20 Jun Proven Tips to Get You a Good Night of Sleep

Just like a healthy diet and regular exercise, quality sleep is important for your mind and body.

According to research, a poor sleeping pattern has a negative effect on hormones, brain function, and overall physical performance. It can also increase your risk for disease and cause weight gain by increasing cortisol levels.

Ever wonder how to resolve sleepless nights? Since I’m working on improving my own sleep these days (one of my personal health goals for the summer!), I wanted to share some proven tips to get better sleep at night.

1. Stay away from caffeine late in the day. Although caffeine has numerous benefits, it may prevent your body from naturally relaxing at night when you consume it late in the day. I cut myself off by lunchtime.
2. Increase sunlight exposure during the day. Sunlight or bright light during the day helps the body to maintain its natural time-keeping clock, also known as the circadian rhythm.
3. Don’t eat late in the evening. A large meal before bed can lead to poor sleep. Most studies indicate that you should stop eating 3-4 hours before bed for optimal sleep.
4. Stay away from electronic devices late at night. Smartphones and electronic devices emit blue light that has an impact on circadian rhythm and can interfere with melatonin production (the hormone that helps you sleep).
5. Reduce long daytime naps, since they can impair sleep quality and can confuse your internal clock. Power naps (15-20 minutes) are helpful, but long and irregular naps (30 minutes+) will have a negative effect on your sleep pattern.
6. Don’t drink alcohol. Alcohol before bed can reduce the production of melatonin and cause middle-of-the-night wake-ups, even if you fall asleep quickly.
7. Try to have a consistent sleep-wake cycle by going to bed and getting up around the same time each day. This will definitely help long term sleep quality.
8. Set the room temperature to be slightly cooler at night. Most studies indicate that a room temperature of 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal for improving affect sleep quality.
9. Take a relaxing bath. According to studies, a warm bath or shower will help you relax and improve the quality of your sleep. Drop in some lavender essential oil to make your bath even more soothing.
10. Get a comfortable bed, pillow, and mattress, of course! The quality of your bed, pillow, and mattress will have a great impact on your sleep quality.

Do yourself a favor and try some of these tips to get better quality sleep. My goal for myself this summer is to overcome my sleepless nights – join me!