Ways to Sleep Peacefully
Sleep issues can be devastating to overall health and well-being, as anyone who's suffered a night of tossing and turning knows. And when levels of stress are high - such as coping with our current global pandemic - it can be difficult to sleep soundly. While it's frustrating to live with insomnia and other sleeping difficulties, there are a number of strategies to help you get restful, peaceful sleep.
1. Turn off the blue light one hour before bedtime
Blue light can be disturbing to your body when trying to go to sleep because it immediately shuts down your production of melatonin, the major sleep hormone that we produce at night. Sources of blue light include computers, tablets, cell phones, video games, and television.
2. Consider a sleep-promoting supplement
If you're struggling to fall asleep, choosing a high-quality magnesium supplement may be able to help you fall asleep and stay asleep. Low levels of magnesium have been linked to decreased melatonin production - which is one of the most important hormones for sleep.
3. Avoid caffeine later in the day
4. Park your worries in another room
Don’t take your worries or your work into the bedroom. At least three hours before bed, write down your concerns and your solutions. Then put them in a desk drawer and leave them there for the night.
5. Make sure your alarm clocks are heard, not seen
Don’t take your worries or your work into the bedroom. At least three hours before bed, write down your concerns and your solutions. Then put them in a desk drawer and leave them there for the night.
6. Exercise regularly
Many studies have shown that those who exercise regularly go to sleep easier and sleep more soundly than their sedentary friends. Consider adding yoga, Pilate or an at-home body weight workout to your routine.
7. Relax those muscles
There's a technique called progressive muscle relaxation. It's a sequential tensing and relaxation of various muscle groups accompanied by rhythmic breathing. It is simple to learn and very effective. It accomplishes two things: One, relaxing muscles relieves tension, which in turn relaxes the mind and helps promote peaceful sleep. Two, the very activity takes your mind off everything else and serves as a form of meditation.
These are just some of the things you can do to help you sleep soundly. The crucial point is to realize how important sleep is to good mental and physical health. So please make sleep a priority.