Please click the infographic above for the larger version. This infographic is shared with you courtesy of CouponChief.com.
improve your sleep
How to Improve Your Sleep
by Kenny Gill
Sleeping well impacts your physical and mental health in positive ways. If you lack enough sleep or are sleep deficient, it will take a stern toll on your emotional balance, daytime energy, weight, as well as your productivity. A good night sleep is as fundamental as your healthy diet and regular exercise. According to research, poor sleeping habits or lack of enough sleep impacts your brain function, hormones, and exercise performance in a negative manner. Additionally, it causes weight gain and increases the risk of contracting illnesses in children and adults. Nonetheless, many people often toss and turn at night struggling to get some sleep. Some students may work on their tasks till late, thereby finding it hard to sleep well. Hence, some of them may sit and ask, “Who can write an essay for me?”
Getting a good night’s sleep may be impossible for them if they do not know how they will go about their assignments. If you are one of these students, you need to know that you have more power over the eminence of your sleep than you realize. If you have too many assignments to handle, consider seeking professional CV writing help. This will enable you to worry less about your tasks and get to enjoy your sleep. Also, the remedy for your sleeping difficulties lies in your day-to-day routine. Unhealthy lifestyle choices and daytime habits can make you toss and turn at night thereby affecting your mood, immune system, heart health, creativity, brain, and vitality. However, by experimenting with the tips for better sleep below, not only will you enjoy your sleep at night but also improve your health. Additionally, it will boost how you feel and think during the day.
Drink less coffee
Coffee has several benefits, and a significant percentage of people around the world consume it. A single dose can improve your sports performance, energy, as well as your focus. But when you consume it late in the evening, it can stimulate your nervous system and may inhibit your body from resting at night. Studies reveal that drinking coffee 6-8 hours before your bedtime will worsen your sleep quality in a significant manner.
Coffee can stay high in your blood for a longer period. Thus, consuming it in large amounts is not suitable for your sleep quality.
Try to wake up and go to bed at one time
Another factor that may hinder you from getting to enjoy your sleep is waking up and going to bed at different times. Your mind and body can adapt to the changes you bring to them with ease. If you sleep early and wake up early today but sleep late and wake up late the other day, you will not be able to enjoy your sleep. Your mind and body can acclimatize or adjust to the day-to-day waking up and sleeping hours you embrace. Alternating them as the days go by can affect how you’re brain functions, as well as your productivity.
So, to learn how to get better sleep, try waking up and going to bet at one time. Do not alternate your sleep routine. But, if you have assignments to work on or you are studying for exams, try and adjust your sleep schedule so that it does not affect how your mind and body work.
Try to remove all light sources
Human bodies have a natural hormone (melatonin) that undergoes regulation by exposure to light, which helps control your cycle of sleeping and waking up. The brain discharges less melatonin when there is light thereby making your mare attentive and more when it is dark hence increasing your sleep. But, modern life aspects can change your body’s melatonin production and alter the rhythm of your circadian.
Nonetheless, to learn how to improve sleep, try to control or remove all light sources. Expose yourself to bright light or spend more time outside during the day and avoid bright screens or reading with backlit devices at night. Also, when it is time to sleep, ensure that your room is dark.
Buy an orthopedic mattress and pillow
Another factor that may affect how you sleep is the type of bedding that you sleep in. The quality of your mattress and pillow ought to be put into consideration if you are looking to learn how to sleep better. If you sleep in a mattress and pillow which have been in use for a while, you will not get to enjoy your sleep. Thus, the reason why most people prefer sleeping in a hotel.
The right mattress and pillow will not only improve your sleep but also boost your health. They help reduce shoulder pains, back stiffness, and back pains. The best mattress and pillow are subjective in extreme ways. If you are looking to upgrade your bedding, consider buying an orthopedic mattress and pillow. Also, health specialists recommend that you advance your bedding every five to eight years.
Put ‘Do Not Disturb’ on your mobile
Your phone can also distract you from sleeping well at night. You may be receiving phone calls or email notifications, which can prevent you from sleeping. You may receive some news that can hinder you from sleeping at all. Hence, this will come to affect your productivity, brain function, as well as your health. So, you need to refrain from receiving phone calls and email or social media notifications at night. Consider putting ‘Do Not Disturb’ on your phone. This will help to stop or prevent notifications, calls, and alerts from making any noise, lighting up your phone, or vibrating when you lock the screen. Go the settings section of your phone and put in on. Another advantage of this feature is that it does not have any effect on alarms. So, if you set an alarm to wake up at a particular time, you do not have to worry about anything.
In conclusion, sleep is integral to the body as much as a healthy diet and regular exercise. Getting enough sleep helps boost your immune system, productivity, brain function, weight, as well as your creativity. Thus, you must ensure you get enough sleep every day. Above are some ways to sleep better which you can implement if you want to boost your sleep quality. Also, if you have too many assignments that have short deadlines, do not work on all of them till late in the night. Instead, pay for essays from professional writing services. This will help you to deliver your tasks on time as well as get to enjoy your sleep.
About the author:
Kenny Gill is a senior advisor and writer in the department of CustomEssayOrder. He is familiar with corporate events, sports, education. He is responsible for supporting internal communications needs for specific business functions, as well as writing, creating and editing various quality content. He performs a leading role in developing and creating good content, chiefly for different types of audiences.
A Wonderful Guide to Aromatherapy for a Good Night’s Sleep
Yesterday, we looked at ways to Improve Your Sleep When You Have Anxiety. Another great tip for improving your sleep (whether you have anxiety or other sleep problems or simply want to enjoy sounder sleep) is to use aromatherapy. However, if you don’t use aromatherapy the right way, you’d be better off staying up all night watching the The Weather Channel! Fortunately, we have an aromatherapy expert to share her knowledge with us.
Marilyn’s website is Taruna Oils. I even love the name. I know you’ll enjoy this article as much as I did. I thought I had a pretty good amount of knowledge about aromatherapy but I learned so much from reading this article that I realized I didn’t know as much as I thought I knew.
Using Aromatherapy For A Good Night’s Sleep
by Marilyn Reid
Do you toss and turn all night or possibly even have trouble drifting off to sleep altogether? Do you wake up in the morning groggy and discombobulated due to poor rest? If so, you can continue this pattern, turn to dangerous pharmaceuticals or begin utilizing aromatherapy.
Obviously, using essential oils for an aromatherapy treatment is the best choice on the list. You surely do not want to continue having restless nights and the side effects of sleep aid pharmaceuticals are quite concerning if you read the warnings. While you need to follow directions regarding safe use of essential oils, they are far safer when used properly than drugs.
Lavender – The flowers and the essential oils distilled from this plant are a wonderful choice for those suffering from anxiety and stress. The sedating effects are also ideal for those plagued with sleep troubles. An added bonus to having this essential oil in your medicine bag is the skin healing properties when applied to burns, bites and acne breakouts.
Roman Chamomile – Be careful when purchasing this essential oil because there are other types of chamomile that are less effective for sleep and more so for other ailments. The Roman variety has a peaceful floral fragrance that blends well with lavender and some other oils.
Ylang Ylang – The floral fragrance of this oil has hints of fruit as well. It can be used alone or blended with the two previous oils. It complements them well by improving the quality of your sleep.
Marjoram – While you may think about cooking when you hear marjoram, the essential oil has benefits outside of the kitchen. This particular oil will relax your muscles while soothing your entire nervous system. The sedating effects reduce hypertension as well.
Bergamot – This cold-pressed oil can help balance your emotions. Unlike other citrus oils, it has a calming effect that can benefit your sleep-inducing efforts.
Frankincense – Many ancient cultures used frankincense, including the Romans, Greeks and Egyptians. The oil contains incensole acetate, which relieves anxiety and depression. If you are having sleep troubles related to emotional disturbances in your life, frankincense is an excellent choice.
Other potentially beneficial oils for your sleep problems are valerian root, vetiver, clary sage, cistus, spikenard, rose, neroli, sandalwood and cedarwood.
High-quality essential oils can be found online and in your local health food store. Read about the various companies to find one with a good reputation and affordable prices. If a company prices all of their oils the same, it is a red flag. Some simply require more raw product to create, raising the price accordingly.
In addition to investigating the manufacturer, you should make sure you are purchasing from a reliable retailer. Read online reviews to find out about their customer service and products.
Once you have the oil or oils, you are going to use for sleep induction, you will need to decide how to incorporate them into your nightly routine. One option is to add several drops to your bath water or in the shower. When taking a shower, block the drain and drop the oils into the water, allowing the steamy medicated water to relax your mind and body. Another option is to keep a diffuser in your room. Follow the direction on the package. You can massage a diluted form of the oil into your skin or have your partner do it. The touch is soothing and can help to stimulate the absorption of oils into your system. Some of the oils on this list, such as lavender, can also work directly on tense muscle tissues when applied in this manner.
Keep track of which oils and methods are most effective for helping you to get the rest you deserve at the end of each day. You will soon have the right combination incorporated into your nightly routine. Then, good sleep is yours for the taking!
Marilyn Reid is a successful business owner and natural health enthusiast. She owns a site, TarunaOils.org, which is dedicated to providing tips, ideas, and recipes for use with essential oils and aromatherapy.
How to Overcome Anxiety at Bedtime and Get a Better Night’s Sleep
How to Overcome Anxiety at Bedtime and Get a Better Night’s Sleep
Did you know that May is Better Sleep Month? I didn’t realize it until speaking with someone from Casper. Casper is the most awarded mattress of the century. They were even named one of Time Magazine’s Best Inventions of 2015.
Think they know a thing or two about the importance of sleep? I’d say so. As Arianna Huffington pointed out in Casper’s Sleep Symposium, “Many of us are so used to being tired all the time that we think that is the new norm. If you go to Google and type in ‘Why am I…’ Do you know what is the most common autocomplete? ‘Why am I so tired?'”
There are various sleep problems that keep us from getting a restful, healing night’s sleep. We’re going to look at a few of them as we close out May. The one I wanted to tackle first it Anxiety.
Why? Because, judging from the e-mail I receive, it’s one of the biggest sleep problems people are experiencing.
We know the basics when it comes to “setting the stage” for a great night’s sleep:
- Comfortable mattress, pillows, sheets, and covers.
- Comfortable sleepwear.
- Keeping your bedroom dark. Our mind, naturally, associated darkness with sleep and light with being awake. This is part of the reason iPads and other devices are such a bad idea at bedtime. Your eyes “register” the light and your brain receives the wrong signal.
- Comfortable room temperature. Experts suggest that 65 degrees is the best temperature for sleep.
- Turning off all electronic devices at least 10 minutes before lying down… and (even more importantly) keeping them off!
The problem with anxiety, however, is the fact that its victim can set the stage and still not fall asleep or stay asleep. The reason is they can’t turn off their mind as easily as they can turn off the lights. The light and devices go off, the brain stays on… very much on.
The good news is this is not how the story ends. Not from a long shot. Below are tips that will, I hope, help you get a better night’s sleep if you suffer from any type of anxiety.
Start Thinking About Bedtime at Least Two Hours Before You Hit the Sheets
This may seem kind of odd, but stick with me, it’s actually vital. It’s all about unwinding – or to be more exact – winding down. If you’re in the habit of watching dramas, action movies, ballgames, or (yikes!) the evening news right before bedtime, you aren’t setting the stage for restful sleep. I’m not suggesting you give these up… not at all. As a baseball fanatic, I’d just dare anyone to try to get between me and my ballgames!
I understand, nighttime television viewing is a wonderful way to relax after a long day. What I’m suggesting is this – construct a “bridge” between the high-energy tv viewing and bedtime. Depending upon your personal level of anxiety, the prognosis of going from HIGH energy to sleep within a reasonable time frame is about as realistic as the tooth fairy.
You could begin, at the end of your television viewing, reading for thirty minutes. Some people enjoy turning on something incredibly relaxing like the Weather Channel or golf to close out the day. You could even begin recording your favorite cooking show and watching an episode each night before bed. Cooking shows are off the chart relaxing.
Two hours before bedtime, cut off all caffeine. If you battle anxiety, you probably have already cut back on caffeine (smart move) – but make certain you don’t have any for at least two hours before you go to bed. As for food, try not to eat much before bedtime. Digesting requires energy and the e-word is the last thing you want when you’re trying to sleep.
Try Listening to Calming, Relaxing Music
There are countless relaxation apps (just be sure you put your device away when you lie down!) with soothing music. You could also go “old school” and listen to a cd or even relaxing music YouTube. If you search for Japanese Garden Music on YouTube, you will not be disappointed.
As the graphic above suggests, you could find a meditation app and use it right before bedtime.
Nature sounds are also blissfully relaxing. There are apps for these as well. Personally, I love a good old-fashioned fan. In fact, I associate the sound of a fan with sleep so soundly that, in the summer, I have to be careful turning one on in my home office. I made the mistake one day last August and it took me three hours to accomplish one post.
And it was a short one!
Turn off Your Thought Factory
Okay, I’ll go ahead and admit it – I do not battle anxiety, so this is easy for me to say. From what I’ve heard (from readers as well as family members), there is no flip switch on anxious thoughts. Instead of turning thoughts off, let’s just think of turning the channel on our thoughts. If you tend to have worrisome thoughts at bedtime, you’re going to have to outsmart them.
Here’s a cool mental exercise: Think of a small white poodle. It’s a little girl poodle with a pink bow on top of her hair. She’s lying on a big pink pillow and looking cuter than she has a right to look. Now think of a plate of spaghetti. The noodles are mounded up and topped off with a delicious, meaty sauce with mushrooms, onions, and garlic. You better believe it’s topped with Parmesan cheese!
You went from FiFi on a pillow to dinner in the blink of an eye. Why? Because your brain is an incredible machine, that’s why!
In the same way you just switched channels on your thoughts, do so the next time you’re lying in bed thinking of the electric bill, Christmas shopping, your daughter’s ridiculous new haircut, your husband’s spending habits…. switch the thought channel and focus (not just think… focus) on a favorite color, visions of the sky, the sound of rain on a summer afternoon… Pick one thing that is relaxing or satisfying to you and focus entirely on it.
Just be sure you stick with one. If you start out thinking about one, then your brain gets cute and tries to switch to another, you’re going to be annoyed and, worst of all, as anxious as you were before.
Use Imagery
This one is my personal favorite – which is why I saved it for last. While apps, music, fans, etc, can be a wonderful place to start – your ultimate goal is to be able to control your own destiny when it comes to sleep. When you get to where you can unwind and slide deliciously into a restful night’s sleep without the aid of any device or sound, you’ll be in complete control and that’s a wonderful place to be.
After my mother died in 2006, I developed horrible sleep problems. Like those of you with anxiety, my brain would NOT turn off and it was a hideous ordeal. It’s even worse for people who deal with anxiety because a lack of sleep makes their anxiety worse. They pay for it the next day when they aren’t able to sleep. It’s a vicious cycle!
When I went through this period of time, I dreaded bedtime because it felt like a battle each night. I finally found a trick that worked for me and I believe it can work for anyone who needs a little help shutting off their brain at night. I decided to try something “visual.” I looked through the photographs on my phone – looking for one that evoked a feeling of peacefulness and relaxation.
When I came across a picture of a beautiful lake, I knew I’d found just what I needed. I studied the picture and began, each night, to visualize the photograph. The peaceful setting brought about relaxation but that was only half the magic. Focusing on the picture instead of the pain was probably even more important. If you don’t have personal pictures that do the trick, look through magazines, books, or even do a Google Image search for “relaxing pictures.” You’ll turn up lakes, birds, candles, oceans, etc – just find the one that whispers, “Relaxation” to you.
Use Essential Oils and Aromatherapy
A lot of people, me included, swear by aromatherapy for improving your sleep. Click the link to find out how to use aromatherapy and essential oils to make your sleep as sweet as it can possibly be!
Make Your Busy Mind Work FOR You Instead of AGAINST You
On the playground of minds, anxious minds are in the hyper-active crowd. Busy, busy, busy. So, if this is something you can’t fight, go with it. If your brain refuses to shut off at night, another trick is to focus on an activity. Some minds are simply too busy to use a relaxing image (like the suggestion above). These busy bee minds need to buzz a little more. If this is the case for you, go ahead and think… just think creatively.
Here’s one exercise: Close your eyes and relive one of the best days you ever had. See the sights, smell the smells, hear the sounds, and feel the emotions. Focus your energy on that day.
Here’s another: Close your eyes and focus on the darkness until an object takes shape. The first one to take shape may be a ball or a star. The next may be more detailed, like a bird or tree. The images and shapes will fade in and out of “view” and (trust me) it’s completely relaxing.
Here’s another: This exercise should probably come under its own category heading, but it’s too late to turn back now. Get comfortable – with your pillow just right and your arms just where they ought to be…. close your eyes.. now imagine that your toes are being massaged. The masseuse is using warm lotion and is working slowly across each toe. Now imagine that the process is carried up to the arches of your feet… then the heels… (by this time your eyes may be rolling into the back of your head). I’ve tried this exercise many times and have NEVER even made it to my knees.
Remember: It’s a Process
As you try each of the above suggestions, remember that it’s a process. You’re a professor and you’re in the lab looking for the cure. You may not find it right off the bat.. then again, you may do just that.
Keep looking until you find your own magic key to unlock the sweetest sleep you’ve ever had.
Thanks to Casper for the image above and the inspiration to write this article!
Wishing you sweet sleep!
~ Joi