Do you often wake up mid-sleep and get less rest because of it? Do you want to get some techniques on getting a more fitful sleep? Do you want to learn how to sleep through the night without getting disturbed by small things?
Having your sleep disrupted can feel frustrating. It also leaves you feeling tired and irritable during the day. A single night of sleep loss can even affect your mentality by increasing anxiety levels by 30%.
A lot of things can disrupt your sleep. That includes medical issues, insomnia, medication, and more. In this guide, we’ll focus on what you can do to stay asleep throughout the night so you can get rest.
1. How to Sleep Through the Night: Exercise More
If you want to learn how to sleep well, you need to improve your lifestyle. If you don’t get regular exercise, this is the time to start. Exercising helps improve your overall condition, which can affect your sleeping as well.
Exercising during the day is a great way to burn off the extra energy that may be keeping you up at night. It reduces the time it takes for you to fall asleep. Also, since your body needs to recover from the activity, you’ll have fewer chances of waking mid-sleep.
As a warning, don’t work out before bed. After working out, your body releases endorphins, making you feel energized. If you must exercise in the evening, do it at least four hours before bedtime.
2. Make Your Bedroom Fit for Sleeping
Does your room feel too warm, bright, or noisy during the night? These things can disrupt your sleep. If you want to know how to sleep through the night, you need to disturbance-proof your bedroom first.
The ideal room for the best sleeping conditions is dark, cool, and quiet. Notice that you feel sleepier during cool weather and in cool climates. Also, silence is healthy and is less likely to jolt you awake until it gets broken by another sound.
If you dislike being in a room that feels too quiet, consider buying a white noise machine. You can also use the sounds of a river, beach, or the rain to help you sleep. Make sure you set them to fade out and turn off after an hour or two from your bedtime schedule.
3. Turn off Your Phone and Other Devices
Your phone, TV, and computer screen emits blue light. It’s artificial light that tricks your body clock into thinking that it’s still daytime. This means your body won’t produce hormones that will prepare you for deep sleep.
Try to limit your gadget use during the evening. Turn off the TV at least two hours before you bed down for the night. If you must use your smartphone during the evening, download an app that can block blue light from its screen.
4. Invest in a High-Quality Mattress
Do you have to lie in a certain position on your bed so you don’t feel uncomfortable bumps? Does your mattress dip too much and make it difficult for you to get a good night’s sleep?
You may be tossing and turning in your sleep because you’re uncomfortable in your bed. The solution to this is to invest in a quality and comfortable mattress. Don’t forget to get good pillows as well while you’re shopping.
Mattresses and beddings can seem expensive. However, in the long term, they’ll save you a lot of money from medication and check-ups for your back problems. The ideal mattress is firm enough to support your weight but soft enough to be comfortable.
If you want a specific elevation, consider buying an adjustable bed. Don’t forget to include the mattress designed for such beds. Click the link for a guide to choosing the best mattress for an adjustable bed.
5. Find a Way to Control Your Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a disorder where a person’s breathing gets interrupted during sleep. Some of its common symptoms include loud snoring and fatigue, even after a full night’s sleep. Up to 70 million Americans have a sleep disorder, which is enough to be a public health problem.
The condition often gets linked with a disrupted circadian rhythm and sleep movement disorders. This disorder doesn’t only affect you but others who may be hearing your snores as well. If you want to get better sleep, consult with the doctors for sleep apnea in Austin about what you need to do to control this.
6. Get Out of Bed and Do Something Else
Sometimes, forcing yourself to go back to sleep is only going to make the situation worse. If you’re already awake enough that you can’t seem to go back, get out of bed. Do something quiet and calm that will put you back in the mood to sleep.
Don’t use your phone or other electronics. As we mentioned, the blue light from the screens will only make you feel more awake. Instead, get a book or listen to some music from the radio until you feel sleepy again.
7. Keep Your Bladder Empty Before Bedtime
Nocturia is the event where you get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. Most people find it easy to drift off again after they relieve themselves. However, for others, it’s harder to find sleep again once they’ve gotten up to use the bathroom.
Do you also find it difficult to go back to sleep after you urinate in the middle of the night? The solution to this is to avoid drinking water before bedtime. Make it a habit to drink your glass of water first thing in the morning instead.
If you have high blood pressure, you may be taking diuretics or water pills. Talk to your doctor about altering your dosage at least for those you take during the night.
If you still have nocturia after this, get your bladder, urinary tract, or prostate checked.
8. Avoid Caffeine Late in the Day
In the US, 63% of adults drink at least one cup of coffee daily. Indeed, coffee is a great stimulant and energy booster. However, there’s a reason why it’s better to drink it at the start of your day or midday.
Coffee, tea, and other beverages that contain caffeine can keep your body from relaxing at night. If you drink it late in the day, its effects can remain with you throughout the night. To keep this from happening, avoid consuming caffeinated drinks after 3 or 4 PM.
You won’t only find caffeine in beverages but also foods. Cocoa beans contain caffeine, which means chocolate contains caffeine. Avoid eating candy bars or desserts that contain chocolate or dark chocolate.
9. Avoid Drinking Alcohol in the Evening
Caffeinated beverages and foods aren’t the only things affecting your sleep. Alcohol also causes troubled sleeping if you drink 2-3 hours before bedtime. You may be wondering how alcohol affects you when it makes you feel sleepy.
Indeed, as a depressant, it slows down parts of your brain and helps you feel relaxed. However, it has adverse effects on your natural sleeping process. Alcohol blocks REM sleep, which is the most restorative type of sleep.
The more you drink before bed, the worse its effects will be. It’s why you feel groggy and unfocused when you wake up after drinking alcohol. Alcohol can also worsen breathing problems during seeing.
10. Address Chronic Pain
Your pain receptors don’t go to sleep with you when you turn in for the night. If this is what’s keeping you up at night, take steps to address it. There are ways to do this without resorting to medications.
Ease the discomforts you have from chronic pain, starting with heartburn. If you have heartburn, get a wedge pillow and sleep with it. You can also lie on your left side to keep the acid from escaping your stomach.
If you have back pain, get a pillow and place it under your knees to relieve pressure from your spine. Avoid sleeping faced down. You can also get a mattress that’s designed to ease back pain.
Do you often wake up in the middle of the night with an aching neck? Get a pillow that supports your neck when you lay on your side. You can also lay flat on your back instead with a flat pillow.
11. Maintain a Regular Sleep Schedule
One of the many ways to learn how to get uninterrupted sleep is to follow a regular sleep schedule. Go to bed at the same time every night and wake up every morning at the same time. This way, your body can recognize that it’s time to rest, and it’ll keep sleeping through the night.
Make it a habit to follow a bedtime and morning routine as well. Start preparing for bed at least an hour before the time that you want to fall asleep. This is one way to tell your body to get ready to go to sleep.
Sleep Better Throughout the Night
Where cars need gas to function, we need sleep. Losing sleep can feel like a small issue compared to other problems. However, it has a big impact on your decision-making and health.
Now you know how to sleep through the night. Make sure you get enough sleep during the night with these tips. Soon, you’ll be experiencing the best sleep ever.
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