Picture Credit: dominiqs81
Everybody struggles to fall asleep sometimes. If it’s going to be a big day tomorrow, or if we’re unsure of the future, we tend to stay up at night, sub-consciously thinking about them. Sometimes you’re just not in the mood for sleep, or the room is too warm or cold. The list can carry on and on forever, and is almost always unique to every person, including myself (I can’t stand pillows at times).
Therefore, being a sufferer myself, I’ve scoured the internet, and my personal experiences, to find ways to “prepare” for a relaxing and calming night. These are the 5 things you shouldn’t do, if you wish to sleep like Sleeping Beauty:
- Never work and then immediately go to sleep. This wakes up your brain, and as you lie in bed and stare at your ceiling you find yourself thinking about your work. This can keep you awake, as to sleep, your brain must be relaxed.
- Don’t exercise right before you sleep . This tires your body, true, but unlike exercising in the afternoon (a few hours before), your muscles don’t have time to relax, your heart can’t take a break and lower your pulse and you’ll be sweating, which is generally uncomfortable (unless you shower).
- Not having a routine. A routing is like a set of rails, it guides your body (the train) and creates a pattern which can be easily repeated. The more you stick to a routine, the more streamlined it becomes. Your body knows what it’s supposed to do at a certain time, and knowing that it’s time for sleep helps a lot!
- Staying indoors all day. Scientists have proven that only a couple minutes sunlight in the morning will help you sleep better. It resets your biological clock, allowing your body to orientate itself around it’s normal sleeping cycle. Apparently this helps for jetlag as well.
- Staying on your computer right before sleeping. This allows your mind to calm down and relax. Browsing the internet, or reading Email puts your mind into overdrive, as you absorb tons of information in a short duration of time. This gets your brain excited, which can be a problem if you want to close your eyes and drift away into deep sleep.
Good luck with sleeping in the future!
