Poor nighttime sleep can disrupt your entire day. Which interferes with the following night. Which ruins the following day. Which… Okay, you get the point.
Getting a good night’s sleep requires a bit of extra effort, but it’s more than worth it to wake up feeling refreshed and ready for the day. Here’s what you need to do.
Create the Right Atmosphere
You don’t have to redesign your entire apartment or bedroom, but there are plenty of simple changes you can make to your sleeping environment.
For starters, one of the biggest factors in poor sleep quality is temperature.
It feels nice to cuddle up under the covers all warm and toasty, but it isn’t very good for you. Sleep professionals will tell you that the ideal nighttime temperature is around the low to mid-60s. This complements your body’s natural dip in temperature while you doze.
If you want to fall asleep in your cozy cocoon without impeding your nighttime sleep, you can always invest in a timer-controlled thermostat that automatically lowers the temperature during the night and raises it back up before morning.
This way, you can feel good and sleep well.
Lay A Solid Foundation
Houses crumble with weak foundations—so will your sleep.
The base layer and most important consideration has to be your mattress. Practically everything else is an added bonus.
When it comes to choosing a memory foam mattress, pay close attention to:
- The type of memory foam—traditional, open-cell, gel, or an entirely unique composition
- Mattress density
- Thickness and firmness
- Your preferred sleeping position
Once you’ve found something that satisfies your nighttime needs, you can accessorize it with new sheets and pillows.
Eliminate Distractions
To get truly restful, restorative sleep, your bedroom needs to be your safe haven; an oasis away from the stressors and distractions of everyday life.
Try blocking out the rest out of the world and see how that changes things, starting with:
- A noise machine – When you’re searching for a soothing nighttime soundscape, look for something that you personally find calming and peaceful. If you’re afraid of birds, maybe don’t transport yourself to a tropical forest for the evening.
- Blackout shades or a sleep mask – If your slumber falls exclusively between dusk and dawn, blackout curtains can still save you from the bright lights of the big city (or the regular old streetlamps outside your small town window). A sleep mask can also help if you share a room with someone who doesn’t always come to bed at the same time as you. After all, two light-blocking accessories are better than one!
Obviously, the best-case scenario is to have your own space for uninterrupted, distraction-free sleep, but that’s not always a feasible option. For now, find peace and quiet in other ways.
Form A Sleep-Promoting Routine
As they say, misery loves company and good sleep loves consistency. Is that not a saying? Well, it should be.
There are so many little things that can disrupt your nighttime sleep, either before, during, or even after. But a consistent routine full of healthy habits will do wonders for your slumber:
- Eat a big meal earlier in the night, then have a small snack closer to bedtime if you get hungry again. It’s hard for your digestive system to break down rich, heavy foods while you’re asleep, and all that stomach grumbling might even keep you up.
- Avoid staring at your phone right before you fall asleep (or worse, while you fall asleep). Experts recommend no blue light for one to two hours before bedtime, but that can be tough.
At the very least, set your morning alarm before you get ready for bed then place your phone on the nightstand. Don’t look at it again! Then proceed to brush your teeth, wash your face, put on your sleepwear, etc. By the time you’re actually ready for sleep, it’ll have been 15 minutes or more of screen-free time—better than nothing!
- Do everything in your power not to hit the snooze button. This is so incredibly difficult for most people (guilty as charged!), but very, very worth it if you can commit to the routine.
Less Counting Sheep, More Good Sleep!
With these helpful changes, you’ll hardly have any reason at all to count sheep. You might even miss their smiling faces and cheerful baas as they jump over the imaginary fence in your mind. But you’ll be so much more excited to welcome the best night’s sleep.