3 Tips To Help You Beat Those Sleepless Nights

Sleeping well and peacefully at night is actually the solution to a lot of our everyday problems. Not only does a good night's sleep make you feel happier and more productive the next day, but it also helps in overall weight-loss goals and in reducing stress levels. If you toss and turn all night and wake up feeling exhausted every morning, chances are you're doing something very wrong in your daily life. Unless you simply have a sleeping disorder, in which case a visit to the doctor should be up on your list, it might be time to revamp your daily habits. Here are a few changes to make in your life so that sleepless nights become ever elusive.

Also Read: How To Prevent Waking Up In The Middle Of The Night, Every Night

1. Have a fixed sleep schedule

No matter how much you might enjoy sleeping late and waking up even later on weekends, it could be one of the things ruining your sleep every other day of the week. Sleeping in on the weekends can make it harder to feel well-rested during the week. You're weaning your body off it's natural or habitual wake up time and setting yourself up for a few more days of delayed bed time. It doesn't take time becoming a cycle, which then leads to you not being able to fall asleep earlier, even when you need it or want it.

Instead, try waking up at the same time, at least one day of the weekend, perhaps on Sunday. It'll make your Monday morning and the subsequent week that much easier.

2. Use your bed only to sleep

When your bed is the place you eat, watch TV, browse the internet, talk on the phone and even end up working at times, the association established by your brain between sleep and your bed becomes harder to keep up with and maintain. According to a Harvard study "Keeping computers, TVs, and work materials out of the room will strengthen the mental association between your bedroom and sleep."

3. Skip that nap

That power nap that you decide to take every other day after work and before dinner time might be the culprit behind your sleeplessness. Many people also choose to take long afternoon naps as a part of their routine and have a hard time falling asleep at night. This is because day time naps can actually decrease your sleep drive. If you feel tired and must take a nap, make sure to keep it short (between 10-20 minutes) and before 5pm. Longer naps than that can also cause grogginess or sleep inertia.