How to Sleep Properly – 10 Quick Fixes
Learning how to sleep properly is very important – without sleep, a whole host of bad things can happen, which could very well end in death. But the average person they’re getting less sleep than they even think.
When we get less sleep, we’re less productive. We’re unhappy, cranky, sluggish, and find that we can’t do what we want. To have a better quality of life, you need sleep! Here are ten quick fixes to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
1. Drink milk
Milk, much like turkey, has a particular amino acid that will help you fall asleep – while it’s not the greatest thing to wake up to, having a glass about an hour before you’re about to fall asleep could help you.
Please don’t mix it with chocolate, though, because it’s often used as a stimulant. That’s why some people eat a chocolate bar an hour before a big test – it can help jog the mind.
2. Keep Your Eyes Closed
Sick of staring at the ceiling? When we stay awake for a while, it seems like all we can do is stare heads and hope to sleep.
But keeping your eyes open, whether you’re staring at the ceiling or staring at the TV, can hinder your sleep – a lot. Paint your ceiling in a warm, darker tone, and keep those eyes closed! This is a very important step when you’re trying to sleep properly.
3. Turn The Lights On
Feel yourself dragging in the morning, even though you think you got enough sleep? If you wake up sooner and faster, you might be able to go to sleep easier when it’s time.
So when you’re getting up in the morning, turn the lights on -brightly. It will let your body know, whatever time it is, that it’s time to wake up and get moving.
4. Iron… Board?
Have you ever been told that you need more iron? Well, you probably haven’t… most people don’t just come up to you and say that, after all. Milk, protein, even food sometimes. But certainly not iron.
However, that doesn’t mean that you don’t need it. Sometimes, especially in women, having a lack of iron in your body can cause some sleeping issues. Checking with your doctor, and taking an iron supplement, might be the answer to your days.
5. Keep a Worry Journal
Do your anxiety and fear keep you up at night? Maybe your mind just won’t shut off, and you spend your nights thinking about what you have to pay, what happened today, and what’s going to happen tomorrow.
It happens to many of us, and many people try to shrug it off and hope to be able to ignore it eventually. But some people just can’t – and that’s where a worry journal comes in.
Before bed, spend five minutes each evening and write down everything you can think of that’s on your mind. Then, as you’re lying down, push it away – it’s in your journal, it’s there, and there’s nothing you can do right now. Save it until tomorrow.
6. Can’t Sleep…
Do you find yourself laying in bed for an hour, two hours… maybe three, before you finally sleep? It’s hard, and it’s not a comfortable thing to be able to feel.
If you lay awake for more than forty minutes, get up and do something boring in dim light – consider reading a book on the couch, building with Legos, or something else entirely. It is nothing so intense that it will keep your attention for hours, but it is something to do until you’re tired enough to sleep.
7. Turkey
Another excellent food that is so conducive to sleeping is terrific – turkey has the same amino acid as milk, and it can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
But the problem is that turkey is often heavy – and digesting that sort of heavy food will disrupt your sleep. Instead, try half a turkey and cheese sandwich on a piece of bread about an hour before you sleep!
8. Brush Your Teeth
Sound odd? Sometimes the little things keep us up at night, so consider brushing your teeth, flossing, and washing your face. Your skin and teeth will both thank you; if you do it each night, it will become a routine.
9. Bath time
Did you know that taking a bath heats your body and signals that you’re ready to go to sleep to your body’s workings? Start a relaxing routine of lying in a hot bath and reading to dim lightly – candles work well.
Don’t be afraid to do it, even if you’re a man… you can never be too masculine to relax!
10. Meditate
No, I’m not talking about crossing your legs and humming until your hair drops or your skin turns green. That’s not what meditation is all about, especially for the average person.
Lay still, close your eyes, and focus on one thought, one image, one desire – just put everything into that, and let your body go. Let your limbs go, your torso… just let everything be, and focus on one thought. Sound odd? Maybe – but it’s important if you’re trying to sleep properly.
Bonus Quick Fix – Count Breaths
This works for some people who need to calm themselves down after getting upset and having a panic attack or asthma attack. They focus on their breathing, and it’s said to help.
Take deliberate, slow breaths – one, two, three, in, one, two, three, out – and pay attention to them. Push your thoughts away, and focus.
