Body
10 science-backed ways to help you sleep
If you’re one of the millions who struggle to fall asleep or can’t enjoy a quality night of shut-eye, here are some science-backed tips that may change your life.
- Dim the lights – keeping the light on until right before you go to sleep can interfere with your internal clock, as the light tricks your body into thinking it’s daytime and fails to release the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin.
- Avoid screens – like to check Facebook before bed? Studies have shown that using mobile devices will seriously cripple your quality of sleep.
- Ditch coffee – okay, this one’s a bit tough. We all need a bit of java to help get the day going, but if you’re one of the many who enjoy a cuppa after dinner, you may want to reconsider. Coffee works the same way as light, in that it suppresses the sleepy hormone melatonin, making it difficult to fall asleep.
- Ditch alcohol – remember having those big nights in your heyday and finding you woke up at crazy hours of the night? It turns out even small amounts of alcohol can seriously damage your ability to fall and stay asleep.
- Keep your hands and feet warm – researchers have found that jumping into bed with warm hands and feet drastically decreases the time it takes for fall asleep.
- Have a bath – ever get that sleepy feeling when you’re having a bath? Take advantage of it! Increasing your body temperature is believed to help you fall asleep faster and enjoy a deeper night’s rest.
- Be happy – having a positive attitude won’t just improve your mood, it’ll lower your risk of insomnia drastically as you won’t be kept up by negative thoughts.
- Tune in – listening to classical music (or any genre that you find relaxing) can help lower your blood pressure and improve your sleep quality.
- Get into a routine – by doing the same things every night before bed, your body will begin to realise those actions mean it’s nearly time to sleep.
- Use lavender – studies have shown that people who fall asleep with the smell of lavender filling the room had a better night’s sleep and woke up feeling more refreshed than those who didn’t.
Do you have any secrets to getting the perfect night’s sleep? We’d love to hear them! Share your ideas in the comments below.
Related links:
10 unhealthy habits you need to stop now
The health benefits of a positive attitude
The 4 tricks guaranteed to make you a morning person