For many, sleeping is the ultimate treat - Getting into bed, falling asleep minutes later, and waking up in the morning feeling refreshed. If you're confused by this description, you're probably amongst the group of people who take 2-3 hours to fall asleep once in bed, and even after that, there's no guarantee you'll stay asleep till the morning. Sound like you? Well, the good news is there may be things you're doing that are causing it - check out this list of practices to avoid to help you get the good night's sleep you deserve!
Working out after you've eaten dinner - if you've got yourself into a routine of coming home from work, eating dinner, and heading to the gym, this may be the reason you're not sleeping well. Although you might think it's a clever way to tire out your body for a good night's sleep, it actually has the opposite effect. Whether hitting the gym or even dancing energetically in your room, working out will pump up your energy levels, blood flow, and cortisol, leaving your mind wide awake! After dinner exercising should be your calming-down period. Try a slow, relaxing walk or a few minutes of yoga.
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Binging on blue light - it's no secret that blue light and sleep do not work well together. The blue light, which comes from the screens we look at, blocks our melatonin receptors which we need to feel sleepy. For those who cannot imagine falling asleep without a good scroll through social media first, this one's for you. Aim to put the phone away at least 60 mins before sleeping and find a new way to relax before sleep. Reading with a red light or even self-massaging will produce the melatonin you need, and you'll be out in no time!
Last on this list, but certainly, not least, is going to bed hungry. If you're eating your last meal any earlier than 5 pm, your blood sugar levels will reach a low throughout the night, and it's likely your body will wake you up at 3 am desperate for some food. Your body needs adequate energy to get through the night without interruptions, so let yourself have a little healthy fat and glucose before bed. Small snacks like yogurt or peanut butter will get the job done!
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