We all know the importance of sleep for our day to day functioning. Yet the data from the American Sleep Association (ASA) suggests that 50-70 million adults in the USA suffer from a sleep disorder. Close to 25 million U.S adults have obstructive sleep apnea.

Let’s take a look at how could we improve our sleep.

Whether you are sleeping well or not has a direct effect on your mental and physical health. On a day, if you haven’t got enough sleep, it will take a very definite toll on your energy levels during the day. It will also affect your productivity, emotional balance, and your weight as well. There are, however, a lot of us who have trouble sleeping. They keep on tossing and turning at night and struggle to get the required sleep.

If you are the kind of person who is wide awake at 3 am, it may seem like an impossible task to get good sleep, but the fact of the matter is that you have a lot more control over your sleep patterns than you may even realize. If a person is able to figure out how it directly affects the quality of your sleep at night, the main conclusion that can be drawn from this is to fix the sleeping schedule by adjusting the daily routine of the person.

If you have unhealthy habits during the day as part of your daily routine, then it really should come as no surprise that you keep on tossing and turning at night and struggle to get a good night’s sleep. This, in turn, will have many adverse effects on your mood, your heart and brain health, your immune system, creativity, vitality, and your weight as well. By following the tips provided below, you should be able to get a much better night’s sleep and enjoy the whole host of health benefits that are associated with proper sleep.

Circadian Rhythm Should Be In Check

You should get in sync with the circadian rhythm of your body as it is essential for getting proper sleep. In fact, getting in sync with your body clock happens to be one of the most important strategies you can use to sleep better. If you are able to keep the same wake-sleep schedule every day, the resulting benefits are numerous. You will feel a lot more refreshed and also energized compared to what you would have even if you slept the same number of hours but at different times. This really is very important as even altering your sleep schedule by just an hour or two can have a lot of effect on the quality of your sleep. Therefore, try to go to bed at the same time every day and also try to wake up at the same time every day.

Exercise

This is just a fact that people who exercise regularly are much more likely to get better sleep at night, and will therefore also feel less sleepy during the day time. If you suffer from insomnia, then exercise is even more important for you as this is one of the safest and natural ways in which you can tackle the horrible symptoms of insomnia. Exercise also helps those who suffer from sleep apnea and it also increases the time that is spent in the deep, restorative stages of sleep.

The harder you exercise, the more profound will be your sleep benefits. But it is important to remember that even light exercise can go a long way in improving the quality of your sleep. Something as simple as just light walking can go a long way. Also, it is very important to note that you have to be patient with your exercise schedule because it normally takes several months of regular activity before the sleep-promoting benefits are fully realized. This is why it is very important to have the patience to build an exercise routine that you know you will stick to. There are tons of fad workout videos that are available, and while they may seem attractive, the intense nature of those workouts leave most people experiencing exercise burnout and they very quickly give up after that.

Also, in order to get the optimum benefits of exercise for sleep, make sure that you do it at the proper time of the day. When you exercise, it speeds up the metabolism of the body and it also elevates the temperature of your body while also stimulating hormones such as cortisol. These things are great for the daytime but if you exercise too close to your bedtime then it can very well interfere with the quality of your sleep. Besides, the recovery process is also important to notice. Sean Newton, a Health And Fitness Writer at Healthcanal includes in his article a few signs you may have after a workout such as fatigue or mental fog, and how important energy and muscle recovery are.

It is recommended that any moderate to vigorous exercise that you do, it should be done with at least three hours remaining before bedtime. If you still experience difficulties sleeping, you should move your workouts to an even earlier part of the day. It is also worth noting that exercises that are relaxing, and are of low impact when done in the evening can actually promote better sleep. These kinds of light exercises include things such as gentle stretching and yoga.

Try Light Therapy During The Day

If you happen to suffer from insomnia, it may very well be due to a disruption in the circadian rhythm of your body. The circadian rhythm is linked to the sleep-wake cycle of a person as we have discussed before in this article. This circadian rhythm is part and parcel of the internal clock of the body and is responsible for making you feel alert when it is daytime and also sleepy at night time. This is where light therapy can help you.

When the body’s circadian rhythm is disrupted, then you may experience a whole host of symptoms. This includes things such as sleepiness during the day to depression as well.

If it is properly utilized, then light therapy has the very real potential of resetting your circadian rhythm and as a result, you may experience better sleep and some other symptoms as well. There is a lot of research that supports the claim that light therapy has numerous benefits for people with sleeping disorders and depression as well.

There was also research conducted in 2016 that found that this type of therapy is good for sleep problems in general, and especially for those that involve disruptions in the circadian rhythm.Additional Source: https://platinumtherapylights.com/blogs/news/red-light-for-sleep