“Why can’t I fall asleep?” You ask yourself after tossing and turning for the hundreth time. The inability to rest at night is one of the most frustrating things you could deal with, but there are ways that could help to solve your sleep issues.
Yes, it sounds counterintuitive, and tiring, but daily exercise can you help you rest better. Exercise boosts the effect of natural sleep hormones, like melatonin. It’s important though to note the time you workout, as in exercising too close to your bedtime could stimulate your mind too much. Instead, try to workout within the mornings or early afternoons.
What does that mean? It means restrict the usage of your bed to only sleeping or amorous activities. You might find it easy to come home from a long day of work and just plop on the bed with the phone in hand, or your doing tons of office work on the mattress, but this only makes it harder to truly rest on your bed.
In a sense, even using your bedroom in a whole for non sleep related purposes can make it harder to sleep properly.
Your sleeping environment also matters as well, and keeping a clean mattress and bed sheets can allow for better rest.
Over the years tons and tons of sweat and liquids are soaking into your mattress, causing things like stains, bugs, mold, and smells to inhibit your sleeping space. All of this can make your body more uncomfortable to sleeping, so make sure to regularly maintain your mattress
Maintaining a sleep cycle is important so your body can get into the habit of relaxing itself when it gets close to bedtime. Erratic sleeping times like going to bed at 2am one night then 9pm the other can confuse your body of it’s schedule. When you follow a consistent sleep schedule, your body will be at rest much easier, and you’ll fall asleep much faster.
Eating a big bowl of soup then heading to bed may not be the best course of action. Though a hungry stomach can keep you up at night, so can an overfull one. It’s best to eat a few hours in advance to your bedtime, so your body won’t be bloated or in the middle of processing your dinner.
If you do find yourself a bit peckish, eat light snacks like apple slices or some nuts, and not a whole slice of cheesecake.
Is your room dirty?Is it hot? Is the TV on? And there are lamps on? All of these are incredibly distracting and make trying to fall asleep a hell. Your body sleeps best in a dark cool environment.
This sort of environment makes onset sleep much quicker than trying to close your eyes amidst the sound of a comedy show, you sleeping on the hot side of the pillow, and the lamps on.
If you are afraid of the dark, consider the option of night lights, or buying bulbs that can dim. Even covering your lamp with a cloth can help to create a more relaxing place.
Sometimes after doing all the steps, you still find yourself tossing and turning in the bed, unable to sleep at all. You might be suffering from insomnia, or a problem much worst. When you continually have restless nights, see a doctor to evaluate your conditions.
You might be given medication, or medical advice on how to deal with your sleep issues.
