by Amanda Green
You can eat the right foods and exercise regularly, but if you’re not getting at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night, your health will ultimately take a hit. Sleep is crucial to your health. It allows the body time to restore itself after the stress its been under all day. Failure to get enough sleep can lead to everything from weight gain to stroke. Though many adults know this, most struggle to get a good night’s rest. There are a lot of factors that can play into this, and fortunately, many of them are within your control.
Room Temperature
There are certain signals the body gives the brain that it’s time to take a nap. One of those is a decrease in temperature. As the body temperature declines, you start to get sluggish and tired. If the room you’re sleeping in, however, is too hot, it will raise your body temperature, therefore, keeping you up longer than you’d like.
If you don’t have an idea of the temperature in the room, you can install a programmable thermostat on the wall. Other options might be to close vents to keep heat from getting in, turning on a ceiling fan, or opening a window.
Bad Mattress
What you’re sleeping on can also have an impact on your ability to get some shut-eye. A poor bed can make you uncomfortable causing you to toss and turn more than you actually rest. It can also lead to a terrible start to the morning with a bad back and neck.
If you’ve had your mattress for more than ten years, notice damage like poking springs or soft areas, it may be time to get a new bed. There are newer models that come with features to help you sleep like temperature and firmness control.
Achy Body
Do you suffer from arthritis or frequent back and neck pain? Perhaps you were recently injured or just underwent surgery? Whatever the case may be, when you’re dealing with aches and pains throughout the body, laying flat on your back can be very uncomfortable. You’re constantly moving around trying to find an area of comfort and getting up is even harder to do.
If your body aches or you have limited mobility, laying on the bed may not be great on the bones and muscles. There are products like The Perfect Sleep Chair you can purchase to help. The chair reclines fully to allow you to sleep while also providing optimum support for standing.
Cell Phone Usage
If you enjoy checking your social media or reading the latest news on your phone before turning in at night, you may want to rethink this. As stated previously, the body gives the brain signs it’s time to rest, which is influenced by external stimuli. The light illuminating from your phone or mobile device makes your body feel alert.
Try to cut cell phone and mobile device usage to a minimum before bed. If at all possible, shutting off the technology at least an hour before bed is recommended.
A Poor Diet
What you eat can have an effect on how you sleep. Those who digest high-calorie, sugary, salty, and over-processed foods are known to have a more difficult time sleeping than those who don’t. Eating large meals or drinking beverages high in caffeine and sugar can also keep your body alert at night.
Start switching up what you eat, how much you’re eating, and when you eat. By balancing out your diet and sticking to a schedule, you help to improve your metabolism and your ability to sleep at night. Portion control, eating more fruits and veggies and cutting off meals at least an hour before bed should do the trick.
There’s no other way to slice it. You need your rest. If you’ve been tossing and turning on a regular basis, your health will start to be impacted. The best course of action is to determine what’s keeping you up at night and find a remedy. Whether it’s changing up your diet, investing in a sleep chair, or turning down the thermostat at night, these little changes go a long way in helping you to get the amount of rest you need.
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