When people talk about living a healthier lifestyle, they’ll often talk about exercising more frequently and eating healthier. Getting better sleep isn’t usually considered a relevant factor for many people.
Depending on your sleeping tendencies, you probably spend between 25% and 33% of your life in bed sleeping. So it stands to reason that if you’re sleeping poorly, your health will also be negatively impacted.
Sleep is Important
Sleep is vital to staying healthy, in both body and mind. While it may seem obvious that sleep is important for the body, few people realize how much our mental health depends on getting enough quality rest.
Sleep has been shown to regulate the immune system and help prevent neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Sleep also helps keep your heart healthy by reducing blood pressure and inflammation; this can reduce your risk of heart attack or stroke. Sleep also supports brain function in many ways:
- it helps you consolidate memories (making them easier to recall)
- it keeps your brain sharp by maintaining neuronal connections
- it prevents oxidative stress (which damages cells)
Natural Ways to Improve Sleep
This is why people committed to pursuing healthy lifestyle changes need to prioritize their sleeping habits. The following article outlines a few habits you can implement to get better sleep every night, and how those habits can lead to a healthier lifestyle.
Maintain a Sleep Schedule
One of the main ways sleep contributes to an unhealthy lifestyle is that people do not stick to a sleep schedule. During the work week, they’ll stay up late one night to watch their favorite TV show, but they’ll go to sleep at their normal time the following night because they have an important morning meeting the following day.
On weekends, people socialize at nightclubs and bars with their friends until the early hours of the morning and then sleep until the afternoon.
Sleep experts say that an inconsistent sleeping schedule is a huge contributor to poor sleep. And, as we all know, inadequate sleep frequently leads to health issues.
Instead, physicians say that we should develop a sleeping routine. Doctors want us to go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning.
Developing a sleep routine is a great way to normalize your sleep-wake cycle. This will also allow you to wake up in the morning feeling rested, re-charged, and ready to seize the day.
Create the Right Sleeping Environment
Along with a consistent sleeping schedule, creating a restful sleeping environment will go a long way to helping you lead a more well-rounded, healthy lifestyle.
Sleep experts recommend finding the right pillow shape for your head and neck, as well as the right mattress for your body type and sleeping style.
Beyond finding the perfect mattress and pillow, find window blinds that completely block out light. The darker your sleeping environment, the deeper you’ll be able to sleep.
Another environmental factor to minimize if you want to make positive lifestyle changes is finding a way to limit outside noise from affecting your sleep. If you live in a noisy city, you might want to consider wearing earplugs every night.
Your bedroom should be a place where you feel relaxed and calm. It’s important to minimize light, noise, and temperature so that your body can slow down when it’s time to sleep. Keep the room dark. Even if you have a window that gets lots of morning sun, use curtains or shades to block out as much light as possible.
- Make sure the room is at a comfortable temperature for sleeping. You should be able to easily fall asleep with blankets on or off—if you’re sweating in bed because of how hot it is in there, then adjust accordingly until you find what works best for your body temperature during sleep time (and throughout the night). Try using an app like Fleeps or NightOwl Alarm Clock (Android/iOS) which will gradually filter in brighter light over several hours before waking up so that mornings don’t feel jarringly bright compared against getting up during early morning darkness (which causes less stress than getting woken up by bright sunshine).
- Choose a mattress and pillow that are both supportive enough without causing back pain while sleeping; see below for some tips on finding these items!
Eliminate Sugars and Caffeine Before Bed
That coffee you had at 5 in the evening to keep yourself awake as you wrap up your workday is probably keeping you up much later at night than you want it to.
Dietitians tell us that finding ways to cut down on sugars and caffeine in the evening is a great way to ensure that you’ll be able to fall asleep at the right time every night.
Why You Shouldn’t Go to Bed Hungry
There are many reasons not to go to bed hungry.
You need to have enough energy to function during your day, and if you’re not eating enough throughout the day, you may find yourself dozing off at your desk or on the couch.
The longer you go without food, the hungrier you get. When hunger strikes at night, it’s harder to make good decisions about what food to eat (or not eat). You might end up grabbing for unhealthy snacks or comfort foods—and those don’t fill you up anyway!
If you’re hungry when you go to bed, your sleep quality will suffer. Going to bed hungry makes it harder for your body to relax and fall asleep quickly, so when hunger strikes at night, it can take a long time before you actually fall asleep—even if you’re exhausted!
Read more:
Why sleep is important and what happens when you don’t get enough
10 Top Benefits of Getting More Sleep
How Sleep Works – Why Is Sleep Important? | NHLBI, NIH
What Are Sleep Deprivation and Deficiency? | NHLBI, NIH
How Important Is Sleep for the Body & Mind? | American Sleep Association