How to establish a healthy sleeping schedule? One of the most common things that parents tell their children is that having a good night’s sleep is healthy. However, this advice does not end in childhood but continues into adulthood with many experts stressing the need for a good night’s sleep.
In the case of adolescents and young adults, research shows that healthy sleep should last between 7 and 9 hours a night. According to experts, establishing a sleeping schedule is one of the best ways to ensure that one gets a healthy amount of sleep.
While establishing a regular sleep routine is often a difficult task, it does have a positive impact on one’s quality of sleep. Ultimately, this translates to improved health, improved energy, enhanced memory, and even an increased ability to focus.
10 Simple Tips on how to Establish a Sleep Schedule
1. Develop A Bedtime Routine
A bedtime routine is meant to give the body a cue that it is time to sleep. Therefore develop a regular bedtime routine. An ideal routine is one that drives the body into a state of relaxation.
Some potentially good things to do before healthy sleeping include;
- Meditating at least ten minutes before sleep.
- Drinking warm milk, or chamomile tea; these have a calming effect on the body.
- Read a book or magazine.
- Listen to soft and gentle music as this has a more relaxing effect.
- Writing a journal or diary.
- A hot bath will lower the body temperature which is good for sleep.
2. Consistency Is The Key
The success of a sleep routine mainly lies in an individual’s ability to have a consistent sleep and wake schedule. Consistency, in this case, means having the same sleep and wake hours all through the week.
By developing and maintaining a consistent sleep time and wake up time routine, you are effectively training your body clock to adapt that schedule. Making it easier to wake up at the designated time every morning even without an alarm clock.
In fact, technology has made it even simpler for people to develop and stick to sleep and wake up times. For example, iPhone 10.2 iOS includes a “bedtime” application that helps users to set healthy sleeping times and their corresponding wake times.
The application also makes it possible for one to keep track of his/her sleeping habits/data.
3. Make Small Changes
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. The same principle applies to change sleeping schedules. For example, it ‘s hard to change one’s healthy sleeping time from 1 a.m. to 9 p.m. in one move.
A more efficient way of making sleep adjustments is to make small changes on a regular basis. For example, one could try to sleep earlier by 15 minutes for 3 or 4 nights then make subsequent 15-minute adjustments. This way, the body adjusts to sleeping time much more easily.
4. Make Day And Night Distinct
The human body uses certain signals and cues to determine whether it is day or night. You can, therefore, enhance the body’s recognition of day by directly associating mornings with bright lights.
This could include walking in the morning sunshine or simply turning on the lights. In fact, according to experts, this is a good way of resetting the body clock.
On the same note, lights should be dimmed off or completely switched off at night to signal the body that it is sleep time. Most experts suggest sources of blue light such as computers, television, cell phones, and other sources of blue light.
5. Eat Right
Eating habits may also have an impact on healthy sleeping cycles and sleeping habits. According to academic research, eating late increases, one’s chance of experiencing a crash in blood sugar when healthy sleeping.
Subsequently, this has the effect of triggering an increase in the levels of cortisol in the body and ultimately, a reduced production of melatonin. Nevertheless, it is important to note that even going to bed on an empty stomach can also disrupt sleep schedules and habits.
What’s more, it is advisable to have a small snack containing carbohydrates and protein. This kind of snack induces a feeling of calmness and relaxation in the body hence helping with better sleep.
6. Take Shorter Naps During The Day
It is quite normal to experience some fatigue sometime in the course of the day and particularly in the afternoon. When this happens, a nap is quite relaxing. The dilemma is that a nap that is too long may disrupt the main sleep schedule. According to sleep experts, an ideal nap is at least 20 minutes.
7. Go Slow On The Caffeine, Alcohol Or Nicotine
Caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine are not good for sleep. Caffeine, for example, is a stimulant that is often used in the morning to trigger alertness.
At night, however, the body needs relaxation rather than stimulation. Experts suggest avoiding caffeine, alcohol or even nicotine for at least 6 hours before healthy sleeping.
8. Timely Exercise On A Regular Basis
Exercising on a regular basis has the effect of improving the quality of sleep. In fact, research has established that by exercising for at least 2 1/2 hrs. Per week, one can sleep better and even have increased alertness during the day.
The timing of the exercise also matters. Research suggests that exercising late in the day can have the effect of disrupting sleep. Other studies suggest that exercising in the morning is linked with better sleep.
9. Get Out Of Bed If Not Sleepy
It is not uncommon for one to get into bed and not feel like healthy sleeping even 30 minutes later. If this is the case, experts propose getting out of bed and engaging yourself in a calming activity.
Reading, listening to music, or writing are great activities to consider. Only get back to bed when you are sleepy. The underlying reason for this is that for better sleep schedules, one should only associate the bed with sleep or sex.
10. Avoid Snoozing
Developing and maintaining a sleep schedule has a lot to do with one’s discipline. This is particularly the case with the first few days of a new routine where waking up earlier in the morning is not easy.
During such instances, one has the temptation of snoozing for a few minutes when the alarm rings. By avoiding the habit of snoozing, one can change the rhythm of the body’s clock.
Another Option to Help You Sleep Better is Meditation
Insomnia is a common condition with symptoms such as lack of sleep or difficulty in falling asleep. There is a broad range of factors behind this, including stress, overindulgence in the use of drugs, stimulants such as tea as well as other habits such as sleeping late and not getting enough rest.
There are numerous treatments for better sleep disorders, including various therapies and prescription drugs. However, some of these pharmacological treatments lead to some mild or serious side effects such as feeling dopey and lethargic.
There are other safer and holistic alternative treatments to treat a wide variety of diseases, including insomnia. For years, meditation has been used effectively to treat sleep disorders. The practice mainly involves techniques that help to reduce the arousal of your nervous system, relieving insomnia.
Try meditation to help you sleep better
Meditation practitioners believe that our mind-body connection determines our body’s ability to fight any physical problems or illnesses. Some of the top benefits of meditation in the treatment of sleep disorders include the following:
- When done correctly, meditation can successfully calm your mind and relax your body, allowing you to have a sound sleep. According to studies, stress is the leading cause of sleep disorders and insomnia. Meditation involves practicing numerous calming techniques to help you sleep well all night. The various techniques can be performed during the day or before sleeping.
- When meditating during the day, you should focus on getting into control of your mind and replacing negative thoughts with positive ones. One of the best ways of getting rid of negative thoughts is by using positive visualization. This ensures that you are less stressed during the night. Learning to quiet your mind should be the main focus of your evening or nighttime meditation. Each time you meditate, you should ensure that you hold your focus for a longer time than the previous session to achieve a quiet mind free from negative thoughts.
- Mindfulness Meditation has also been proven to be an effective approach to stress reduction and emotion regulation. The main aim of this technique is to take control of your mind, shifting it from a stressful state to a calm and more relaxed state. Mindfulness meditation brings your mind fully aware of your feelings, thoughts, physical sensations, and emotions.
- The technique has helped thousands of insomnia patients focus on their present and avoid being overrun by negative thoughts that can lead to sleep problems. Scientific research has also shown that mindfulness techniques help overcome numerous stress-related issues, including sleeping disturbance and depression.
- Meditation also helps to soothe pains and aches likely to keep you awake at night. Researchers have used a variety of meditation techniques to increase body awareness, improve attention, enhance general well-being as well as improve the quality of life.
There are several other calming and meditation techniques that you should learn to help you in dealing with your sleep disorder. The breathing awareness exercise involves feeling and focusing on your breath as it comes in and out.
Your mind should concentrate on the physical movement of your abdomen as it rises and falls with every breath you take. This technique is often done shortly before going to bed and helps to get rid of all your worries as you sleep.
You may also choose to combine breathing exercises and muscle relaxation techniques before you go to bed. Meditation is the reason behind numerous other health benefits, including reduced anxiety and a stronger immune system.