Sleep is so important that both the lack and excess of it can be detrimental to health. Sleep, along with food, water, and shelter, are an essential need among living things. However, many people struggle to even get the right amount of sleep even on the weekends because of work, family, and personal-related demands. You may have been working for five days a week eight hours a day, but on the weekends, you are expected to attend birthdays and events that you do not feel like going to any of these. You stay up late, then the cycle of work begins yet again on Monday. The sleep debt is never recovered.
With all the years of sleep debt that you have to fill in, how can you help your body gain back its strength? How can you improve your sleep without resorting to treatments and medications?
Here are top tips to help you improve your sleep naturally:
- Avoid caffeine after 2 PM
Caffeine perks you up and gives you the energy that you need when taken in small doses. The effects can be long-lasting that can go for up to ten hours. Because of this lasting effect, it is then not recommended that you take caffeine after 2 PM for you may have trouble sleeping.
Humans are also built to function based on their circadian rhythms, so if you add another push to your body during mid-afternoon, you are not giving your body the time to relax and prepare itself for rest in the evening. You are only putting yourself in more trouble by not allowing yourself to take a break from dietary stressors such as caffeine, dairy, and sugar.
If you want to have a better sleep, do not drink caffeine after 2 PM. Your best bet will be just to drink one strong cup in the morning. If you can’t take a strong brew, take two regular cups with one taken in the morning, and another taken during lunch time.
- Bask in the morning sun
The sun rises and sets for a reason, and it is because it goes naturally in tide with how your body naturally performs on certain parts of the day. Getting the sunshine you need in the morning can help a lot with letting you enjoy the benefits of Vitamin D, an essential vitamin that helps your body regulate naturally. This vitamin is critical in keeping your cardiac, lung, digestive, endocrine, skeletal, spinal, and nervous system in check.
Getting exposed to as much sunlight helps you correct your body clock since your body is led into following nature’s circadian rhythm. So, if you’ve been having problems with sleep, wake up early and spend some time under the sun. It can be trickier during winter, so make sure you don’t miss out on the limited time window when you can enjoy the sun.
- Have a daily schedule to follow
Having a regular daily schedule can help you out with managing your sleep-wake cycle; therefore, it is beneficial in helping you sleep naturally. Having a 9-5 job is a good routine in itself, but make sure not to miss out on the morning sun’s benefits. Most people who have day jobs sit all day and do not get to enjoy as much sunlight; so, it can be helpful if you wake up a bit earlier so you can walk outside and enjoy the sun. And since you have an early work start, you can follow a regular sleeping schedule wherein you go to bed at the same time every day.
These are some of the tips that can help you naturally improve your sleep. Hopefully, these can help you achieve the most restful sleep that you’ve always been craving for.