Trusted Source - How to Improve Your Sleep Quality
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1. Increase Your Natural Light Exposure
The circadian rhythm of your body is the natural time-keeping clock of your body. It regulates your sleep-wake cycle. It affects your hormones, body, and brain. So, it tells your body when to sleep and when to wake up. How can you keep your circadian cycle healthy? Increase your bright or natural light exposure during the day. Increasing your natural light exposure can even help improve your sleep duration and quality. If you have insomnia, then natural light exposure during the day can improve the duration and quality of your sleep. According to research, daytime light exposure can reduce the time takes to fall asleep. According to similar research on old people, 2 hours of daytime natural light exposure can increase sleep efficiency by 80% and the amount of sleep by 2 hours. If you are experiencing average sleep, you can benefit from daytime natural light exposure. Natural light exposure can improve your sleep quality. Therefore, try to get daytime natural light exposure every day. However, if it is not possible, you can get artificial bright light bulbs or devices. Artificial bright light or daily sunlight can help improve the duration and quality of your sleep. Especially for individuals with insomnia or sleep issues. 2. Reduce Your Blue Light Exposure It is beneficial to get daytime natural light exposure. However, natural light exposure at night can affect your sleep quality. It tricks your brain to think it is still daytime. It can, therefore, affect your circadian rhythm. It can also reduce the production of hormones, such as melatonin. The hormone helps people relax and fall asleep. Computers and smartphones emit blue light. The blue light is the worse, so reduce your blue light exposure at night. Here are some things you can do to reduce your blue light exposure: Wear appropriate glasses to block the blue light Install the right app on your computer or laptop to block the blue light Install the right app on your mobile phone to block the blue light. You can find apps for both Android and iPhones. Do not watch your TV and switch off bright lights before you go to bed. Blue light can trick your brain to think it is daytime. Reducing your blue exposure can help you get enough night’s rest. 3. Do Not Consume Caffeine Around 90% of Americans consume caffeine every day. Caffeine can improve your sports performance and enhance your focus and energy. However, if you consume caffeine late in the evening, the caffeine can stimulate your body. Caffeine can, therefore, make it difficult for your body to relax in the evening. According to one study, if someone consumes caffeine around 6 hours before their bedtime, the caffeine affected their sleep. Caffeine stays in the body for around 6 to 8 hours. It is not recommended to drink too much caffeine after 3 pm to 4 pm. If you have sleep issues, you might want to reduce your caffeine consumption. If you need to drink coffee in the evening, you can drink decaffeinated coffee. Do not drink caffeine in the evening. It can worsen the quality of your sleep. 4. Create a Comfortable Sleep Environment Pay attention to your bedroom, ensure that it is tidy, comfortable and relaxing. Invest in black out blinds or a good quality sleep mask to block out unwanted light that can interfere with your sleep. A white noise machine can help to drown out outdoor noises. Invest in a new mattress if yours has seen better days. Find out how customers respond to Shifman mattresses to make choosing a mattress that is right for you easy. 5. Reduce Your Naps During the Day It is beneficial to take a short power nap. However, taking a long nap in the evening can affect the quality of your sleep. Do not sleep during the day. Why? It can confuse your circadian rhythm. You will find it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep at night. According to one study, taking a nap during the day can make you even sleepy. If you can, however, nap for around 30 minutes, it can enhance your brain function during the day. However, a long nap can affect your sleep quality and even your overall health. According to some studies, people who take regular naps during the day do not experience disrupted sleep or poor quality sleep at night. Therefore, if you are taking regular naps during the day, then you will always get enough night’s rest.
