It is no secret that shut-eye is crucial to your health. Studies show that getting too few hours of sleep cause weight gain, memory loss, and mood swings. In addition, it can put you at risk of heart disease. According to Matthew Edland, M.D., author of “The Power of Rest”, “Sleep is our body’s time to rebuild and repair itself so we can function at our peak next day. When that process gets screwed up, our entire system gets thrown off –and our overscheduled, overworked lifestyles cause that to happen all too frequently. “
Here are tips on how to get the very best sleep so you can wake up refreshed, healthy and happy:
- Take an evening stroll. Walking around the neighborhood after dinner aids digestion, so your slumber won’t be interrupted by stomach gurgling or heartburn. Do it before the sun sets. Insomniacs who were exposed to natural light at dusk tacked on an extra hour of sleep, a Cornell University study showed. Evening light helps reset our internal clock, sending a signal to our body that it’s time for bed.
- Minimize midnight worrying. Every evening, write down a few nagging issues that are on your mind and the plans to go about them. You don’t have to know all the answers. However, mapping out possible solutions will quiet your mind and help you rest easier literally.
- Make your bedroom a blackout zone. Shut the blinds, turn off your computer, keep the television out of the room, buy a sleep mask. Do whatever it takes to put yourself in total darkness. Even the dim light from a digital alarm clock can affect the body’s production of melatonin, the hormone that helps you stay awake.
- Establish a sleep ritual. Creating a pre-sleep period that is rhythmic and ritualized conditions your body and brain to realize it is indeed sleep time, helping you unwind and fall asleep faster.
- Let in the morning light. Morning light has the most potent effect on helping our body to be in sync with the day. So, open the blinds the moment you awaken and let the sun shine in.