By Yasmene Warren
As the weather cools and the sun sets earlier, going to sleep at night this fall season has never been more enjoyable.
Ensuring your slumber is a pleasant one is of utmost importance, and that’s why November is dubbed National Sleep Comfort Month.
Whether your sleeping habits need some work, or you just want to switch up your nightly bedtime routine, here are four ways to help you get the best rest possible.
1. Keep a Routine
Humans are creatures of habit, and if you’re going to bed at different times every single night, your body isn’t going to wake up feeling well rested. Your circadian rhythm, also known as the sleep-wake cycle, can be thrown off track by even an hour difference in your bedtime — and you’ll feel every bit of that difference when you wake up in the morning.
Kids are typically given strict bedtimes to follow every day so they can wake up and start their day feeling energized. That need doesn’t end at adulthood, and although you may have the freedom to stay up later into the night, there still needs to be consistency in your sleep schedule.
Most adults require seven to nine hours of sleep at night, and some can function off as little as six and as much as 10. Regardless of how many hours of sleep you’re getting at night, if that number isn’t consistent, you won’t yield any positive sleeping results.
Going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day — including weekends — is sure to improve your sleep health.
2. Sleep in a Comfortable Environment
How you have your sleeping environment could negatively impact your ability to rest.
Keeping your room quiet, dark, and at a comfortable temperature can greatly improve your sleep health. Noise can distract the mind from focusing on falling asleep, so it’s best to eliminate major sources of it, such as TV or music.
Sleeping in total darkness will improve your slumber because it tells your mind that it’s time to rest. Our circadian rhythm is like an internal clock that responds to light and darkness, so keeping your room dark at night aids in lulling you to sleep.
Considering that we tend to bundle ourselves in sheets and blankets at night, we trap our bodies inside a pocket of heat for about eight hours. If you’re too cold without covers and too hot with them, you won’t be sleeping comfortably. Keeping your room at a cooler temperature will help your body regulate its temperature and ensure peaceful sleep.
3. Take More Naps
Taking midday naps are sure to make you feel like a kid again, and that’s not a bad thing! Naps are very beneficial to our health, and we don’t even need to take them for that long.
By the middle of the afternoon, we tend to feel tired and sluggish. Taking a short, 30-minute nap is all you need to perk yourself back up.
Don’t make the mistake of napping too long as there is such a thing as “too much sleep.” Regardless of what time of day you lay your head to rest, sleep goes through the same stages.
Taking too long of a nap can lead you to reaching stage three or REM sleep, which are both deep, restorative stages of sleep that are difficult to wake up from. Waking from either of these stages can leave you feeling groggy and unsatisfied, which defeats the purpose of a nap.
4. Limit Your Screen Time
The need to use technology tempts us daily. Our phones are typically the first thing we look at when we wake up and the last thing we see before we go to bed. If this sounds like you, and your sleep health isn’t the greatest, then screen time could be your problem.
Spending too much time in front of a screen before you go to bed disrupts the surge of melatonin we need to fall asleep. If you try to keep the use of electronics before bed at a minimum, you may notice some improvements in your sleep health.
It’s recommended that you turn off electronic devices at least an hour before you intend to go to sleep. Spend that time doing something less disruptive like reading a book or taking a bath. Time will fly and before you know it, you’ll be ready for bed.
Get the Best Rest at Rosen Shingle Creek
Sleeping good at night is one thing you won’t have to worry about when you stay at Rosen Shingle Creek. Our comfortable yet luxurious rooms will bring you sweet dreams at night. Plus, our lovely amenities like the spa can help ease you into relaxation and bring you one step closer to the best rest imaginable.
