How to Stay Asleep All Throughout the Night

Sometimes it feels like a good night’s sleep is all you need for the whole world to be made right. It seems like such a simple thing, and yet, for many women, sleeping through the night only exists in their wildest daydreams. If a good night’s rest seems unattainable, you might simply need some minor adjustments to your normal routine. Here are three tried-and-true ways to get better sleep.

Relax Before Bed

If you find yourself lying in bed and ruminating about the day or stressing about what you need to do tomorrow, chances are good that you are not giving yourself enough time to wind down. During the day, your sympathetic nervous system is revving, pumping your body full of the arousing hormones that allow you to get a million things done. At night, the parasympathetic nervous system should be kicking in, soothing your body and initiating a calm and relaxed state. If you tend to keep your stress hormones on full-burn late into the night, it can be difficult to turn them off and fall asleep. Give yourself at least an hour to wind down before bed. Send yourself a signal that the day is done by doing something soothing. This could include prayer, meditation, gentle stretches, a hot bath or shower, or light reading.

Get More Comfortable

Your comfort is directly related to your sleep quality, so it is worth investing in. This includes your sleepwear, your sheets, your pillow, and your mattress. Your sleepwear might be itchy or bunchy or your pillow could be well past its life expectancy of 1 to 2 years. However, a common culprit is the mattress. When shopping for a mattress, try a variety of firmness levels. You might even want to experiment with an air mattress. An air mattress helps prevent bedsores and other pains when you sleep.

Remove Distractions

To sleep through the night, it is important to remove all possible distractions. Turn the heat down at night to prevent getting too hot. Put your phone on sleep mode so that you won’t be disturbed. Consider using earplugs and/or white noise to drown out background sounds. If external lights are a problem, hang blackout shades or curtains in your room. Figure out what is waking you up and tackle it head-on.

Good sleep hygiene is essential for health and vitality. Never underestimate the power of a good night’s rest. If you are struggling to sleep, try these suggestions. You should be well on your way to sleeping through the night.

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