5 Ways to Get Better Sleep (without counting sheep!)
Have you ever wondered how to wake up fresh and ready to crush your day?
Have you ever felt your energy level dropping to the ground after being awake for only 3 hours?
Today you are going to get all the answers you have always had about sleep.
But first, let’s answer a simple question...
Why do we sleep?
You have a response for that, right? You will say something like “I sleep because I don’t wanna die” and you will be right.
Well, generally...
There are a couple of theories that exist to answer this question, however, the explanation is not quite simple:
The truth lies in a combination of every one of these theories.
Psychical recovery - this is the moment where our brain recovers.
Physical recovery - when we sleep our body recovers and builds certain tissues (muscles).
Reorganize the memories and information that we accumulated during the day.
We save energy - when we sleep we need less energy.
If you are not convinced yet, whether to take these important 8 hours of sleep, here’s more...
What happens if we don’t sleep enough?
To answer this question we have to examine the consequences of sleep deprivation.
According to a survey, which shows that if you are only sleeping 2-3 hours less than the optimum amount of 8 hours you will have 24% more hunger throughout the day.
The increased appetite leads to overweight and risk of many other conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease in the long term.
Another big issue with sleep deprivation is that we don’t recover optimally.
Even if our diet and training plans are on point we’ll have a hard time making these gains.
Furthermore, our productivity will decrease as well. In other words, our body will suffer, our mind will suffer, our relationships will suffer.
If that isn’t enough to make you get these important 8 hours every night, we have one more thing to convince you to get more serious about it.
Short sleep duration will lose you money!
That’s right.
When you had a bad sleep you will have trouble making the right decisions.
You are not focused enough and you miss opportunities.
Missed opportunities lead to losing money.
After knowing all the consequences of bad sleeping habits, let’s jump straight into some tips that will help you.
How do we actually get better sleep?
The truth is that the quality of your sleep is affected by a variety of factors, some of which you may not even know matter that much…
However, there are fundamental truths about sleep, which will do the job if you go by them, so let’s have a look!
1. Create a routine
Going to bed at the same hour every night and getting up at the same hour will make your life easier.
You should train your brain to “shut down” and wake up at specific times.
By doing this, you teach your body when it is time to rest and when it is time to progress.
2. Make Your Bedroom a Sanctuary… and Invest in a good mattress
We spend one-third of our lives sleeping. So, why do we throw our clothes on that bedroom chair???
We shouldn’t compromise the good mattress because it has an important role in the quality of our sleep.
Bonus: The pillow is also a nice investment, so spend your money wisely for a comfortable one.
Remember the 3 keywords
Cold - 67-68 degrees is a perfect temperature for sleeping.
Noise - It should be quiet in your room.
Darkness - It must be fully dark when you sleep, so buying dark curtains is a smart idea.
3. Take a hot bath or shower before sleep
It helps in reducing body temperature, which is important for sleeping. Just not toooo hot, so you don’t dry out your skin.
4. Reduce caffeine consumption, and turn off those screens!
Don’t drink caffeinated beverages after late afternoon because your sleep will suffer. And don’t look at your phone, laptop or TV at least one hour before bed. The blue light is damaging your sleep, so reading a book is preferable.
5. Find a supplement that works for you.
There are lots of natural options that are known to help with sleep. A few of my favorites are Sleepy Time Tea, Melatonin, and my newest obsession: LIVoloy Sleep - which not only helps with sleep, but also reduces anxiety and stress, nightime food cravings and cortisol!
Final thoughts:
If you are finally ready to get the best sleep of your life and say goodbye to insomnia and low-quality sleep, follow these tips and come back here to thank us later!
Sleep tight.