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Sleep is a very important part of your day that can influence every part of your health from your emotions to your fertility, your immunity, your weight, and even your overall health. That being said, lack of adequate shut-eye doesn’t just leave you feeling foggy the next day, it can increase your odds of suffering from dangerous diseases like obesity, diabetes, anxiety, cardiovascular disease, heart disease, and depression. To help combat these problems, York Dental Sleep Therapy has compiled this list of 9 smart tips to help you get better sleep.
1) Tip One: Remove technology from your bedroom.
You may be tempted to keep your phone or computer handy, but studies show that using electronic items like laptops and phones in bed can increase brain activity and make it harder to fall asleep. Additionally, the lights and sounds generated can keep us awake. Experts recommend disconnecting all equipment at least an hour before bed and putting gadgets out-of-reach so you won’t be tempted to grab for them in the middle of the night.
2) Tip Two: Get into the mood for better sleep.
There is a reason that most of us like to keep the room dark while we sleep. Experts claim that bright light around bedtime can make it harder to fall asleep. This is because dimness signals the biological clock that it’s time to wind down and sleep. Change bright bedroom bulbs for low-watt ones, or install a dimmer switch to make lights less bright. Eliminate bright clocks and put your phone in a place where it will not light up if you get a message or text. You should also avoid reading in bed, as it keeps your brain awake and prevents rest and relaxation.
3) Tip Three: Eliminate caffeine after 2 pm.
Many people enjoy a coffee or tea in the afternoon, but do not realize their beverage of choice may have extra caffeine that can disrupt your sleep. Consequently, doctors recommend eliminating anything caffeinated before 2 o’clock in the afternoon. Be sure to check the labels on your soft drinks and teas to ensure you aren’t ingesting any caffeine accidentally.
4) Tip Four: Stretch before bed.
Gentle stretching before bed can help put your mind at ease and reduce muscle tension without revving up your heart. Try a brief yoga session or some simple breathing techniques to help you relax and improve your sleep quality.
5) Tip Five: Add some sleep superfoods into your diet.
Besides avoiding large, heavy meals right before bed, diet tips can be extremely helpful in helping you sleep better. If you have had one or more nights of poor sleep, make a light whole-wheat pasta dish with fresh vegetables, some chicken breast, tomato sauce, and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese for dinner. According to experts, a dish like this contains an ideal combination of protein and tryptophan, that helps convert the food to sleep-promoting serotonin in the body. Other beneficial foods include: yogurt sprinkled with cereal and milk, cottage cheese with banana slices, or milk and graham crackers.
6) Tip Six: Avoid alcohol before bed.
According to experts, alcohol before bed prevents deep sleep and can wake patients up multiple times during the night. If you have to drink, have it with dinner and drink well before bed so that any alcohol will wear off by the time you go to bed.
7) Tip Seven: Avoid soaking in the tub before bed.
You may think that a nice soak in the tub can relax you before bed. However, soaking in a warm tub can raise your body temperature which can hinder you from falling asleep. The reason for this is that the human body needs to cool to a certain temperature to achieve a deep slumber. If you feel the need to soak, make sure you do it a few hours before bed and give your body a chance to cool down before getting into bed.
8) Tip Eight: Get good exercise during the day.
Studies show that healthy exercise can help increase the amount of good sleep you are getting. For this reason, you should take a nice walk during the day or hit the gym for better sleep at night.
9) Tip Nine: Avoid exercise before bed.
Although getting good exercise during the day is critical to good sleep, getting exercise too close to bedtime can have the opposite effect. So be sure to exercise a few hours before bed to give your body a chance to relax and coll down before bed.
Talk To Dr. Bell For Solutions To Your Sleep Apnea Issues
Patients in the Hallam, PA area know they can see Dr. Bell for their sleep apnea symptoms. Sleep apnea may be causing you to lose valuable sleep which can hurt your health. If you have questions about the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment for sleep apnea, please feel free to check out the rest of our helpful sleep apnea website. Alternatively, you can call one of friendly staff members today for more information. Then, come see Dr. Bell to help restore healthy and restful sleep!