Despite how important sleep is to maintaining optimal health, many people struggle with it from time to time. Some people don’t get enough, while others simply get low-quality sleep. This can often be caused by an actual medical condition or could be due to lifestyle or poor decision-making.
However, you aren’t forced to deal with this insomnia forever. There are things you can do to beat it and finally sleep well again. This blog post is going to go over some of the best things you can do to improve your sleep and get rid of insomnia.
Get a Better Mattress
One of the first things you should look for to help prevent insomnia is a comfortable firm mattress that improves your sleep. Oftentimes, sleep-related problems come from simply sleeping on an old and lumpy mattress. Replacing your old mattress with one that provides optimal support and comfort, can go a long way in aiding how well you sleep.
Take time to try out a couple of different styles of mattresses (such as memory foam and innerspring) to see which feels the best and helps you fall (and stay) asleep. You spend around 8 hours a night on this mattress, so be sure to do your research and don’t be afraid to spend a little bit on something high-quality.
Keep a Better Sleep Schedule
Improving your sleep schedule can also aid in your battle against insomnia. We sleep better when we go to bed and wake up at consistent times every day. Our bodies get used to certain habits, and if you are always waking up and going to sleep at different times, it can be very confusing for your body and how it functions.
This can lead to it producing the wrong hormones at the wrong time, which can make you tired when you should be waking up, and vice versa. Of course, it doesn't need to be perfect, but you should almost always sleep and wake within an hour or less of your normal time, to keep your body's sleep cycle normal.
Be Careful with Caffeine
Another tip is to be very careful with caffeine when you need to sleep soon. Caffeine and sleep have a storied history with one another. With caffeine providing energy and making people more alert, it makes it much harder for someone to fall asleep. As a result, avoid caffeine in the evening in most cases, and some can’t even have it in the afternoon without it hurting their sleep.
While most people know to avoid coffee before bed, there are many other foods and beverages that contain caffeine, which should also be avoided before sleeping. Of course, some people can still consume caffeine and sleep just fine, so learn how your body works and when your caffeine cut-off time should be.
Find Ways to Relax Before Bed
Another thing that can help is to find and identify ways you can relax before bed. If you give yourself and your body a chance to wind down in the evening, it can help you fall asleep quicker and sleep consistently throughout the night.
As for the things you can do to relax and wind down, the choice is yours. Some people might want to listen to relaxing music in a bath, others may want to do yoga or meditate, and some might like to read a book. Your ritual doesn’t need to be the exact same every night, but once you find something that works, there is no reason not to stick to it.
In conclusion, these are four things that can be incredibly useful and helpful when it comes to preventing insomnia.
The content is intended to augment, not replace, information provided by your clinician. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Reading this information does not create or replace a doctor-patient relationship or consultation. If required, please contact your doctor or other health care provider to assist you in interpreting any of this information, or in applying the information to your individual needs.
