Like eating healthy foods, staying hydrated, and exercising, getting good quality sleep is vital to one’s overall health! Do you get enough sleep everyday? Well, in case you don’t know it’s recommended that adults get at least 7 hours of sleep at night. Your body is at work at night while you sleep to repair and maintain the body so not receiving enough sleep at night could negatively affect you both mentally and physically!
Before we talk about how to get good quality sleep let’s briefly talk about the benefits of sleep. Good quality sleep helps lead to the following:
Improved Mood
Healthy Heart
Regulated blood sugar
Improved Mental Function
Restored Immune System
Stress Release
Athletic Recovery
Maintaining a Healthy Weight
Now, the question at hand is…how do you receive good quality sleep? Here are some ways one can improve his or her sleep quality with only small lifestyle adjustments:
- Create a consistent sleep schedule by going to bed and waking up at the same time each day.
- Create a quality sleep environment by minimizing light and distractions. Also, setting a cool fan can serve as a noise machine and help you relax.
- Avoid alcohol and caffeine at bedtime. Having either will only keep you up at night, especially if you consume it in the late afternoon or evening.
- Exercise during the day improves your overall sleep quality. In addition, it helps you to fall asleep faster and the amount of time spent sleeping increases.
- This may seem like a hard one but avoid screen time before bed. Turning off all tv’s, tablets, cell phones, etc. at least 30 minutes before bedtime will make it much easier to fall asleep. Instead, choose a relaxing routine like reading, sleep meditation, or a warm bath to help lead to a good night’s sleep.
It’s true, getting good quality sleep at night will help improve your body’s overall health in numerous ways! If you find it difficult to fall asleep at night I encourage you to choose at least one tip listed above and see if you find it helpful! I didn’t mention anything about naps but if you can find the time to rest during the day, do it! Your body and mind will thank you later!!!
You can read the full article on quality sleep & benefits here.
