19 May Tips For Better Sleep
When talking about sleep, most people only associate the number of hours of shut-eye with good health. While the quantity of sleep is important, it is also good to make sure you are getting quality sleep as well. If you are concerned about not getting the kind of sleep you need, try starting with these simple tips to help you feel refreshed and energized the next morning.
- Turn Off Electronics. Scrolling through social media, watching late-night television, or reading a book on your Kindle before bed are all disruptors for your quality of sleep. The blue light emitted from screens can cause our attention to be spiked and prevent us from falling asleep faster and decrease the quality as well as quantity of our sleep. Avoid looking at screens at least an hour before bed. If this seems like too much in the beginning, start with 30 minutes and work your way up. You can also invest in blue-blocking glasses, or turn on the blue light reducing features on your phone to decrease your blue-light exposure.
- Take Sleep Supporting Supplements.
- Magnesium- Known as nature’s “chill pill”, magnesium is an essential mineral that has been shown to promote relaxation and a sense of calm. This mineral is required for over 300 different chemical reactions in the body and 75% of Americans are deficient in magnesium. If you are struggling with sleep, you may have a magnesium deficiency. It is important to note that the quality of magnesium is also important to take. Look for forms like Magnesium Glycinate that is more bioavailable to the body and will have better absorption rates.
- Melatonin- Melatonin is a hormone associated with sleep. Disruptors of this hormone can be exposure to too much screen time and sleep cycles that are not consistent. Supplementing with melatonin may help you get to sleep faster and help you stay asleep. This will result in better quality sleep to help you feel well-rested the next morning.
- Get regular exercise. We all know that exercise can be good for building muscle, losing weight, heart health, bone strength, and more, but what you may not know is that exercise can play a vital role in your quality of sleep as well. Studies have shown that people who get regular exercise, particularly aerobic exercise, were able to fall asleep faster and experience improvement with deep sleep.
Bottom Line- Not being able to fall asleep or simply waking up not feeling well-rested can be extremely frustrating. Start with these simple tips and if you find you are still having trouble with sleep, talk with your health care provider to rule out any underlying causes that may be preventing you from getting those restful Zzzzz.
