Science Backs These 10 Simple Sleeping Hacks

Science Backs These 10 Simple Sleeping Hacks

Sleeping or lack of sleep has been discussed at great lengths over the last few months. In order to function at your best and to stay healthy it’s truly important you learn how to have a good night sleep.

How then do you go from not being able to fall asleep easily to falling asleep quickly and staying asleep longer?

It’s easier said then done trying to actually catch some Z’s, and there are a whole lot of people, including myself, who desperately try to claim back the realm of sleep and their quality of sleep. A vast majority of us find ourselves tossing and turning hours after we went to bed unable to slip into cloudland.

We all deserve a good night rest and below are 11 of the best sleep hacks backed up by science to help you slip into the land of nod.

1. Read a book before you hit the hay

Snuggle down with a quick read of your bedtime story. Keep your reading to something that is a bit stale for your standards but still interesting, it’ll induce your eyelids to feel heavy and your body to relax and away you go to the Land of the Nod. It might just be thing for your friendly sleep induced state.

2. Set a consistent bedtime

Setting a time for sleep works wonders. It forces you to establishing a routine that will foster winding down. Subconsciously, your mind will move to a more relaxing state helping your brain adjust its levels of serotonin and melatonin important in balancing your circadian rhythm out. Physiological steps your brain and body need to take before a god night sleep.

3. Eat healthier

Adjusting your diet can help you get that beauty sleep you have been craving for. Research has found that increasing your intake of fruits, vegetables, and pulses can help improve your sleep and the time it takes for you to go to sleep dramatically, thanks to the increased levels of magnesium, potassium, and other essential minerals that your body needs.

4. Keep your room cool

Keep your room cool if you want to fall asleep faster. Scientific research has found that your body temperature is important when you are trying to fall asleep, as your body temperature naturally drops when you start to nod off. Therefore maintaining a cool room temperature is essential. Furthermore, when your body cools down at night it will stimulate an increase in the growth hormones while simultaneously decreasing your levels of cortisol, which will result in “healthy sleep patterns.”

5. Sleep naked

Not only is sleeping in the nude healthy for your lady parts but also helps you keep cool allowing for better quality of sleep. Your body temperature naturally declines as a part of your Circadian Rhythm as you sleep deeply. Disruption in the natural decline of body temperature is also directly linked to insomnia. Sleeping naked you’re really just helping your overall sleep improve.

6. Do some yoga

Research suggests that doing yoga can help relax your body and help you get to sleep in record time. You might not be a fan but why not try your hand at some yoga and find yourself relaxing and nodding off immediately.

7. Meditate

Meditation allows you to calm your restless mind and focus on the kind of slow, rhythmic breathing that helps make sleeping better. In fact one of the suggested breathing techniques, the ujjayi breath (or ocean breath), is perfect for calming you down and helping you nod off to sleep.

8. Drink warm milk

The old adage about drinking warm milk helping you go to sleep, turns out to be not only true, but a beneficial sleep hack for anyone trying to get to sleep quicker. Psychologists have considered that drinking warm milk may have an unconscious psychological effect, and that it relates to the childhood experience.

9. Cut out caffeine

Cutting out caffeine before sleep is one of the best sleep hacks. If you want to make sure you go to sleep as soon as possible avoid tea, coffee, or even chocolate. Studies indicate that avoiding these after 3pm helps improve quality of sleep and the tome it takes you to get to sleep.

10. Shut all electrics off

He best modern sleep hack is the total removal of our multiple electronic usage from our bedroom. Several studies have found that the blue light from electronics devices disrupt your brain’s ability to begin relaxing for better sleep. So best to turn off your tablet, phone and laptop an hour before you go to bed, so your mind has a chance to unwind properly before you fall asleep.

11. Make your bedroom dark

With modern style of living lights are on even at night, streetlights, deli lights, signs, your neighbour’s backyard lights, etc. It might pay to invest in a pair of blackout curtains.