When most people talk about good health, they always seem to mention one phrase — diet and exercise. Though we’re certainly not disagreeing with them, we think it’s time to add one more thing to that list — sleep.
Studies show that chronic lack of sleep can be just as bad for you as a poor diet. In fact, sleep can also affect your diet, as people who regularly get less than 7 hours are more likely to eat poorly and more often. If you have trouble falling or staying asleep, you don’t have to suffer in silence any longer. Instead, try a few of our suggestions below:
Stick to a Sleep Schedule
Sleeping until 11 a.m. on the weekends may seem like a good idea if you’re trying to catch up on sleep, but it can actually make you more tired. Instead, try to wake up and fall asleep at the same time, give or take an hour. Within a few months, you’ll be able to train your body to fall asleep.
Relax Before You Go to Bed
Whether you’re coming home from work, the gym, or a hobby, it’s important to unwind before you jump into bed. Especially if emotional or mental factors make it hard for you to fall asleep, this is a must.
Don’t End Your Day with an Alcoholic Drink
Though you probably already knew caffeine was a ‘no-no” for people who have trouble falling asleep, you may not have realized that alcohol is just as bad. Though alcohol can help you fall asleep, it robs you of quality sleep by affecting your body’s ability to enter REM sleep. It can also impair your breathing at night.
Fight the Urge to Nap
Especially when you’ve been up all night, it can be tempting to nap in the middle of the day when you finally feel tired. But, unfortunately, napping will only disrupt your sleep schedule even more by making it harder to fall asleep at night.
Your Sleeping Environment is Everything
Almost nothing we’ve mentioned will help if your bedroom is ill-equipped for a restful night. The ideal bedroom should be dark, cool, and void of anything distracting (cell phones, TVs, laptops, video games).