Today’s World Sleep Day, and what better way to celebrate it than to enjoy 7 hours of continuous, energizing sleep? If you’re sleeping for eight hours every day but still waking up tired, or if you’re struggling to get any sleep at all, read the following tips on how to get to sleep when you can’t, based on recommendations from the Philippine Society of Sleep Medicine and Uratex:
Stick to a bedtime (and waking time) schedule
If you’re constantly waking up and going to bed at different times, then it’s no wonder that you’re having trouble winding down at night. That’s why you should stick to a scheduled wake-up time and stick to it — even on weekends. Then, once you’ve set a wake-up time, calculate when you’d need to go to bed to get seven hours of sleep. Remember to schedule for extra time for winding down before sleep.
Nap strategically
When you’re feeling tired, let yourself sleep, but don’t overdo it because you could easily throw off your sleep schedule. You should also avoid napping late in the day — instead, limit naps to 20-30 minutes in the early afternoon.
Cut off the caffeine (after a certain time)
We know, we know — coffee is life. But you don’t have to give up your coffee habit entirely. Because caffeine can stay in your system for six hours, avoid drinking anything caffeinated later in the day, because it could make falling asleep so much harder.
Be smart with your workout routine
Exercise is vital to promoting solid sleep, but experts advise against heavy exercise three hours before bedtime because it may make winding down more difficult.
Get high-quality bedding
A good mattress and pillow are crucial to good sleep because they give your back the support they need. Fortunately, brands like Uratex make shopping for a mattress easy — you can even shop for one on Lazada and Shopee.
Quality sheets and blankets will also help make your bed feel more comfortable and inviting. They can also help maintain a comfortable temperature that’s conducive to sleep. Which leads us to our next item…
Make sure your room’s at a comfortable temperature
Nobody wants to feel too hot or too cold. The best temperature for sleep changes from one person to the next, but Dr. Keith Aguilera from the President of the Philippine Society of Sleep Medicine recommends a temperature of 21 to 24 degrees celsius.
Block out distracting noise and eliminate light
It’s important that your bedroom is as distraction-free as possible, but if you can’t control the noise levels in your room, you can use a fan or white noise machine to drown out nearby noise. You could also opt for earplugs that are safe for sleep. For excess light, you could use blackout curtains over your windows or a sleep mask over your eyes.
Reserve bed for sleep (and sex)
Now that you’ve made your bed super comfortable, it’s understandable that you’d want to just spend most of your time there. But doing so could actually make falling asleep harder. You want to rewire your brain so that it associates it with sleep, so it’s best to limit your activities in your bed to sleep and sex.
Happy World Sleep Day! Hope you get a good night’s rest tonight!
