Top 6 Ways To Fix Your Sleep Cycle

Sleep cycle: Practising a tight sleep schedule will help you to stay consistent with sleep

Being a night owl is slowly becoming the lifestyle of choice for youngsters. Sleeping when the sun is almost out, and then being drowsy at the workplace the next day is an extremely common phenomenon. One can't blame them either. After all, there's way too much work to do, and way too much content to binge. With late night food delivery options too, the world is probably becoming more suited to night owls now. However, this may impact your health negatively. A good night's sleep can not only prevent gaining weight, it can also prevent hormonal imbalance which makes way for diseases like hypothyroidism, heart disease and high blood pressure to name a very few. 

Also read: Sleep Well To Cut Appetite For Sweet, Salty Food

Nonetheless, here are 6 ways to sync your body clock and get a good night's sleep

1. Get rid of blue light: Your electronic devices and energy efficient light bulbs produce something called blue light. This light may be the reason why you are unable to sleep at night. In addition, the abundance of the colour blue from social media websites also has an effect that keeps you addicted, and wanting to stay up for those extra 20-30 minutes.

2. Keep your naps short: Its a vicious cycle, if you sleep late at night, you feel the urge to take a nap the next day because you're drowsy. If you take a nap, you probably won't sleep on time the same night, and your work probably forces you to wake up on time. This goes on and on, until you either skip a nap, or force yourself to sleep early. So, keep your snooze short, up to 20 minutes can recharge your body, and not cut out your nightly sleep as well.

Take fewer or shorter naps during the day to sleep well at night
Photo Credit: iStock

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3. Exercise: There is nothing better than tiring yourself out throughout the day to end it with a good night's rest. If you're tired, the body desires an equitable dose of sleep to balance the exertion. Workouts usually get your heart rate up, boosting your chances of getting good sleep and yoga before bed can help you relax as well.

4. Fast to normalise meal hours: Often, what keeps us up is nothing but hunger. You remember your midnight hunger pangs, not only do these kill your sleep, but also add significantly to your weight gain. So, what you must do in these times, is avoid eating at all costs, and find other ways to fill you up, like drinking water. This will normalise your sleep cycle around your meal timings and ensure you sync your body clock naturally.

Also read: Less Than 7 Hours Of Sleep Bad For Your Heart

5. Take gradual steps: Don't try to make drastic changes by pulling an all nighter. Shift your awkward sleep cycle back, an hour a day, and you will be able to see the results in the form of a stable and normal sleep cycle within a week. This won't deprive you of any energy as well.

6. Get strict: Follow a schedule. Practice good bed time habits, and try to wake up at the same time everyday, to put yourself in a routine. If you don't deviate from your sleep cycle often, your body will not falter and expect the same 8 hours everyday.

Finally, if none of these seem to work, and you find yourself rolling around in bed, get out of bed and move around. Relax and do something you enjoy, if you stay idle, your brain grows the habit of staying up at night.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.