How to sleep well? To sleep better, you need to know some tips to get rid of certain bad habits, improve your sleeping environment and tame “ruminations” caused by stress or anxiety factors. Here are our 10 tips to sleep well and improve the quality of your sleep!
Get rid of bad habits that interfere with your sleep
1- Listen to sleep signals to go to sleep
Do you have trouble falling asleep at night?
Perhaps, quite simply, you are missing your sleep time, because you want to see the end of the film, to finish your book or because you are with friends. Since sleep is organized in cycles of about an hour and a half, if you miss your “train”, you will have to wait for the next one! So you may turn around and go back to your bed without being able to hang up the cars! In the same way, it is useless to lie down with the chickens if you do not feel tired, you will not be able to fall asleep! When your eyes tingling, yawning and shivering… It’s time, go to bed! Then, try to go to bed and get up every day at approximately the same time as possible. If you mishandle your sleep rhythm (bed 11 hours on weekdays, 4 hours in the morning on Saturdays, get up at 2 p.m., etc.), it will be more and more difficult for you to sleep well.
2- A bed only dedicated to sleep, love, and night
This is THE advice for a good night’s sleep to remember: apart from hugging and sex, be in your bed only to sleep. Even activities that relax you, such as reading, listening to music, should be practiced outside the bed!
Also, don’t stay in bed when you can’t sleep: it can increase your anxiety, your nervousness, and prevent you from getting back to sleep. You must be comfortable in your bed, and not assimilate it to a negative thought.
3- Taking a hot bath is a bad idea for a good night’s sleep
Do you take a hot bath in the evening to calm down and prepare for sleep? Error! Error! When it programs itself to sleep, the body lowers its internal temperature. You should therefore go in this direction, and instead offer yourself a warm bath (or shower), 37°C maximum, to soothe yourself.
4- Do not drink coffee or tea in the afternoon
Coffee fans will be disappointed, so it’s better to have your last espresso after lunch. Similarly, for tea and cola drinks, it is preferable to stop them after 4pm. It has been proven that caffeine increases sleep time and shortens sleep time. Instead, drink a herbal tea of soothing plants (linden, verbena, chamomile or orange blossom, but also passion flower, valerian, hawthorn and hop), or a glass of warm milk that has a sedative effect.
5- Stop the screens at least one hour before going to sleep
Watch out for the screens : Some activities severely disrupt sleep, if it is fragile. Avoid television, video games, smartphones. These devices emit a blue light close to daylight that will trigger the mechanisms of awakening. It is therefore better to stop them at least an hour before going to bed. Although there are now many “blue light” smartphone applications, it is better to ban screens in the bedroom.
6- Do not practice sport in the evening
Sporting activity is excellent for health, but it is better to plan your jogging, gym or swimming session in the morning or during lunch break rather than in the evening. Indeed, from 7pm, the body temperature starts to drop, a sign that the body is preparing for rest. By increasing the heart rate, sports practice maintains a higher body temperature and awakens the body, disrupting the biological rhythm. If your schedule does not allow you to practice during the day, take a warm shower, and wait at least 2 hours after the end of your session to go to bed.
7- Maintain a cool temperature in your room
In your room, ideally lower the temperature to 19°C. And sleep with your feet warm! Scientists have just demonstrated that warming the extremities promotes the vasodilation of small vessels and therefore, blood circulation. This contributes to falling asleep. Dare to rehabilitate socks in bed!
8- No computer or television in the room!
No screens, of course, because of the blue light, no “awakening” activities: no suspense films, no video games, but don’t worry about your accounts or your next day’s program either. Before bedtime, a small soothing ritual (herbal tea, make-up removal) will facilitate the transition to sleep.
9- Long live darkness and silence in your room
Get rid of unwanted noises (such as ticking watches), and isolate your room into a protective cocoon. Feel free to try earplugs if your partner snores. Hide the light well with shutters and curtains: a dimmed light, then total darkness, stimulate the secretion of melatonin, the sleep hormone.
False beliefs and negative thoughts about sleep
10- Do not count your sleep
Focus on the quality of sleep rather than its quantity. Don’t convince yourself that lack of sleep will create irreparable fatigue, never force your sleep by forcing you to go to sleep in relation to your schedule for the next day. Long naps can disrupt sleep balance.
