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Bad sleeping habits hamper sound sleep at night. Not sleeping at night can lead to sleep deprivation, which can negatively impact your mental and physical health. It can also affect your power of concentration and memory.
Inconsistent sleeping hours can affect your sleep quality, therefore you must follow a healthy sleeping routine and take a good night’s sleep for recommended hours, which are generally between 6 and 8 hours for healthy individuals. The best sleeping hours are during the night. It is recommended to follow Circadian rhythms, which are physical, mental, and behavioral changes that follow a 24-hour cycle.
Bad sleeping habits can make you irritable on small things, and you may not be able to focus on the task at hand. If you are restless while sleeping and unable to take sound sleep, it can create other problems like a weak immune system and weight gain.
If you have trouble sleeping at night and sleep quality is suffering due to any reason. Here are a few tips for you to improve your bad sleeping habits and enjoy quality sleep-
Bedtime
Following a consistent bedtime and sleeping at the same time will improve your sleep quality significantly. You should follow a sleep routine. Going to bed at the same time and waking up at the same time every day, day after day, can help you overcome difficulties while sleeping.
Bedtime rituals
The bed bedtime rituals will help you prepare and get in the mood to sleep, which is key to peaceful sleep. A warm or cold shower, reading a few pages of a book, listening to soothing music, giving an affectionate hug to your partner, or any other pre-sleep activity can be relaxing. It will give hint to your body that it’s time for night sleeping.
Physical exercise
Physical activity is an important part of maintaining your overall health. However, exercising just before bedtime can disrupt sleep, and it may hamper the peaceful sleep which you were about to enjoy. You must exercise at least two hours before your bedtime. It needs no emphasis that you must keep your smartphone or any other electronic gadgets at least one hour before your bedtime.
Healthy diet
Having meals right before bedtime can make you feel bloated and thus make it difficult for you to have a peaceful sleep. Therefore, eat at least two hours before your bedtime and enjoy a good night’s sleep.
Limit caffeine
Having coffee/tea can make you more alert, thus it’s best not to have caffeine-laden beverages before going to sleep. There is enough research to show that caffeine intake affects your sleep quality. Study results also showed that having caffeine even as early as six hours before bedtime can impact sleep pattern and quality, even if you don’t actually notice the disruption.
Alcohol
Alcohol in your body slows brain activity. It can help induce sleep, however, it interferes with sleep during midnight, and you may have difficulty sleeping. Thus, do not drink alcohol closer to bedtime, it can not be called a good sleeping habit that you want to follow.
Use the bedroom for sleep only
Avoid having meals in the bedroom. If you have a Television in the bedroom, ensure to switch it off sufficiently before the recommended hours of sleep. What are the best recommend hours of sleep for you? It will be decided by you and followed meticulously day after day until it becomes a habit and part of your daily routine. Make sure your bedroom is dark enough, quiet, and cool or warm according to the weather. Using your bedroom only for sleep will help you associate with sleeping and not anything else.
Detach from mobile phone
Detach from your smartphone and restrict its use, if not emergency, at least before one hour of going to bed. Using any social media not only activates your stress level before sleep, but also strains your eyes. It may lead to difficulty while sleeping and hamper sleeping, and you may not be able to enjoy deep sleep.
Therefore, you should be careful and take care of your sleeping habits. If the sleep pattern is disturbed, and it hampers your other activities and mental state, it is advisable to seek professional help. Please be happy and develop healthy sleeping habits which will improve your overall wellbeing.
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