Bad sleeping habits can be really hard to recognize, and especially if they are part of your everyday routine. You probably won’t notice any harmful effects right away, but over time they will seriously take their toll on your sleep and overall health.
For most people, it's hard to get to bed on time and get that full night of sleep. You know you need to rest in order to bring the most out of yourself, but when it's really time to turn in, something just keeps you up.
That’s because there are a few key things you've done not just through the night, but through the whole day that is making it harder for you to get to bed at night.
Let's go through these things that are actually interfering with the quality of sleep you are getting so that you can stop them to sleep better.
1. Stop artificially extending your day
You may think, you are doing more by working longer, but in fact, you are not. Every extra hour you put in over your normal working hours in a day is making you less productive, both in short term and long term. Inc., by studying the work patterns of the employees of Ford Motors, stated that the “sweet spot” for optimum productivity is 40 hours a week. It may slightly differ based on the type of work.
Additionally, in case you're working until you hit the hay, your chances of being able to sleep easily are near to zero. Your body and brain need time to get settled and relax before sleep takes hold of it. A quality mattress with the right firmness can provide a quick response to relaxing your muscles, improving the body posture and encouraging better sleep.
2. Avoid odd sleeping hours
Consistency is key when it comes to a bedtime routine. Avoid all-nighters that could bother you during the day and disrupt your sleep at night.
Instead, plan to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. It can be a challenge to maintain this schedule on weekends, so give yourself an extra hour to sleep, if you must, but no more than that.
3. Avoid excessive sleeping on weekends
It’s a common perception that sleeping more on weekends can make up for the debt of sleep lost over the week. But the study published in the Journal of Sleep Research states that the effects of insufficient sleep over the week could actually be countered by excessive sleeping on weekends.
No doubt weekends are for staying up longer in bed and sleeping more. However, sleeping too much on weekends can disrupt your sleeping schedule. And that’s something you don’t want to mess with your bedtime hygiene.
4. Avoid direct bright light exposure before bed
We all know that blue light from computer screens and digital devices is harmful to our eyes, and we need to avoid it before bedtime. But if circumstances require, try keeping the brightness of these electric devices low up to 30%. Night mode for smartphones can also work wonders.
If you sleep with a night light on, use dim or low shades of light. Believe it or not, keeping the room’s brightness low to negligible will actually make you sleep better. It helps relax your eyes, reduces the chance of having a headache, and also maintains your natural sleep cycle.
It might be hard getting used to low brightness at first, but you’ll get over it soon.
5. Avoid eating large meals in the evening
Eating excessive food in the evening, when your activity level is low, results in an energy boost far more than your body requires. As a result, the indigestion of your food gets surplus into excessive fats during sleep.
Your body also does the bulk of its healing and maintenance work while you sleep, so the kind of food you eat close to bedtime is key to a good metabolism and natural sleep.
Additionally, a right cozy bedroom environment can help to get a sound sleep. Make your bed sleep-friendly with the addition of a comfortable mattress. Not sure where to buy one? Check out Mancini’s Sleepworld to find the right mattress at fair prices.
Mancini’s Sleepworld now has 34 locations across the San Francisco Bay Area, allowing you to easily locate the mattress store near you and opt for same-day mattress delivery. To learn more about Mancini's Sleepworld, contact us through our website or call 800-647-5337.