Is your family plagued by restlessness and sleeplessness night after night? Your kids seem to be up and down and you just cannot seem to fall asleep early enough to get in a full night’s sleep. Over half of the entire American population has a hard time going and staying asleep for various reasons, such as not having a mattress for back pain relief, stress, too much caffeine, bad diets, etc. and it can really have a bad effect on your physical and mental health and cause your quality of life to go down.
You have probably noticed your family being moodier, having trouble remembering things, or your kids not being able to focus on a task at hand. All of these issues and more can be caused by poor sleep habits. Below are several six sleep habits that the whole family can put into place so you can all get a better night’s sleep every night!
1.) Set a sleep schedule
Having a consistent schedule to put into place is the very first step to take to get a great night of sleep every single night. Getting into the bed at the same time every night and waking up at the same time every day will help regulate your body and train it to fall asleep easily every night.
2.) Use rituals that you do every night
Creating rituals that you do every single night when you get close to bedtime helps to train your mind and body to know that it is time to start winding down and relaxing from the day. These rituals can include anything that helps you relax and close the day like taking a hot shower or bubble bath, reading a few pages out of a book, listening to soothing music, stretching or meditating, drinking a hot cup of decaf tea, etc. These activities train your body to relax and know that it is almost time to go to sleep.
3.) Exercise on a regular basis
Exercise is a great way to help get your body tired and unwound from the day. While exercise is important in helping to get your body regulated and sleepy, it is important to exercise no later than two hours before bed as it can get your body stimulated and excited so it will be more difficult to fall asleep.
4.) A healthy diet is essential
You have probably heard the old saying that you should not eat a whole meal before you go to bed, and you definitely should not. Going to bed right after you eat a whole meal will make you feel full and uncomfortable and it will be more difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep. However, eating a small snack like a handful of nuts or a little bit of fruit can actually help you sleep a little bit better.
5.) Watch how much caffeine you are consuming
Caffeine can interfere with sleep. If you are drinking caffeine all throughout the day, you can also experience withdrawal symptoms when you get in the bed which can make you feel jittery and restless when you try to go to sleep. Try to keep your caffeine intake to two servings or less a day and not drink any after the noon mark. This will help to break the habit and make it easier to fall asleep.
6.) Avoid alcohol as much as you can
Many people get really tired and sleepy after they have had a few drinks which may make it seem like it is a good thing to drink before bed. However, it actually causes you to wake up frequently and interrupts your natural sleep cycle leaving you feeling more tired when you wake up. If you are going to consume alcohol, it is best to drink no later than four to six hours before bed.
Without sleep, we cannot live, function or even just enjoy life as we should. Getting a good night’s sleep will help you accomplish more in life, feel better physically and mentally, and enjoy every day to its fullest!
