If you don’t get enough high quality sleep each night the negative consequences on your body can be huge. It is for this reason why experts like Richard Soper are working hard to promote the benefits of high quality sleep and the importance which it plays in everyone’s lives. Richard has spent many years focusing on what happens to the body and the brain when people don’t sleep well enough, and the findings are truly amazing. Many people romanticize not sleeping well enough, but the results of this can be mood swings, poor focus and concentration, dry skin, stress and anxiety, as well as the risk of developing neurological diseases in later life.
Richard suggests that the best way to ensure a great night’s sleep is with a solid nightly routine, and here is how to go about it.
Food and Drink
In terms of caffeine you must ensure that you don’t consume any after 4pm, otherwise you can’t expect to be able to fall asleep. In terms of other food and drink, the only thing you should consume in the 3 hours before bed is water. Remember that food is energy and the last thing that your body needs is energy whilst it is trying to rest and relax.
No Gadgets
When our eyes view screens such as the television or our mobile phones, the resolution of the screen activates our brains and makes them wake up. This is why in the hour before bed you should avoid viewing any screens like this, and instead look to read a book or use an e-reader, which has a different type of screen. Even if your gadget has a ‘night mode’ feature, these have still be proven to activate the brain.
Routine
Humans are creatures of habit and that is why you should try to go to bed at the same time each night, and wake up at the same time each morning. This will take a little while of course, but as soon as you get into a routine you’ll improve your ability to sleep and the quality of the sleep which you get. If you go to bed at the same time each night, your brain and body will be prepared for this and slowly begin to wind down as the hour gets closer. In the same way that our body clock knows this, it will also know at what time you wake up, which will help you to wake up with more energy.
Darkness
When light enters the room it keeps the brain activated whilst you are sleeping, this is why you should endeavor to remove all light sources inside your room and aim for complete darkness. You can do this with blackout curtains that will ensure that no light is able to penetrate. Doing this will help you fall asleep quicker but also help you to get high quality sleep once you have nodded off.
Follow these steps and you’ll be able to get that high quality sleep and all the benefits that come with it.
