Are You Getting Enough Quality Sleep?
While you might be getting your eight hours of sleep a night, how do you know whether you are getting quality sleep? Often, we can toss and turn, wake up in the night, and have a broken sleep pattern resulting in a feeling of sluggishness when we wake up to our alarm every morning. Sleep is one of the most crucial aspects of good physical well being and positive mental health. Without it, we may endure low mood, a lack of motivation, and crushing anxiety. To focus on getting a better sleep pattern, you need to hone a more nuanced sleep routine. Take a look at these simple ways to make sure you achieve quality sleep.
Hydrate
Your body needs to be ready for sleep. Ensure that you remain hydrated throughout the day so that your body retains its natural pH balance, and so you don’t lack the salts and vitamins needed for your brain to function. Poor hydration can result in a scatty mood meaning that your thoughts wander and stay in your head long after bedtime. Ensure that you replace your refrigerator water filter so that all contaminants are removed from what you are drinking. A cleaner, purer water is needed to benefit your digestion and mood. If you are hydrated before bed, without racing for the stimulating caffeine, you will be more rested before your head hits the pillow.
Social Media Detox
If you have spent much of lockdown on your phone or tablet scrolling endlessly through social media feeds and rolling news, it’s time to go cold turkey. While it’s wise to stay abreast of all coronavirus developments, you don’t need to see the same news report thirty times in a day. If you are only switching your laptop off a few minutes before bed, your mind will be going into overdrive with intrusive thoughts and musings. To put a stop to this you need to have a social media and rolling news detox for at least three hours before bed. Do something more useful and relaxing with your time. Run yourself a hot bath and enjoy a soak in the tub with some scented candles while whipping on some chilled out tunes. Or perhaps a short walk down to the park or simply sat in your garden will help you to remain calm and ready for bed.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is now being prescribed by doctors as an alternative to medication for individuals with insomnia or anxiety. Being mindful is all about learning techniques to help your brain remain in the present rather than worrying about what may or may not happen in the future. This means you can stay more grounded, focused, and relaxed. Couple your mindfulness meditation every evening with a little bit of yoga. Postures and breathing exercises help to strengthen your core and can leave you feeling very tired. This is perfect for when you need to rest your weary bones. The more tired you are when you go to bed, the better the quality of sleep that you will enjoy.
Sleep can be elusive for many people who are anxious about these coronavirus-laden days that we are living in. However, if you follow this guide, you have every chance of honing a better sleep routine once again.
