed is probably the worst thing you can do for your quality of sleep. Smartphones and other devices emit a blue light which can impact your circadian rhythm and trick your brain into thinking it is still daytime. Not to mention the fact that distracting apps and games keep you awake long past your proper bedtime.

Set a time to switch your phone off in the evening, at least a couple of hours before bed. Use the period leading up to sleep for reading, conversation, or listening to music. Get a bedside alarm clock to avoid being distracted by your phone when setting your alarm.

Stop napping

Sometimes you need a quick nap in the afternoon to get you through the day, but this can seriously disrupt your sleep later on. Daytime sleeping disrupts your internal body clock, thus making it much more difficult to drop off in the evening. Overlong or irregular naps will affect your sleep schedule, leaving you to feel much more tired in the day.

When you start to feel drowsy in the afternoon, get moving to keep your mind and body active. Go for a short walk or do a few stretches. Drink a big glass of water or eat something and you’ll have a bit more energy to make it through to the evening.

Reduce your caffeine intake

​Who doesn’t love a nice, warming cup of coffee? There is nothing wrong with the occasional caffeinated beverage in moderation, but excessive consumption can be a major factor in triggering sleep deprivation. If you are drinking several cups of tea or coffee throughout the day, it is no wonder that you have trouble dropping off at night.

Caffeine can stay  in your blood at elevated doses for six to eight hours, so while you may feel like that afternoon cup of coffee is having a positive impact on your energy levels, you will pay for it later on. Try to limit your caffeine intake to the morning only. After lunch, switch to decaffeinated alternatives, or herbal teas if you need a warm drink. As well as improving your sleep quality, the reduced caffeine intake will reduce your stress, boost heart health, and benefit your wellbeing in many other ways.

Watch your eating habits

When you eat a big meal, your body actively works to digest it for several hours. Consuming large quantities too soon before bed can affect your sleep quality and disruption your hormones. If you are a late night snacker, try to cut out this habit. Move your evening meal to an earlier time so your body has more of a chance to process the food before you hit the hay.

Get more natural light

The rise of home working has had so many benefits, but there are downsides too. One drawback for remote workers is that it is so easy to not leave the house during the day. As well as getting the exercise your body needs, you also need to be getting more natural light. Exposure to sunlight helps to maintain your circadian rhythm and tells your body when it is time to sleep.

Make it a habit to get outside for a short period every day. This can be hard in the winter months when daylight is limited, but you can at least go for a short walk in your lunch break. If you really struggle to find the time, you could always invest in an artificial sunlight lamp. Although these aren’t a match for the real thing, they will help your sleep.

Consider supplements

If you have tried everything to get to sleep but still find yourself awake in the middle of the night, it may be worth considering some sleep supplements. Melatonin is often used to treat insomnia and has been shown to be incredibly effective at helping people drop off. Other natural supplements used as sleep aids include valerian root, magnesium, glycine, and ginkgo biloba. There are also sleep medications, such as Ambien and Temazepam that are often used, but it is important to only start taking these if prescribed by a doctor. Many people find themselves dependent on these substances, and end up needing Ambien addiction treatment or other professional help. It is always best to use organic methods to aid sleep if you can.

Reduce stress

Stress and anxiety are major causes of sleep deprivation. If you are overburdened at work, or are struggling with personal issues, these may be keeping you awake when you should be snoozing. Try to reduce or eliminate any stressful triggers in your life to target the root of the problem. Could you ask your boss to help you lighten your workload, or even change to a less demanding job role? Perhaps you can end your toxic relationship or repair the rift between you and your parents. Therapy can also be a great way to deal with mental health issues.

Even if you can’t immediately fix the problems in your life, there are things you can do before bed to calm yourself down and temporarily relieve stress. Download a mindfulness app to guide you through a bedtime meditation session. Or run a hot bath with candles and relaxing music. Some people find an evening walk or jog relaxing, while others prefer to cuddle with a pet and read a good book. Whatever helps you destress will enable you to sleep a little bit better.

Consult a sleep professional

And finally, if you really can’t bring yourself to get a consistently good night’s sleep, you may have a deeper underlying medical issue. There are plenty of sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, or medical issues that can impact upon sleep quality. It is worth speaking to a doctor or sleep professional who may be able to diagnose any conditions that might be having a detrimental effect on your body’s ability to rest. They will also be able to advise you on any treatment, strategies, or medications that might help.