Quality sleep is one of the most essential parts of maintaining physical health because it allows the body to repair and heal the heart and blood vessels. Continued lack of sleep has been linked to risk of numerous health issues such as heart disease and kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and stroke. Here are 6 of the best ways to help you get a better night’s sleep.
Exercise has been found to help people fall asleep faster and increase the length of sleep itself. Simply put, physical activity has a direct impact on the overall quality of sleep. The exercise should be moderate to intense such as a brisk walk or some sort of an aerobic workout to be effective.
Meditation can help calm those racing thought, anxiety and worry that will rob you of a good night’s sleep and make the next day’s challenging even worse to conquor. A simple mindful meditation that focuses on deep breathing and living in the present moment without drifting into yesterday or tomorrow will induce relaxation and help you sleep more soundly.
Humidifiers can transform a room and create a spa-like environment where the air is much easier to breathe, especially during those cold, dry Winter months, therefore allowing you to fall asleep my easily and stay asleep much longer. My favorite humidifier is Vicks Filtered Cool Moisture, check it out here.
White noise is one of the most relaxing sounds you can hear when trying to fall asleep and will help keep you asleep. Creating a constant ambient sound is calming and can help mask other noises that may be going on around you. If you’re looking for a humidfier/white noise sound maker, try one of my favorite products right now, Vicks Filtered Cool Moisture Humidifier, it will not only filter and moisturize the air, its sound will relax you. Learn more about it here.
Calming music has just become a part of my nightly ritual, thanks to my husband. Playing some quiet calm music when you first lay down to sleep will enable you to relax much more quickly and allow the brain to release and let go of stress and tension.
Turning off all electronic screens, including televisions, at least one hour before sleep because not only will they disrupt the process of falling asleep, they will interfere with getting solid sleep, sometimes causing insomnia. It may take some time to break the habit, but once you do you’ll never go back because you’ll look and feel better almost immediately.
