How to Sleep Better at Night: Easy-to-Use Tips and Tricks Review

How to Sleep Better at Night

According to the National Sleep Foundation, the average adult needs 7-9 hours of sleep each night, but nearly 70% of all American adults fail to get the bare minimum.

If you’re tossing and turning long in to the night, or simply struggling to find time to sleep, then now is the perfect time to break the cycle. We’ve asked the experts to give us the ins and outs on how to sleep better at night and discovered that you can improve the overall quality of your sleep with these surprisingly simple tips and tricks.

Try These Amazingly Simple Tips and Tricks

1. Start a Sleeping Schedule: Your body runs on a biological clock and if that clock is out of sync, then you’ll be counting sheep instead of catching Zzz’s. Although this may take a little extra planning and determination on your part, resetting your body’s clock requires getting up at the same time each morning and going to bed at the same time each night.

Choose a time that fits your schedule while still allowing for the ideal 8 hours of sleep each night. If you get up at 7 each morning to go to work, try to hit the hay by 11. If you need to stay up later to finish out a closing shift at work, then be sure to set your morning alarm to compensate.

Additionally, if you need to adjust to a new sleeping routine, it’s easier to make the changes in small 10-15 min. increments on a regular basis until you find a pattern that works for you. If your schedule is frequently inconsistent, try to make up the lost time by taking small 20-30 minute power naps.

2. Mind over Media: If you’re been working hard all day, your evening hours may be the only time you get to catch up on the latest news, sports, blogs, and shows. While television may seem like a relaxing way to fall asleep, you should be aware that the light from the computer screen or television may suppress melatonin (a sleep regulating hormone) production, and some shows may stimulate the brain rather than calming it.

Do your favorite shows only play late at night? Then you might want to consider investing in a recorder so you can save it for the next day.

3. Listen to Your Body: Everyone has different needs that need to be met in order to fall asleep properly. Make sure that your bedroom or sleeping area is as comfortable as possible to ensure that you can drift off peacefully and sleep more soundly at nights. If you need to, grab a light snack to hold you over until morning or grab an extra blanket to cuddle when you’re cold.

4. Hit the Gym: Poor eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle can wreak havoc on your internal clock. Losing those extra pounds will not only help you look and feel great but the exercise can help burn off nervous tension while regulating your body’s hormones.

5. Take Time to Unwind: During times of stress, the body releases hormones that can keep you tossing and turning each night, and frustrating thoughts or repetitive ideas will keep your mind from shutting down even though your body is prepared for sleep.

Create a relaxing bedtime ritual to help calm your mind and body that you can easily perform each night, such as reading a book, taking a bath, or quietly meditating. When this pattern is repeated on a regular basis, your body will send signals to your brain that it’s time to sleep, thus reinforcing your natural sleeping behaviors.

Additional Tips:

• Make sure that your mattress supports your back – too firm or too soft can result in back pains
• Adjust the lighting in the room to be as dark as possible
• Adjust the room temperature so it’s not too hot or too cold
• Wear ear plugs and a sleeping mask to shut out irritating noises and light
• Avoid eating large meals before bed to prevent indigestion
• Avoid drinking too much water before bed to reduce the need to urinate in the night
• Try playing white noise or calming music

Find Out What Works for You!

Although we can give you extensive tips and tricks on how to sleep better at night, what works for one might not work for everyone else. The key is to experiment while listening to your body – find out what works and what doesn’t.

If all else fails, a quality sleep aid can help you fall asleep faster and sleep more deeply throughout the night. You can read about the best supplements and products here.