If Conventional Sleep Hygiene Advice Hasn’t Been Working – Consider This

If Conventional Sleep Hygiene Advice Hasn’t Been Working – Consider This

Those who can’t sleep find themselves in a tough situation – the more they try to sleep, the more it runs away from them. You might have had nights like this, laying down and willing yourself to drift off, which of course, only makes you feel more awake than ever. This can be genuinely worrying when you have responsibilities to deal with the next day, or if you’re just trying to get the rest your body deserves, and have gone without such rest for some time.

Of course, your first port of call should be to talk to your doctor before applying any advice you see online, including in this post. Some advice, however, can be worthwhile. That which is given most often suggests improving “sleep hygiene,” which refers to the habits and behaviors you apply before sleeping each night. This might mean keeping a regular sleeping routine, reading before bed instead of browsing through apps, making sure you have clean bed sheets, and adding some light ventilation into the room.

But what if those conventional steps aren’t working for you? Are there ways you can benefit your likelihood of sleep without resorting to sleeping pills? In this post, we’ll discuss that and more:

• Opt For A Supportive Mattress

Conventional mattresses are comprised of a basic underlying structure with padding to help you relax on a soft surface. This can be good for a majority of cases, but if you wish for added luxury, added comfort, and even a design that helps support the contour of your body, then using pocket spring beds can be a great step forward.

This not only helps you achieve deeper comfort, but as such, can help you feel more comfortable in a wider array of sleeping positions. For some people, being supported in a specific manner is the difference between tossing and turning and a full night of sleep – it’s why long maternity pillows are so popular, after all. An investment of this nature may be the best thing you ever did for your nightly sleep.

• Take Your Evening Shower/Bath Before Bed

As discussed by Matthew Walker, sleep scientist, sleep is often assisted by being the right temperature. We tend to sleep more easily when cool, but not too cold, as that simulates the natural passing of heat at night that our circadian rhythms are programmed to respond to.

As such, it can be worthwhile to take an evening shower or bath before bed, especially if it’s quite warm, because the resulting heat loss that occurs afterwards helps us cool down, and simulate that loss of heat as we head to bed. Even using a towel and bowl of steaming water to unclog our pores can help this effect, and hopefully help you rest more easily.

• Use Eye Coverings/Ear Plugs

Not everyone has the benefit of sleeping in a quiet environment, particularly those who may live in apartment buildings or the inner-city. In these cases, it can be helpful to apply your own solution. White noise machines or even playing sleep frequency music on your smartphone can be a good way to drown out outside noise.

For some, ear plugs can work wonders too, particular those that conform to your ear canal through materials like memory foam. In addition, an eye mask can help you block out all light, and sleep much more soundly as a result. 

For such a minor investment, people report sleeping much more deeply and waking up fewer times through the night thanks to the effort. It’s certainly worth a try if you’re struggling to sleep.

• Exercise A Few Hours Before Sleep

We’re sure you get a good amount of physical activity each day, but sometimes it can be worth burning off any extra energy you have to sleep well. It might seem as though a long day is never well punctuated by exercise, but actually, the opposite can be true.

When you exercise, you can give yourself clarity of mind and relieve mental tension. This can prevent the need to roll around in bed thinking about the next day, worrying about the day that’s just past, and finding it hard to relax. Exercise lets us get all of that out, and as such just leaves us, our need for rest, and a calmed mind to sleep. Even simple stretching or yoga can help here.

With this advice, you’re sure to help work on your restlessness each night, with a few activities you may not have considered.

Contributed Article.