How To Get Great Rest

Sleep is a crucial aspect of staying alert the next day. Getting restless sleep often results in feelings of moodiness and can affect your performance. Here are some tips for getting great rest.

1. Know Yourself

If you are not getting enough sleep no matter how hard you try, you will most likely struggle with feeling tired all the time. You should see a doctor diagnose you because you most probably suffer from a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea or periodic limb movements. Once you have been diagnosed, you can build a healthy sleep pattern.

2. Try The Bedtime Theory

You can calculate the amount of time you want to sleep using the Bedtime Calculator provided by the National Sleep Foundation. The calculator gets details like what time you want to go to sleep when you want to wake up, and how long you want to sleep. The average sleep cycle is usually ninety minutes, and an individual has an estimated five sleep cycles through the night. That amounts to seven and a half hours of sleep. The calculator counts the hours back to let you know the best time to sleep.

3. Consistency

Consistency ensures that your circadian rhythm is not disturbed so that you can go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day, which also includes weekends. When your brain knows the time you go to sleep, you can sleep faster and get better quality sleep. Getting better sleep may also mean that you do not have to sleep long hours to feel well-rested.

4. Regulate Your Caffeine Intake

When you take caffeine, its effects last in your body for about six to eight hours. You should avoid taking caffeinated drinks after 3 pm to ensure you have restful sleep.

5. Avoid Alcohol Before Bed

While alcohol may get you to sleep, the sleep quality will not be great because the alcohol will be flushed out of your system in a few hours. If you want to have some restorative sleep, it is best to avoid alcohol before bed.

6. Exercise Regularly

Exercising for twenty or thirty minutes regularly will improve the quality of your sleep because your body will be tired, which means that it will go to sleep faster. However, it is not advisable to exercise too close to bedtime. Three to four hours before bed is the best time.

7. Expose Your Body To Direct Sunlight

Once you wake up, try to spend 30 minutes in direct sunlight to aid your circadian rhythm. If you cannot get exposure to direct sunlight, bulbs that emit blue light are a good option. Exposure to this light will slow the production of melatonin, the chemical associated with sleep.

It is also the reason you should avoid blue lights at night. Do not go to bed with laptops or phones because the light they emit will cause restless sleep. It will also prevent you from sleeping at the time you intend because you may get lured in by social media.

 

8. Invest in a Good Quality Mattress

How old is your mattress? Often people are trying to sleep on a mattress that has seen better days. If you find yourself waking up aching and tired your mattress could need replacing. Find out more about these new Nectar mattresses and consider an upgrade.