To sleep, perchance to dream… The age-old mission to get a good night’s rest has led to many articles over the years and even more self-help books and guides. For something that we all (well, all should) be getting every single night of our lives, sleep seems to be such an elusive creature for a lot of us. And do not even get me started on the quality kind of sleep that we all, ironically, dream of.
A good night’s rest helps our bodies and our minds to relax and recharge, as well as provides our systems with the chance to perform critical maintenance tasks, like healing and recovering. After getting a good night’s rest, your mind is better able to focus which helps you learn more effectively, and you will feel more balanced and at peace with yourself and your surroundings.
Here are 5 tips to get the best night’s rest that you possibly can, to improve your mood and leave you being and feeling healthy and happy.
- Choose Your Diet Wisely
What you put in your mouth has a direct impact on your ability to sleep well. Healthy foods, free of hormones and processing methods are the best for powering your body in the best way you can. Fresh fruit and veggies are loaded with free radical fighting antioxidants that destroy your cells if left unchecked. Keep in mind the amount of food you eat as well as the times you eat them. If you are hungry after dinner and before bed, then have a very small healthy snack to tide you over until breakfast.
- Avoid Alcohol & Caffeine
Try not have chocolate or alcohol before dinner, in fact – try and avoid all stimulant food or drinks around bedtime. You might think a glass of wine makes you sleepy and will help you sleep better but it is actually a stimulant and will damage your ability to craft a healthy sleep-cycle in the long-run. Acidic foods or fruit juices should also be avoided at night to stop heartburn and other digestive issues during sleep.
- Mattress Marvels
To get the best sleep of your life, invest in the best mattress your budget will allow. There are a few things you should not bargain hunt for in life and a good quality mattress is definitely one of them! A memory foam mattress will learn the contours of your body and adjust to accommodate your movements as you sleep. Our best memory foam mattress pick will provide you with comfort, durability and support during the day or night.
- Create a Sleep Ritual
A healthy sleep ritual will allow you to get the best possible rest every night of your life. Avoid watching television or reading in bed and pack your devices away at least an hour before going to bed. Try and limit your bed activities to sleeping and sex. This way you will program your mind and body to sleep sooner when you get into bed. Keep your pillows fluffed and your linen clean for a relaxing environment that is tuned to achieve the best rest possible. As you get older you may find that the way you sleep changes quite a bit, this is perfectly normal. Allow yourself time to adjust to your new normal each time this happens.
- Get Your Niggles Checked
If you are having trouble sleeping because of health reasons, now is probably as good a time as any to get those things checked. As little or insignificant as they may seem at the time, it wouldn’t hurt to find out why you have constant heartburn as soon as you lay down, or your legs do not seem to want to stop twitching. This is especially true if those little niggles are not so little, if you have excessive bloating, cramping or any kind of chest pain, I urge you to get these things checked out sooner rather than later. Not only will these improve your general state of wellness and health but they will also contribute positively to a good night’s sleep once they have all be sorted out and accounted for.
Photo by Gaelle Marcel on Unsplash
