Did you know that some of our most common habits interrupt our sleep quality? Sleep helps our body heal faster, improves metabolism, reduces inflammation, strengthens the immune system and aides the detoxification process. Lack of good sleep is associated with all types of chronic disease and pain [ 1 ]
Get more quality sleep by modifying your pre-bedtime habits and avoiding these 5 disrupters:
- Stimulants such as caffeine
- Depressants such as alcohol and Sudafed
- Screens that emit blue light (TV, phone, tablet, etc)
- Emotionally charged conversations or topics
- Widely varying sleep times
Use these tips to improve your sleep quality:
- Stop caffeine intake at noon
- Leave 1-2 hours between your last alcoholic drink and falling asleep
- Quit watching any screens for 1-2 hours before bed, or use f.lux
- Start a journal to clear your mind
- Make sleep a priority—schedule 8 hours within a consistent time frame
If sleep is a barrier for you in healing, try any or all of the above suggestions to improve your sleep quality immediately. Many of the changes touch on deeply ingrained habits—so it may take time to shift away from some behaviors. Recognizing detrimental behaviors, however, is the first step in improving them.
Reference:
- Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Sleep Medicine and Research; Colten HR, Altevogt BM, editors. Sleep Disorders and Sleep Deprivation: An Unmet Public Health Problem. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2006. 3, Extent and Health Consequences of Chronic Sleep Loss and Sleep Disorders. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK19961/