9 Tips on getting a better sleep at night

Goodbye Insomnia: 9 Tips to get the best sleep of your life

Angela Goh

05 Apr 2016

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Turn your bedroom into a sleep haven
A wise person once said that the bedroom should be for two things only: sleep, and sex. By cluttering your room with unnecessary distractions like computers, televisions, and even too many contrasting colours and accessories, you’ll find it harder to transition to a deep slumber. Watching too much TV or playing video games before sleep can rev up your brain, causing an increase in electrical activity, and even release cortisol, a stress hormone that’s definitely not conducive to sleep. By removing all these distractions from your bedroom and turning it into a haven for sleep, your mind will eventually recognise that the bedroom is a place to relax.
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Catch out hidden caffeine
We all know that drinking coffee or strong tea just before bed isn’t doing us any favours. However, did you know that things like flavoured iced tea, sodas, flavoured waters, and even pain relievers and weight loss pills might be what’s keeping you up? Catch out these hidden pockets of caffeine by checking the labels of your favourite afternoon drinks, and cutting out anything that boosts your energy before 2pm.
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Ditch the drink
While a quick nightcap might help you relax and fall asleep sooner, studies have shown that it actually decreases your overall sleep quality. By disrupting REM sleep - the mentally restorative stage of sleep where we dream - alcohol causes you not to get the proper rest you need, ultimately making you even grumpier and drowsier the next day.
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Power down
As relaxing as it is to flick through all those cute little kittens on Instagram just before bed, that glow from your mobile phone is actually working against you when it comes to quality shuteye. While staring at a bright screen all evening, the light from your phone is stimulating the hypothalamus - the area of the brain that controls your circadian rhythms - and ultimately holding up the release of the melatonin your body needs to induce sleep. Try to introduce a transition period of about an hour before bedtime where you unplug and unwind.
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Dim the lights
Much like the glow from your phone stimulates your brain and disrupts your hormones, a bright bedroom screams ‘daytime’, signalling to your biological clock to stay awake. For a couple of hours before you sleep, try to keep the lights in your bedroom down, and switch out your super bright bedside lamp bulbs with low-watt ones. If you love reading in bed before you catch your forty-winks, try to do it in the lowest light that’s still comfortable, or look into using an e-reader.
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Time your exercise
While keeping a regular exercise routine can certainly wear you out and help you sleep, doing it too close to bedtime can actually keep you from drifting off in the first place. Vigorous exercise speeds up your metabolism and stimulates the release of hormones like cortisol. Though it’s not so much a problem if you’re exercising in the morning or afternoon, the benefits of exercise too close to bed just aren’t worth it. Try to finish vigorous workouts at least 3 hours before bedtime, or swap them with low-impact exercises like yoga or tai chi.
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Be smart about napping
A midday siesta or power nap is a great way to recharge and get over that afternoon energy slump. However, if you have trouble staying asleep throughout the night, snoozing while the sun’s up can make things worse. Try to eliminate the naps altogether, and instead take a brisk walk or drink a cool glass of water. If you just can’t make it through the day without one, keep it to under 20 minutes and only in the early afternoon.
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Set your body clock
The body and mind absolutely love routine, so going to sleep and waking up at roughly the same time every day (yes, even on weekends) will do wonders for your snoozing. Once you get yourself on a healthy snooze-wake schedule, you’ll be able to nod off as soon as your head hits the pillow each night.
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Eat right at night
Slurping up a nice big bowl of spaghetti bolognese is something a lot of us would happily do most evenings, but a full stomach can overload your digestive system and disturb your sleep. Instead, swap out the rich fatty foods with sleep superfoods: foods high in tryptophan, an amino acid that the body converts to sleep-promoting serotonin. Try a great insomnia-busting dinner like a tofu, spinach, and pumpkin seed salad, or an avocado, turkey, and reduced fat mozzarella melt.

Convinced the sandman has lost the address to your place?

“You snooze you lose” is not exactly an appropriate catchphrase to live by. In fact, getting enough sleep each day is key to a healthier lifestyle. Regular shuteye is needed to recharge your immune system and keep you feeling alert. Did you know that sleep deprivation has caused some of the biggest disasters in history, including the 1986 nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl?

How can lack of sleep impact your way of life?

Memory and cognitive impairment – Fatigue, bad moods and lack of concentration often follow a poor night’s sleep. While an occasional night with minimal sleep may not harm your health, several sleepless nights can severely affect your mental health and hinder your ability to think and process information. Chronic insomnia may even lead to long-term mood disorders like anxiety and depression.

Public safety hazard – Drowsiness can take a toll on your perception and judgement, slowing your reaction time down as much as driving drunk. Studies have shown that cutting a single night’s sleep short by as little as one and a half hours can result in a 32% reduction of daytime alertness.

Poor sex drive – Yes, sleeping too little can kill your sex drive. Men and women who are sleep-deprived have reported lower libidos and less interest in sex. This stems from mood issues, lack of energy and increased lethargy.

Ages your skin – It’s called ‘beauty sleep’ for a reason. Puffy eyes and dull, sallow skin can turn into a chronic condition if sleep is not on your agenda. Fine lines, wrinkles and dark circles under your eyes are also associated with long-term lack of sleep.

Humans require 7 to 8 hours of good-quality sleep to function properly the next day, but so many of us refuse to adopt this habit. It’s time to make a change. Make sure you get the beauty sleep you need – head up to the gallery to check out the 9 best ways to get a better snooze.

Angela Goh

Photos: Getty Images

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