6 WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR QUALITY OF SLEEP
Do you lay in bed staring helplessly towards the ceiling as the night drags on?
Or nod off only to toss and turn and wake tired, unrested?
If the quality of your sleep is less than ideal, there is good news. There are proven ways to restore healthy slumber and regain your mojo. Here are our 6 favs…
1. Enjoy the sun during the day
Do you spend all day indoors?
In ancient times, the lack of artificial light meant we rose with the sun and retired as it set. While our modern world would be unrecognizable to our ancestors, our genes remain similar to theirs. Our body clocks are wired for sun exposure; it informs a healthy sleep-wake cycle.
Light acts like a key to the wake-sleep master clock (the circadian rhythm). Unsurprisingly, then, it affects sleep. As the 2019 article, Effects of light on human circadian rhythms, sleep and mood, notes:
Natural daylight at high intensities as experienced outside buildings has previously been shown to (1) advance the timing of sleep to earlier hours, (2) affect the duration of sleep, and (3) improve sleep quality.
In short, exposure to sunlight helps us fall asleep sooner, sleep longer, and wake rested.
During the day, spend time outdoors. An hour should be sufficient. Go for a morning walk, pop outside for your breaks, eat your lunch in the sunshine.
Because of the slumberous power of daylight, bright light exposure therapy is an accepted approach. Use it.
2. Reduce blue light exposure before bed
Where light in the day improves nighttime slumber, illumination at night has the opposite effect. When we think back to how we are wired — to rise with the sun and sleep when it sets — this makes sense. After all, exposure to any stimulant in the evening can crush the ability to secure sufficient shuteye.
This is, at least partly, due to blue light found within the visible light spectrum. This wavelength appears to negatively affect sleep in two ways: by suppressing the sleep hormone, melatonin, and triggering physiological arousal.
So, how can you limit or avoid blue light in the evenings?
Set down your LED screens for two to three hours before bedtime. Television, e‑readers, tablets, smartphones, computers, and laptops included.
If you can’t bear to spend your evenings without your tech, or you are surrounded by LED lighting, choose blue light blocking products. Glasses and screen protectors are available.
3. Promote a relaxing sleep environment
Do you feel frazzled as you try to sleep? Do your day’s worries and tomorrow’s concerns incessantly rumble around your mind?
Then it’s no wonder the quality of your sleep is suffering; you’re in a state of arousal. To combat this, promote a state of relaxation and a sedative boudoir.
Try these science-backed approaches:
— Ensure your mattress and pillow are comfortable and supportive
— Use blockout blinds, remove devices with lights (no matter how small), cover cracks where the light sneaks in
— Cultivate quiet. (If you can’t hush the noise, try using earplugs)
— Opt for a slightly cool temperature. If you’re too warm, swap your cover, sleep naked, use a silent fan
— Take a warm shower or bath one to two hours before bedtime. As little as a 10-minute soak significantly reduces the time it takes to fall asleep
— Try aromatherapy; lavender oil, for example, has been shown to contain sedative properties. Place six to eight drops on a handkerchief and rest at the side of your bed
— Sip Chamomile tea. This traditional preparation has calmative properties and may enhance the quality of your sleep
— Practice meditation before you recline, or when your head hits your comfy pillow
4. Be mindful of your diet
Do you end your day with the reward of alcohol?
Does your dinnertime often get postponed so you find yourself tucking into a heavy, fatty meal within a couple of hours of theoretical shuteye?
Do you enjoy caffeinated drinks well into your afternoons, even evenings?
While they might not seem linked, the food and drink you consume can have a significant impact on how well you sleep. These three common dietary habits are known sleep inhibitors.
To see how they affect you, keep a sleep and food diary for several weeks...
If the afternoons you delight in a double espresso lead to endlessly counting sheep, if you wake often after a suppertime Sambuca, or if that hearty dinner just before bed causes you to toss and turn, you have your answer.
Once you know the culprit, you can knock it on the head!
(Or, if you’re ready, you can immediately remove these from your diet)
5. Stick to sleep schedule
Do you wake early on weekdays only to sleep-in on your weekends? Does your bedtime vary depending on evening activities, how much work you have to complete, or your mood?
This could be contributing to poor quality sleep.
Instead, simply sticking to a sleep schedule might be the answer to your long, restless nights.
To do this, set a regular wake and bed time. The habit of waking at the same time is even more important than a set bedtime, though both are useful. This habit, especially when combined with our other advice, can make all the difference.
6. Use a melatonin-containing supplement blended for sleep
As we mentioned earlier, melatonin is referred to as the sleep hormone. Playing a key role in the sleep-wake cycle, its production rises as the day dims. It directs our circadian rhythm toward slumber.
Research shows that supplementing with melatonin is “efficacious for improving objective and subjective measures of sleep disturbances and sleep-related impairments.” Simply put, it helps you to sleep more soundly and function better during the day.
ThermoSleep contains melatonin in a potent blend with other ingredients that aid relaxation and slumber: gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glycine, ashwagandha, 5-HTP, and magnesium included. As an added advantage, it’s also formulated to aid weight loss while you sleep!
It’s little wonder our customers love it!
As Erinraquel M. said, “I love ThermoSleep! I take it 30 minutes before bedtime, fall asleep fast and wake up feeling so refreshed. I never wake up feeling sluggish which is what I love about this night-time thermogenic.”
Try Our New Peppermint Flavor ThermoSleep
The sleep-inducing takeaway
Poor quality of sleep is common. If you struggle with your slumber, you’re not alone. Yet simple steps can make a profound difference.
By enjoying the sun during the day, reducing blue light exposure before bed, promoting a relaxing sleep environment, being mindful of your diet, sticking to a sleep schedule, and using a melatonin-containing supplement blended specifically for sleep, you can improve the quality of your slumber…
And with it, enhance the quality of your life.