Enjoying a quality sleep on a consistent and regular basis has profound effects on your health and functionality, and so does sleep deprivation. Scientific researches have found that we need sleep between 7 and 8 hours each night for our immune system to be in the best form during flu season This means sleep affects the immune system!
Such is the importance of sleep in almost every aspect of our lives.
Being aware of the importance of sleep, we have compiled a set of tips to help you improve your sleep quality.
Tips on How to Improve Your Sleep Quality
1. Ensure your sleeping environment induces sleep
If you want to fall asleep quickly, make your bedroom a relaxing and comfortable place. Make your sleep environment as comfortable as possible and as distraction-free as possible.
For instance, you should avoid too much light in your room. You can lose your sleep and circadian rhythm when you expose yourself to too much light during sleep. Sleep masks or curtains over your windows can block out light and help you get better sleep.
Another way to create an environment that supports sleep is to use high-quality mattresses, bedding, and pillows. To be able to relax, you need a comfortable mattress. In addition, it ensures that your spine is adequately supported, so you don't get aches and pains. Furthermore, your pillow and blankets play a crucial role in creating an inviting bed.
2. Pay attention to the temperature of your room
You can seriously affect the quality of your sleep by the temperature in your room. So, in addition to considering other sleep hygiene practices, you must also pay attention to the room temperature.
An ideal bedroom temperature is 18.3 degrees Celsius (65 degrees Fahrenheit). Although there are some variations from person to person, most doctors recommend keeping the room between 15.5 and 19.5 degrees Celcius (60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit) to ensure a restful night's sleep.
3. Expose yourself to light during the day
Your body has its own clock, known as a circadian rhythm. It keeps your body awake while also telling your body when it is time to sleep by acting on your brain, body, and hormones. Light exposure during the day, such as sunshine, helps keep your circadian rhythm in shape so that you stay healthy and have plenty of energy during the day, as well as sleep well at night.
Therefore, to improve your sleep quality, it is essential you step outside to take in as much sunlight as you can. Where that is not available, artificial bright lights also work well.
The effectiveness of this has been proven through several studies. A study, for instance, showed that people with insomnia benefitted from exposure to bright light during the day. In addition, sleep time was reduced by 83% in such people. Researchers in a similar study found that 2 hours of bright light during the day increased sleep efficiency by 80% and the amount of sleep by 2 hours in older adults.
4. Create an adequate sleep schedule and stick to it
Having a sleep schedule that maximises your hours and gives you some structure to your sleep can be vital to enjoying quality sleep. The sleep foundation recommends some tips for an effective sleep schedule. They include:
- Establish a Sleep Budget: In order to get enough sleep each night, you should schedule this time into your day. Then, working backward from the time you wake up, determine an appropriate bedtime. If possible, allow yourself extra time before going to sleep to wind down.
- Fix Your Wake-Up Time: If you're constantly waking up at different times, your body will find it impossible to get used to a healthy sleeping schedule. Fix a wake-up time and stick to it in spite of weekends or other days when you may feel tempted to sleep in.
- Gradually Adjust Your Schedule: It is best to adjust your sleep schedule slowly and over time, leaving no more than 1-2 hours per night of difference. In this way, your body will get used to the changes and follow your new schedule more easily.
- Nap warning: Take naps carefully if you want to sleep soundly at night. A nap that lasts too long or too late in the day can interfere with your sleep schedule, making it harder to fall asleep when you need to. A 20-minute nap is ideal after lunch in the early afternoon.
5. Reduce your consumption of caffeine
Caffeine keeps you awake even when you'd like to sleep because of its stimulant properties. You should, therefore, restrict your caffeine intake to only the morning hours if you must take caffeinated beverages.
You can feel the effects of caffeine for up to 7 hours after consuming it. This means you are likely to stay awake and alert for longer than you expected because you drank your afternoon coffee. Do you want to get better and quality sleep? Stay away from caffeine when it is close to bedtime.
6. Stay away from alcohol, especially close to bedtime
Drinking alcohol before bed can negatively affect your sleep and hormones. Sleep apnea, snoring, and disrupted sleep patterns are common symptoms associated with alcohol consumption. In addition, it alters nighttime melatonin production, which controls the body's circadian rhythm.
7. Get regular exercise, but not before you go to bed
Your sleep and health are improved when you exercise. In addition to enhancing sleep, exercise reduces symptoms of insomnia. Studies found that exercise improved sleep by 41 minutes in older adults and halved the time spent falling asleep.
However, despite the importance of daily exercise to a good night's sleep, exercising too late in the day can interfere with your sleep. This is due to exercise's stimulatory effects, which increase alertness and hormones like adrenaline and epinephrine, therefore making falling asleep a tad harder.
We can help you with this
The importance of sleep cannot be overstated, and the tips listed above will help guarantee quality sleep. In your journey to getting sleep-inducing bedding materials and mattresses, you have to pay more attention to those scientifically designed to make sleep deeper and restful. Our Cooling Bamboo Bedding Set is a perfect example of such. It is made with incredibly soft materials designed to guarantee a blissful sleep.
