Many people struggle to fall asleep even after hours of lying down in bed. Whether the reasons for these struggles are associated with lifestyle or stress, inculcating certain routines or implementing some short-term solutions can help you get better sleep. If a long and hectic day of yours is followed by tossing and turning on your bed in the middle of the night then you’re not alone.
Several sleep-inducing hacks, which do not include OTC sleep aids that work, have been studied and devised, and many of these have proven to be successful. In this article, we will look closely at the most effective ones that work for a majority of people. So rather than thinking about popping pills for a night of sound sleep, you should try these methods and see which one of them works the best for you.
1. Consistency
A consistent sleeping pattern is important for falling asleep on time. If you happen to go to bed erratically, you’re least likely to fall asleep as soon as you lie down since your mind wouldn’t know when to drift off to sleep. Therefore, you must go to bed at the same time every night to make your mind and body prepared for sleeping.
2. Avoid Afternoon Naps
A night of poor sleep can tempt you to take hour-long naps in the afternoon. However, doing so can further disrupt your sleeping pattern since you’ll already be rested when you go to bed. Therefore, you should try to avoid daytime naps in order to prevent trouble sleeping at night.
3. Quality Bedding
Good-quality bedding can result in better sleep because of the comfort and support it provides. Since the definition of comfort can be very subjective, different kinds of mattresses can prove to be helpful for different people. Try out different mattress sizes and constructions to find what works best for you, whether it’s a queen-sized mattress or a much bigger king, you have to try and find out what provides maximum space and comfort for you. In fact, the mattresses that make people sink in their beds can make some people uncomfortable while some people might prefer them over others.
4. Avoid Caffeine
Since caffeine is a stimulant, it can disrupt sleeping patterns when consumed before bed. For some people, consuming caffeine at any time of the day can result in insomnia or poor sleeping habits. In these cases, it’s best to stop consuming it. However, if this isn’t your problem, you need to ensure that you avoid its intake for at least 4 hours before bedtime. This is likely to greatly improve the quality of your sleep at night.
A lot of people face difficulty sleeping at night, but this can be overcome using several techniques. In this article, we discussed some of these techniques that have proven to be highly effective. Trying to drift into sleep naturally is the best way to make sure that you get enough rest both mentally and physically and thus, sleeping pills should ideally be avoided. Some other things that you can consider are sleep hygiene and blackout curtains. You should try the methods stated in this article along with anything else that works for you to see which one suits you best and helps in maintaining a regular sleep schedule.
Featured image: Unsplash (Lux Graves).
