Getting quality sleep is essential for your mental and physical wellbeing, but there’s more to getting a quality night of sleep than getting the recommended eight hours of shut-eye. While the amount of sleep you get is important, there are many other aspects that are to blame for constantly waking up exhausted.
If you’re having trouble falling asleep at night, or are constantly waking up groggy, take a look at these 7 sleep hacks that will have you sleeping like a baby.
7. Change your sheets at least once a week.
Your sheets might still look clean after a week, but they’re full of your sweat, drool, dead skin, oil from your body, and dust mites. While those things alone should convince you to change your sheets once a week, the build up of dust mites can disrupt your sleep, which may be why you wake up feeling groggy, and tired.
6. Drink your last cup of coffee no later than 2 p.m.
The caffeine in your coffee is sticking around in your body way longer than you thought. It takes the body about five to seven hours to get rid of half of the caffeine you consumed, and eight to ten hours to process 75 percent of it. Assuming you’re going to bed between 10-12 p.m., your last coffee of the day should be at 2 p.m.
Any later, and that caffeine will still be sticking around and interfering with your sleep.
5. Warm up your feet.
The body’s temperature needs to lower in order to fall asleep, which is why the optimal sleeping temperature is between 65 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit, but the hands and feet need to stay warm. If the feet and hands get too cold, the blood vessels constrict to retain heat, and makes it harder to fall asleep.
Try slipping on a pair of socks when you go to bed, so that the feet stay warm enough while the rest of the body cools down.
4. Control the noise.
If you live in an urban area, it might be difficult to control all the noise that’s disrupting your sleep, so invest in ear plugs to block out the noise. If ear plugs are too uncomfortable, another great way to help control the noise that’s keeping you up is to buy a fan or an air purifier that will create consistent white noise.
3. Lose the electronics – even alarm clocks.
Electronics like TVs, phones, and tablets emit blue light that makes falling asleep and staying asleep difficult. The blue light disrupts the body’s natural melatonin production, which may be to blame for your poor sleep. You may even consider getting rid of your alarm clock, or at least putting it across the room, as the light from the alarm has been proven to disrupt sleep if it’s within eyesight.
2. Make your bed every morning.
It turns out your mother was right, making your bed is actually pretty important. Not only does making your bed in the morning make your bedroom a more relaxing space, but a made bed will keep the dust off of your bed and sheets, which can cause irritation.
1. Pick calming colors and peaceful patterns for your bedding and décor.
If you want to make your bedroom as conducive to sleep as possible, you might want to rethink your décor. For your bedding, avoid chaotic or busy patterns and make sure your sheets and blankets are soft, muted tones. The same goes for the rest of the bedroom. When in doubt, remember sages, blues, whites, and grays are all great colors for creating a calming environment.
Did these tips help you fall asleep? Share with us in the comments below.
[Featured image credit: www.oeker.net]