10 tips to get a better night’s sleep

Numerous studies have shown that sleep deprivation can be problematic to your well being. A lack of sleep has been found to make us more emotional and sensitive to stressful stimuli and events. Sleep deprivation has been found to affect emotional processing. Our morning mood improves significantly when we have sufficient REM sleep, but worsens in the absence of it, writes Steve Glaveski.

So how can we get more sleep?

Try these 10 tips to get a better night’s sleep

Set your bedroom temperature at 18 degrees Celsius

If you and your partner can’t agree on the room temperature, consider investing in a Chilipad blanket to set either side of the bed to the optimal temperature.

Don’t look at devices or blue light (smartphones, tablets, laptops) within an hour of bed and DIM THE LIGHTS

A bedside lamp is 20–80 lux and a living room is 200 lux, suppressing melatonin by 50 per cent. Even 8–10 lux delays melatonin release, making it harder for you to fall asleep. If you must, wear blue-light suppressing glasses or ‘blue blockers’.

3. Journal: get thoughts out of your head and onto paper

The simple act of journaling has been shown to calm an anxious mind, but you don’t need a fancy journal that some IG influencer just released. Any old piece of paper will work — try writing down whatever is on your mind, and supplement that with three things you’re grateful for to put you in a positive frame of mind.

4. Have a hot bath, a hot shower or a sauna before you hit the hay

Doing so will make it easier to fall asleep as your body begins its cooling down process. So too will having a cold shower or bath before bed, especially with magnesium salts which will cool the body.

5. Don’t drink alcohol before bed

You might be able to fall asleep on a glass of red or a glass of whiskey, but the quality of that sleep will be more akin to a sedated sleep than a natural one, and you’re more likely to wake up in the middle of the night as the alcohol wears off).

6. Don’t eat a large meal just before bed

Overeating — especially heavy and spicy foods — can interfere with digestion, and make it difficult to fall asleep.

7. Down a magnesium supplement before bed

Magnesium, dubbed by many the original chill pill, is an old home remedy for all that ails you. In 1968, a research paper by Wacker and Parisi found that magnesium deficiency could cause depression, behavioural disturbances, headaches, muscle cramps, seizures, ataxia, psychosis and irritability — all reversible with magnesium repletion. And it’s great for calming you down for a good night’s rest.

8. Don’t consume engaging content or media just before bed

9. Have more sex

Sex makes it easier to get a good night’s rest. A powerful orgasm to a male is equal to a 2–3 mg shot of Valium. To put that into perspective, hospital patients are typically administered with 5 to 10 mg of valium.

10. Supplement

If you need additional support, consider supplementing with Melatonin, a natural food supplement that helps with insomnia. It can help you calm down before bed and reduces the time required to fall asleep. Unlike other sleep medications, it doesn’t cause withdrawal symptoms or dependence.

This post originally appeared on steveglaveski.com You can read it here

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