We all get some nights when sleeping becomes harder than usual – staying for hours before getting to sleep, waking up feeling tired, being half-awake when sleeping, or waking up every few hours.

But, when this phenomenon has been going on for quite a period, it’s time to dig into your sleeping habits. While there are many factors that interfere with our quality of sleep that are unavoidable and uncontrollable – such as stress and responsibilities – there are other factors that are within our control.

It could be mind-boggling to attempt to change a lot of things at once. So, let go of that all-or-nothing mindset, and try out a few of these habits to improve your sleep quality.

 

 

Make your room sleep-friendly

 

Creating an environment that induces sleep can do wonders food your sleep quality. Make your room as comfortable as possible, and you’ll notice the change in no time. You’re probably thinking that your room is already comfortable, but there are some details that are overlooked, such as:

 

• Setting a relaxing ambiance. This can be done by keeping your bed made before bedtime, lighting up a relaxing scented candle, or using an oil diffuser with essential oils that are proven to provide a relaxing scent, or simply spraying a therapeutic pillow mist.

 

• Adjust the temperature. Make your room the perfect temperature for sleep – neither too hot nor too cold. Adjust either the air conditioner or heater according to the weather before getting to bed.

 

• Invest in high-quality bedding. This one is often overlooked because there’s so much good-looking and cheap bedding out there. Your bedding affects your sleep quality greatly. So, choose soft and high-quality blankets and bedsheets to achieve a good night’s sleep.

 

• Mattresses and pillows. Same as the bedding situation, there are so many options out there. You want to choose ergonomic and non-toxic mattresses and pillows to become comfortable and avoid body aches that occur when you sleep on low-quality mattresses and pillows.

 

• Dim the lights before bed. Before going to bed, dim the lights until you feel sleepy, and then shut down all light sources. Getting exposed to light during sleep disrupts your rest, therefore you wake up feeling tired. You can get a sleeping mask to cover your eyes completely and ensure there’s no light exposure at all.

 

• Keep your bedroom quiet. Eliminating any chaos or noise before bedtime is important for a sleep-inviting room. If it’s not possible to keep your room quiet (maybe there’s construction around or a younger sibling), consider getting noise-canceling earplugs that are gentle on your ears.

 

Having a fixed sleep schedule

 

Having an optimized sleep schedule is essential to improving sleep quality. There are some things we do unintentionally that completely throw off our sleeping patterns. To set up an optimized sleep schedule, follow these tips.

 

• Nap mindfully. Napping during the daytime, especially late in the day, could completely throw off your sleeping schedule. That’s why it’s important to be cautious with your naps. It’s best to nap around 20-30 minutes maximum early in the day if needed so maintain a fixed sleeping pattern.

 

• Make time for sleep. The same as you make time for work and everything else in your life, make time for sleep. Fix a time in your schedule when you leave everything behind, and simply go to bed. A good way to do that is to identify when you need to wake up and set your bedtime around 8-9 hours before that time. A good tip is to give yourself some time before bedtime for your sleep routine.

 

• Stick to your sleeping schedule. Even if you’re doing all the above and getting hours of sleep, if you sleep and wake up at different times each day, you’ll feel tired. That’s because fluctuating sleeping patterns throw off your circadian rhythm (your biological clock), so your body becomes confused. Ensure that you sleep and wake up at the same time every day for improved sleep.

 

• Wake up in the daytime, sleep at night. Even if you don’t need to wake up early, it’s best that you get your body accustomed to waking up when there’s light and sleeping when it’s dark. That’s how the human body best functions. We have internal clocks that are maintained by getting exposed to sunlight. This helps us maintain our circadian rhythm and maintain a healthy sleeping pattern.

 

 

If you have implemented all the above strategies, or are having trouble implementing them, it’s recommended that you talk to a professional. Seeing a doctor is beneficial for getting advice and tips that work around your lifestyle, or identifying bigger problems.

 

Check with a doctor if you believe that your quality of sleep isn’t improving, has been persisting for a long period, or could be caused by a bigger problem.

Published: 2022-01-13 01:07:04