Sleep Like a Baby with These Tips

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Sleep is an important part of being a functioning human throughout the day. Not getting enough sleep can contribute to “chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, obesity and depression” according to the Center for Disease Control. From being a student, parent, or working a full time job, getting enough sleep is difficult to come by. Getting enough sleep each night improves memory and mood, promotes a healthier heart, and reduces stress. So what are some ways to get better sleep if you already have a difficult time sleeping through the night? 

Tart Cherry Juice

Tart cherry juice is an excellent form of natural melatonin and tryptophan, and can be found in almost every grocery store. Tryptophan and melatonin are known to help regulate sleep because the body uses it to make serotonin. A small amount of tart cherry juice an hour before bed not only improves your quality of sleep, but also provides antioxidants which help reduce inflammation. 

A cold room

Do you ever realize in the summertime that you are more uncomfortable in your sleep, or that you wake up throughout the day or night while you're sleeping or taking a nap? While completely normal, this should not be your norm. Setting the room temperature between 65º-68º, or having a cool breeze in your room can be the magic solution. 

Sleeping in a cold room makes your body temperature drop. This helps send a signal to your brain to sleep, therefore helping you not only fall asleep faster, but also stay asleep throughout the night. With more sleep comes a reduced risk of heart related illnesses  and improved mood and mental health like the other tips. The cooler air can also help your skin health due to the lowered sweating, which causes bacteria to form on the skin, throughout the night.

Physical activity 

Exercising helps release endorphins, a chemical that excretes itself while exercising and has a myriad of positive effects on your body. Exercising one to two hours before bed will make your endorphin levels go down, messaging to your brain that it is time to sleep. Even a quick 30-minute workout can release enough endorphins to help with mental health and anxiety levels. Your body encounters stress while doing physical activity, and as you start to rest, it brings your body down from that stress, giving yourself a sleepy feeling. It enhances your brain and overall health which is just a perk to all the benefits you get from sleeping seven to eight hours per night. 

Sleep schedule 

Do you ever wonder why your parents had you in bed by a certain time when you were younger? And what about yearning to stay up to hang out with your parents instead of being tucked into bed by seven every night, even on the weekends. However irritating, this served a crucial purpose. As children we had nightmares, and as babies, we would wake up every few hours crying, waking our parents up. Having a sleep schedule trains your brain to know when it's time to rest. Every night, your brain notifies itself of the scheduled sleeping time and you will start to feel tired. This, however annoying it was, helped us not only stay asleep, but acquire a sleep schedule. 

Sleep is an important part of human livelihood. Knowing how to get a full night of rest leads to multiple benefits on your body and mental health. Next time you have a difficult time sleeping, remember these helpful tips!