Sleeping may come easily for some but not for others. I cringe when I hear the term “sleep like a baby” because babies tend to wake up frequently through the night! Whether you are a light or heavy sleeper, here are three things that can help you improve your sleep:
- Establish a bed time: It may be difficult to find an exact time to go to sleep as the demands of the day never end. However, something that is helpful is to establish a consistent bed time that is suitable to your schedule. Maybe you can start with establishing a bed time for Monday through Friday and be a little more flexible with your bedtime during the weekend.
- Turn down the blue light: It can be very easy to fall asleep with the TV on or scrolling through TikTok. If you are anything like me, watching TV is like a lullaby. According to research done by Harvard Health, however, blue light exposure seemed to suppress melatonin levels and shifted circadian rhythms (your sleep rhythm) twice as much as other colored lights1. I recommend putting your phone to rest and turning off the TV at least one hour prior to your bedtime.
- Limit food and liquid consumption as well as exercise: In order to decrease going to the bathroom and night and digestion issues, it is best to limit eating or drinking up to three hours prior to your bedtime. I recommend the same for exercise.
In addition to medication and natural supplements, therapy can assist in restructuring thinking patterns and managing anxiety that is related to sleep issues. Techniques such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia provide evidence-based practices to reduce insomnia and increase restful sleep. If you need help or more information, contact us.
