Introduction
If you’ve ever had a rough night’s sleep, you know how important it is to try to get a good night’s sleep every single day. But if you want to improve your sleep quality even more, here are some tips that can help:
Take a warm bath before bed.
A warm bath is a great way to relax before bed. The warm water helps muscles relax, reducing tension and easing pain. A hot bath also helps you fall asleep faster by stimulating the release of melatonin—the hormone that promotes sleep—and it also reduces stress, anxiety, and depression.
Calm your mind
To calm your mind, focus on your breathing. Focus on the air going into your nose and down into your lungs. Feel it leave your body through the same route. You can also try counting breaths: one for each inhale, two for each exhale.
Relaxing isn’t just about calming down; it’s also about letting go of stress and tension in the body. Try tensing up all of the muscles in your face, then relaxing them as much as possible (this works better if you do this while looking at yourself in a mirror). Do this again with certain parts of your body—such as shoulders or legs—until they feel totally relaxed. You can even try lying down on the floor and stretching out all limbs so that there is no tension anywhere in your body whatsoever!
Meditate before going to sleep.
Meditation is a simple way to help you relax and focus on your breathing. It can help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep, and wake up feeling refreshed. Meditation will also help you avoid the stress that can come from worrying about your day or the next day when you need to get an early start.
Exercise earlier in the day.
If you’re like most people, exercise is a great way to relax and wind down before bedtime. However, if you’ve been exercising at night for a long time it can actually make it harder for you to fall asleep. This happens because exercise stimulates the sympathetic nervous system—the part of your nervous system that controls your “fight or flight” response—and this stimulation may keep adrenaline levels high enough that they interfere with sleep.
Additionally, intense exercise causes blood flow to increase throughout the body (including through muscles). This can help produce deep sleepiness during recovery from intense workouts but not much after moderate ones (or even walking), making it more difficult for some people to fall asleep afterward.
Relax your body and mind.
In order to relax your body and mind, there are many things you can do. Take a long shower, take a warm bath, go for a walk in the park or just sit outside for awhile. You could also go to yoga classes, massage therapy sessions, or even just relax in the tub with some bubble bath.
Avoid caffeine and alcohol right before bed.
You should also avoid caffeine and alcohol right before bed. Caffeine can stay in your system for up to 12 hours, so it’s important to avoid all sources of caffeine (including coffee, tea, chocolate and soft drinks) throughout the day. Alcohol has a similar effect on sleep; although it may help you fall asleep faster, alcohol disrupts deep sleep and REM cycles during the night.
Check your bedroom temperature.
Check your bedroom temperature. While you’re in bed, your body temperature drops and stays low until morning. A cool room helps to maintain that natural cooling cycle, while overheating can disrupt it.
Keep your feet warm. Your extremities may feel a little chilly if you’re not sleeping under covers, but don’t worry—that’s normal! Covering up is still recommended for safety purposes, but also consider adding a throw or blanket over your legs (and feet) during the night to keep them cozy and comfortable as well. If you tend to get cold easily when sleeping under blankets, use an electric blanket or mattress pad instead of piling on pillows and comforters; just make sure they’re rated for indoor use!
Use a fan if needed: If you find yourself waking up sweaty in the middle of the night despite keeping your room cool enough otherwise (or if there’s just too much noise), consider using an electric fan while resting at night; many fans have built-in timers so they’ll automatically shut off after 30 minutes or so without disturbing anyone else in bed with them either way.”
Focus on your breath and then let it go.
You can use your breath as an anchor to bring you back to the present moment. Concentrate on it, and then let it go. It’s a powerful tool for focusing on what’s happening right now instead of being caught up in thoughts about the past or future.
These are all scientifically proven methods for getting better sleep, and they’re easy to implement:
- Try using a white noise machine in your room if the sounds of traffic or other noises keep you awake.
- Avoid caffeine in the evening; it’s best to have your last cup of coffee at least six hours before bedtime, as coffee can stay in your system up to 14 hours after drinking it.
- Exercise regularly—but not too close to going to bed (about three hours before). You can also try yoga or stretching as an alternative activity that will help relax you when it comes time for slumber.
If you or someone you know wants to learn more about what acupuncture can do for sleep, give us a call or click to book your FREE New Patient Appointment.
Your Rochester Acupuncturist,
Seth Woodson
Conclusion
We hope you’ve discovered some helpful tips for improving your sleep. For more information, check out the resources at the bottom of this article.
Additional Resources: