Are you getting a good night’s sleep? Here are some tips to help

#BeavertonHealth&Happiness

A good night’s sleep is crucial for us to function both physically and mentally. Just shooting for a solid 8 hours in bed isn’t going to be enough to provide what your body needs, though. The quality of sleep, your environment, and what you put in your body before you go to bed have a direct impact on your ability to truly rest and recover.

Your mind and body are hard at work while you are awake. From the moment you wake up, although it may not feel like it, you are firing on all cylinders. We all are, thinking, doing, just being awake means your body is burning energy, your mind is calculating and observing. The only time it has to reset, repair, and build necessary chemicals for us to tackle the next day is while we sleep. So, what can we do to help with that?

Bed and Pillow:

A comfortable and supportive bed is necessary for your body to fully engage in sleep. A good mattress and pillow have also shown to reduce shoulder, back, and neck pain by 60% over a 28-day period.

Increase daylight during waking hours:

Giving the body a good dose of sunlight, or day type light, for at least 2 hours a day helps with our circadian rhythms. These give signals to the brain that these are waking hours.

Remove the blue light:

When you are ready to get some Zzz’s, you want the room as dark as possible, again helping with your circadian rhythm. Blue light is a type of light that has become more prevalent with all of the screens we have around us, and is directly disrupting our ability for solid sleep. Make sure that everything in your room is off, even flipping your phone screen facing down or turning it off will be a big benefit.

No caffeine 6 hours before bed:

Be careful of things like teas, coffee, and chocolate as your bedtime approaches. Caffeine stimulates the brain, even in small doses, and is counter to your body’s ability to rest.

Set bedroom temperature:

Being too hot or too cold can have a great impact on the quality of your sleep. Most people find 70 degrees to be the most comfortable, however you should find what works for you.

Drink water, don’t eat, before bed:

Eating food requires the body to digest, which is an active process that keeps your system going, and doesn’t allow for full rest. Water, on the other hand, is crucial for the body to create the necessary chemicals during the night.

Get a sleep study

If all else fails, getting a sleep study is a great next step to help. Specialists can determine what may be causing the issues. Sleep is as crucial to our lives as eating and breathing. Make sure to take some time to look at your own sleep patterns. Are you getting a good night’s sleep?

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