Nighttime is your time to heal
Your body and soul become tired of the world but at night it heals. Having a good 7-8 hours of sleep is very important for your body. It is very important activity for our bodies to function properly , where we consider it as the time when our body and mind are at rest. But this not the case as sleep is an active state when a lot of information is being processed and strengthening of our organs takes place. It is crucial in synthesizing hormone, repair tissue, and grow muscle which is important for all ade groups. But due to our busy schedules and workload, we often tend to suffer from insomnia which is harmful to our body.
It is very common now to have insomnia where the main cause is overthinking and anxiety due to various things and the increased screen time. It is a very common problem now which has affected people of all age groups. Improving your sleeping habits is very necessary so that you can feel fresh and ready the next day. There are many useful remedies and ways to help you sleep better and be calm.
Here are some natural ways to get good sleep at night
Meditation and Mindfulness
Meditation is recommended to every individual for accquiring a relaxing mentality and peace. It helps you calm your nerves and feel peace. It is extremely effective in getting better sleep as your mind is calm and feels less stressful.
Mindfulness is a type of meditation and it implies focusing on your mind in the present. Its a very good meditation technique and has been used for ages to help gain peace. Visualization is another meditation technique to help you get better sleep as well as helps you get good dreams. Visualizing a relaxing scene before your bed time helps you in involving your senses. You can also try different relaxing podcasts, mantras, and meditation music which would helps for a better peacefull sleep. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says relaxation techniques have enough evidence to say they can be helpful for insomnia.
Yoga
Yoga is the union of mind, body, and soul. It has enormous benefits where one of its benefits is sleep. Yoga has been used as a therapeutic option with no documented side effects. Yoga Nidra is a type of yoga that is proven to help cure chronic insomnia. Some yoga poses also helps to have a better “Nidra”. They are:
- Standing forward bend (Hastapadasana)
- Cat stretch (Marjariasana)
- Child pose (Shishuasana)
- Butterfly pose (Baddhakonasana)
- Legs-up-the-wall pose (Viparita Karani)
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is used for treating many anxiety-related problems including insomnia. It uses extracts of plants called essential oils to help create a soulful environment. Lavender oil is one of the most extensively used essential oil for helping people for reducing Insomnia. A study has shown that Lavender essential oil has increased the quality of sleep and reduced the level of anxiety in patients with coronary artery disease. Using diffuser in your room and adding lavender oil to it before bed time will giv e better results.
Reduce your Caffeine intake
Caffeine has been proven to cause hindrances to sleep. Coffee helps people to wake up and works like an energy booster. If you are having trouble in sleeping, you should watch the timing of your caffeine intake. Try to avoid having caffeinated drinks before you sleep or in the evening. It may cause insomnia. Reducing caffeine and alcohol intake is important to get better sleep.
Chamomile tea
Chamomile is an herb traditionally used to reduce muscle tension, soothe digestion, and reduce anxiety, which may help induce sleep. Having chamomile tea in the evening can help you to sleep better.
Exercise daily but not before bed- Working out and getting your heart rate up is important for your body to help you feel active and fit. Exercising daily helps you from many chronic diseases like diabetes, blood pressure, etc. exercising at the right time is very necessary because it may have an impact on your sleep. Exercising at night or just before bed can lead to disturbed sleep due to the secretion of some hormones which lead to alertness. This may cause difficulty in sleeping. So you should avoid exercising at night.
Make your bedroom a Peaceful place
The the feel of your mattress, pillows, sheets, and pajamas affect the quality of your sleep. Your mattress should be comfortable and supportive so that you wake up feeling rested, not achy or stiff. Make your bedroom clutter-free and avoid any distractions. Make it the way you want your sleep environment to be. Also temperature plays an important role while you sleep. Set the temperature according to your need.
Avoid Using Electronic Devices before Bed
it is very common to fall asleep while using your phone or watching television. But this is proven to be harmful not only for your eyes but your sleep as well. Studies have proved that using digital devices like mobile phones, laptops, and gaming consoles before bedtime can be physiologically and psychologically stimulating in ways that can adversely affect. Electronic devices emit an artificial blue light that can suppress the release of the body’s sleep-inducing hormone, melatonin. This is the reason why teenagers have trouble falling asleep at night.It is always a good idea to not use your mobile before the bed time. Try creating a relaxing environment before you sleep. This will definitely help you.
Increase Natural or bright light exposure during the day
Your body has a natural time for everything. This is called the circadian rhythm. Giving your body exposure to natural sunlight during the day will help your body to adapt to your circadian rhythm. A study has shown that 2 hours of bright sunlight or artificial light helps you increase sleep efficiency by 80% and increases your sleep by 2 hours. If you are not able to be in natural light during the day try using enough artificial lights while you work or do your normal chores which will help you get a good sleep cycle.
Reduce Alcohol Intake
It feels good to have a glass of wine after a tiring day at work. But that glass of wine will lead to bad sleep and you feeling exhausted the next day. Alcohol is known to cause symptoms of and insomnia. It has negative effects on your sleep. It also disturbs your natural circadian rhythm. So, avoiding that glass may be a wise decision for your goodsleep cycle.
These ways are backed by scientific studies and will definitely help you to have a peaceful night. Getting enough amount of sleep is crucial for a healthy body. Deprivation of sleep can negatively affect your work, stress levels, anxiety, eyes, and skin exposes you to the risk of chronic diseases. Always try to sleep on time and maintain a good sleep schedule. Maintaining a sleep schedule always helps and it will lead to a night of deep and restful sleep. Insomnia is a very common issue now and there is nothing to be afraid of. You just need to keep a check on your habits. Talk to people about it. It is normal. Getting yourself to sleep should be your top priority as it will save you from several diseases, obesity, anxiety, etc.
A night of restful sleep will help increase your efficiency at things that will lead to a better state of mind. All of these things will make you feel at peace and reduce your insomnia problems to a great extent. Good sleep will help you increase your positivity levels and reduce stress
“Put your thoughts to sleep, do not let them cast a shadow over the moon of your heart. Let go of thinking.”
–Rumi–
