10 Ways To Improve Your Sleep Quality

Having trouble getting to sleep at night or simply keep waking up. Here are ten ways that you may be able to improve your sleep quality.

Ways To Improve Your Sleep Quality

1. Upgrade your bed

 A comfortable bed can make a big difference to many people. You could consider upgrading your mattress to memory foam or your sheets to a more comfortable material such as Egyptian cotton. Adjustable beds meanwhile could be great for people that suffer from back pain.

You can find the best bed/bedding by reading reviews. A comfortable bed may also rely a lot on personal preference, so you may want to head down to your local bed shop and try out the beds for yourself.

2. Buy blackout curtains

Many people need total darkness to sleep, otherwise, their brains fail to produce the melatonin hormone that makes us sleep. Investing in blackout curtains could prevent the street lights and early morning sunlight from waking you up. You can also buy blackout blinds that roll up.

3. Get the temperature right

There are many improvements that can be made to help you control the temperature. Having a thick duvet and a thin blanket on your bed that you can switch between could help if it gets too hot or too cold.

You could also set up a smart HVAC system in your home that is remotely controlled from your phone allowing you to adjust the heating or air-con if you need it.

4. Reduce distracting noises

There may be distracting noises that you can get rid of. There are now low-noise fans and air conditioning units that could make it easier to sleep. Alternatively, if you can’t get rid of these noisy distractions. You could consider wearing earplugs – trying out different earplugs could help you to find a comfortable pair.

5. Use soothing scents

Certain scents can be used to help you get to sleep. Lavender is a common sleep-inducing scent. You could use an oil diffuser or you could grow a lavender plant in your bedroom. Jasmine can also be effective at helping people to get to sleep due to its ability to reduce anxiety.

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6. Take sleep supplements

There may also be certain supplements that you can take to help you get to sleep. Melatonin is the hormone that helps you get to sleep, you can take this as pills.

Magnesium is also a popular supplement, which can decrease stress, helping to promote sleep. You can buy these supplements online or from your local pharmacy.

7. Take time to destress

Cortisol, the stress hormone – makes our bodies and minds more alert. Whilst you may not be able to remove this stress trigger from your life, partaking in destressing activities before going to bed could help to flush this cortisol out of your body and help you to get to sleep. Good destressing activities include taking a hot bath, reading, listening to music, or meditating.

8. Limit screen time

You should be careful of staring at bright screens before going to bed. Bright screens from laptops, smartphones, and TVs can trick our brains into thinking that it’s still daytime. This prevents us from producing melatonin, which is the sleep hormone.

Try to put a ban on these activities an hour before going to bed or use software such as Flux which can help to adjust the brightness of your screen according to the time of day.

9. Cut down on the carbs

Eating food before going to bed isn’t always a bad idea. In fact, some foods such as almonds, turkey, and herbal teas can help to improve your sleep quality.

However, some foods should be avoided before going to bed, particularly foods that are high in carbohydrates. This is because carbohydrates provide our bodies with energy. This includes sugary snacks, pizza, and cereal. Other foods to avoid before bed include fatty foods, coffee, and chocolate.

10. Be active during the day

You can also improve your sleep quality by improving your daytime habits. Being more active throughout the day will not only knacker out your muscles and make your body sleepier, it also gives your mind a clear distinction between day and night. If you’re not moving around during the day, your body can start to produce melatonin during the day making you sleepier and making it more difficult to then produce this hormone at night when you need it.