No one can deny the manifold benefits of getting a good night’s sleep, but oftentimes our actions don’t reflect our attitude when it comes time to get into bed. For anyone looking to improve their quality of sleep, here are some simple tips to try out at night:
1. Cut the Screentime
Ideally, you should turn off your screens at least one hour before bed. Engaging with a screen at night tells our nervous systems that we should be alert — especially if it involves watching an action movie or playing an online game. If you absolutely have to get work done, then at least install a blue light filter program like f.lux.
2. Lower the Liquids
If you’re waking up multiple times a night to go to the bathroom, you might benefit from having liquids earlier in the daytime. Doubly so if you’re consuming caffeine in the late afternoon.
3. Late Night Eats
Our bodies aren’t designed to process foods effectively during sleep, so when you force it to do so by eating right before bedtime, it’ll compromise your sleep quality. But on the flip side, those who have unstable blood sugar might benefit from eating a small, protein rich snack before bed, like a handful of nuts.
4. Digesting Your Emotions
Just as we need to chew our food thoroughly to prepare it for digestion, our emotional content needs is best pre-processed before our subconscious deals with it during sleep. Journalling works great, as does this simple mindfulness trick: close your eyes, start from the present moment, and recall all the moments of your day backwards until the end of the day.
5. All about the Feet
A bit more of an esoteric home-remedy, try this out and see if it works for you. Lying in bed, point the toes for 20 seconds, pull them back for 20 seconds, and repeat for a few minutes. Alternatively, wiggle your toes slowly as if you’re playing piano very quietly. Works like a charm for some people, basically by focusing energy in the opposite direction of those racing thoughts.
