We’ve all had those nights, the restless ones where it feels impossible to fall asleep, never mind trying to get back to sleep if you wake up. Although many of us can survive on seven or eight hours of sleep, there’s a chance if you’re older, you may not be getting the rest that you need to. Whether it’s because your body doesn’t want to miss out on anything that could happen, you’re waking up multiple times throughout the night, or you’re just awake and unable to get to sleep, some tricks could help you get a whole night of rest.
Trick #1: Negate Nighttime Noise
Noise can keep anyone awake, be it radio, television, phone, or tablet. Reducing the amount of noise you hear at bedtime can make a huge difference in your ability to sleep. Heavy curtains and closed windows can reduce the noise if the noise is from outside your home. If you struggle to sleep in absolute silence, then a white noise machine could be a good idea, or even just letting a fan run through the night, and you get excellent airflow as a bonus too!
Trick #2: Less Lighting
Lights go hand in hand with noise, and how it makes your body want to stay awake to be aware of what’s happening. Your best bet is to use those previously mentioned heavy curtains, cover that alarm clock’s glowing numbers, and make sure that you aren’t staring at a screen for at least an hour before you want to go to bed. Screens trick our brain into thinking it’s daytime and tends to mess with our internal clocks.
Trick #3: Be Active
This trick may seem self-explanatory, but if you do more during the day, there’s a higher chance that you will be naturally tired once bedtime rolls around. Adding extra walks throughout the day or additional activity, in general, can be a great way to spend time and save time at rest.
Trick #4: Get Your Daily Dose of Sunshine
Sunshine is a great way to set and maintain your internal clock, and you don’t even need to be out in the sun per se. Reading a book by a window would suffice; you need to see the sun and give it enough time for your body to register that its daytime.
Trick #5: Repetition is Key
Maintaining a regular sleep schedule can make it easier to fall asleep quicker. Our bodies like patterns and predictability, and utilising these tips will make sleep easy, and eventually, these tips may just become a part of your routine.
If you would like some more tips or want to discuss further options for making life and sleeping easier, call us at (705)-725-1600. We’ll be happy to discuss it with you and help make sleeping easy.