Do you like working in dark ? Many people hide inside during the day. You close the curtains, shut off the lights and you enjoy the quiet comfort of your dark room. But every time you turn off the lights you are confusing your brain. Daylight exposure to light has huge impact on your sleep cycle. According to research, timed light exposure significantly changes your sleep. Participates who experienced bright light during the day saw huge improvement in their sleep efficiency because light is one of the many ways that brains governs your sleep cycle. When the world is bright and sunny the brain feels awake and alert. Your brain knows that it's daytime so your energy and productivity remains high. But sitting in darkness confuses your brain, it doesn't know what time if day it is. It also loses track of your sleep cycle and then confusion leaves you feeling groggy and tired through out the day. So open the curtains in the morning, turn on the lights during day and keep your brain awake by saving the darkness for later.
2. NAPPING ROUTINE
Do you nap during the day ? Napping seems to be great way to ruin your sleep cycle but that's not always true. Studies have shown that napping helps you to sleep better and wale up earlier but only if you nap the right way. Many people nap when ever they feel tired. Well let's say, you took a nap at 4 o'clock yesterday, you came home after a stressful day of work and you feel right to sleep but today you got tired much earlier. Instead of taking a nap at 4, you took a nap around noon. Are these naps going to help or hurt your sleep cycle ? Your sleep cycle follows a biological pattern called a circadian rhythm. The brain uses this rhythm to wake up and fall asleep at same time every day, that's why it's so important to keep your sleep cycle on a consistent schedule. The more regular your sleep routine is, the easier it will be to fall asleep.
3. AFTERNOON CAFFEINE
It's late in afternoon, and you're still working. You need to finish a big project by tommorow morning, but your energy levels are fading fast. So to keep your self awake you decide to make a cup of coffee or a energy drink. You get a big burst of energy and you finish the last of your work, but what happens when you try to fall asleep ? Countless numbers of people use caffeine to counteract this afternoon slump. After a busy morning your motivation starts to fade later in the day. A boost of energy seems like a recipe for success but that second cup of coffee is destroying your sleep cycle. The problem is, caffeine stays in your system much longer than you think ! It gives you an energy that lasts a few hours but the actual caffeine remains in your blood stream for six to eight hours after consumption. So if you're sensitive to caffeine that number can climb even higher. With caffeine in your blood stream your sleep suffers significantly.
According to research, caffeine can destroy your sleep more than six hours after consumption. People consuming caffeine before few hours from.going to bed can experience significant sleep disruptions that includes trouble falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep and grogginess after waking up.
4. UNRAVEL YOUR STRESS
Do your find yourself working before bed ? Do you fall asleep full of tension and anxiety ? Stress has major impact on sleep quantity and quality. Before you fa asleep, your brain needs time to relax and settle down, but stress stands in the way of your relaxation. It fills your brain with worries and doubts which keeps your brain tensed and wired. That's why stress reliving activities are so important before bed. If you live stressful lifestyle, a relaxing night time routine could transform your sleep. It can unravel your stress before bed and that way your brain can fall asleep smoothly and peacefully. So what is a relaxing night time routine look like ? There are countless different ways to create your relaxing routine. Some people got lost in a good book, others take a warm bath and listen to soothing music. You can also practice deep breathing meditate or combine multiple of these activities together. It doesn't really matter what you do as long are relaxed and consistent. So find one or more activities that soothe your stress.
5. RESTLESS BREAKS
The vast majority of people have experienced delayed sleep latency. In other words, many of us had trouble falling asleep at night. Something we lay awake for hours, begging our brains to fall asleep in. We check clock over and over again and grow frustrated by minute. The truth is tossing and turning isn't going to help you fall asleep. If you have been lying in bed for 20 minutes, stop trying ! Get out of your bed and find a relaxing activity to do instead. If you have crafted a night time ritual, re-engage with that routine. Spend 10-15 minutes focusing on some other thing that sleeping. During this time, don't look at clock, don't worry about sleep, you are losing. Just enjoy 10-15 minutes of relaxation. Your brain is more likely to get tired because you are not stressed about falling asleep.
So the next time you can't sleep, give this method a try. Once your get out of the bed you may find yourself getting tired in no time and can get a much better sleep.
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