It is often said that we live in a fast world. This is true for the most part, as human lives have transformed into an everyday chase after success in various fields. A modern man spends up to 12 hours a day working and when we add up all the distractions like television and time with friends and family, there is hardly and time left for sleep.
What is more sleep often eludes us as our daily troubles stay with us as we go to bed and it can be very hard to sleep when thoughts of your next mortgage payment or your endless upcoming work tasks keep buzzing through your head. That said, not getting enough sleep actually makes all these things incredibly more difficult to take care of and this puts us in a vicious circle of no sleep and horrible performance in our daily lives.
This is why finding ways to remedy our sleeping situation can be crucial for our overall health and in this article we will discuss some ways you can improve your sleeping cycle and thus improve your efficiency and health.
Tip #1: “Set the Scene”: Set up a cozy environment
Trying to sleep in a loud, uncomfortable or bright atmosphere can make it really hard to do. Turn off the lights in your room and eliminate any external noises to the best of your ability.
Take a bath half an hour before sleep and make sure that you sleep in clean sheets and clean cozy clothes like pajamas. Try to regulate your room temperature to the point where it is a bit chilly but not cold, than cover yourself with a sheet and try to empty your mind of needless thoughts.
Read. Stretch. Do whatever you can to set the mood for sleeping not only in your environment, but physically as well. Trust me…your body will thank you. Eight hours later or less, you’ll wake up rested and full of energy.
How this works: you will be training your subconscious mind to know when it’s time to sleep by setting up the same environment each and every time. This is mental programming at it’s best.
Tip #2: Stay Off the Stimulants: Eliminate caffeine completely.
Let’s face it, many of us are simply caffeine addicts. And while caffeine can be useful in some situations, such as at work when we need maximum focus or taken in a pre workout, chugging down caffeine before bed time can be a bad idea.
Caffeine will overflow our brain and it will be way too hyperactive for us to sleep. Instead, if you are meeting a friend after work, try a cup of caffeine free herbal tea isntead. The difference will be noticeable.
A study done by Psychology Today found that caffeine taken as early as 6 hours before bed still effected sleeping patterns in the majority of people. It’s best to stick to a 2p.m cut off time, or learn to do without caffeine all together.
Your body can create the energy on it’s own; you have been PROGRAMMED to think you need it.
Tip #3: Avoid artificial light with 30 minutes of bedtime. It’s the number one killer of sleep.
Watching TV shows or movies until 4 am is something we have all done. And while it may seem like an OK idea at the time, next morning can be really brutal. Try to go to sleep before 11 pm and your sleeping cycle will improve in no time. This is what all the athletes do, so trust me when I say it works.
Stay off your phone and turn off all electronics 30 minutes before bed time.
It has been proven that artificial lights are distracting, and literally destroy sleeping patterns. See the article on Medical Daily called Exposure to Artificial Light from Electronics Disrupts Sleep Pattern.
What you want to do instead is set up a pitch black environment and you’ll be amazed at how quickly you fall asleep.
Tip #4: Turn to Mother Nature: Use natural supplements and get the job done.
There are numerous dietary solutions to sleepless nights. Natural ingredients like Kava-Kava or Melatonin can be great aids in your quest to fall asleep and not wake up during the night. Kava is a famous South Asian calmative that has been used for ages by the Asian people to help calm and fall asleep. More modern day ingredients like Melatonin can be used as well, to help with hormonal imbalances in your body.
You can also try natural teas like Chamomile that will help to get you relaxed and in the mood to rest.
NOTE: I wouldn’t recommend Melatonin since I tend to sleep later than normal on the nights I take it.
Tip #5: Program Your Inner Clock: Establish a sleep schedule
Like it or not, we are creatures of habit. Our habits define us and our bodies have an amazing capability of adjusting to a schedule. Doing things randomly will not do much for our bodies and sleeping in random cycles will not give us optimum results. This is why many successful people and athletes have a very strict living schedule that allows them to operate at 100% every day of the week. Get off work, go to the gym, relax for a few hours and then start your sleep preparations.
Although this is #5, perhaps it should be number one. In fact, it is the single most powerful tip I could give to anybody. Ever meet those people who wake up at the same time every morning without an alarm clock? Chances are they also go to sleep at the same time each night. You can do this as well by resetting your inner clock and programming your body to fall asleep and wake up at the same time.
Check out How to Reset Your Inner Clock by Forbes.com.
Once all is set, go to sleep at the same time, no later than 11 pm. It will do miracles for your health and efficiency.
6. Use Night T by 1st Phorm 30-40 minutes before bed.
Night T by 1st Phorm is an excellent product based on many natural ingredients that is designed to help you sleep and let your body get maximum rest at night. Taken 45 minutes before sleep this product combines natural ingredients to give you an full sleeping experience. Night T not only soothes and calms you to the point where sleep comes easily but it also helps your body recover better during sleep by raising your testosterone levels which helps your body recover from all stresses of the day.
You can get a full container of Night T now for just $49.99 and you can be sure to get some good night’s sleep for the foreseeable future.
The product works for practically everyone and you can read a full review of Night T right here.