Since you are reading this now I will consider it safe to assume that you are a human being. And since you are a human being, you need sleep. Depending on your age, you need between seven and nine hours of sleep daily to properly function. Unfortunately for many of us, getting the right amount of sleep can be difficult.
The modern stress of our daily lives and the routines that we maintain put a lot of pressure on our feeble human bodies, which is ok. With a little bit of nourishment and some good rest, we recover pretty quickly. However, this same daily routine and many of our decisions also put a lot of pressure on our mindset.
This can cause major issues, because while our bodies are shut down when we sleep, our minds can still cause issues that prevent us from fully relaxing during sleep or even from falling asleep in the first place.
So, what are the solutions to our little (or not-so-little) sleep issues?
Some people reach for over the counter sleep medication. This method can be effective because it knocks us out and helps up fall asleep with ease. But the chemicals associated with sleep medication can also have nasty side effects which can do serious harm to your body.
That’s not the only problem with using sleeping pills regularly to fall asleep: it’s not easy to get up right away. What if you need to wake up for an emergency, but you are under an effect of sleep medication?
What if this emergency puts you into a situation where you have to drive?
If you are under the effect of medical sleep aids, then this could be a big risk and cause major problems.
Natural Sleep Aids Solutions
It is for this exact reason that many prefer to find more natural methods to help themselves fall asleep and stay asleep for the desired amount of time.
There are a few things you can try that are natural and can be very effective, so don’t jump to any rash decisions. Try some of these solutions first and see if they can help you out.
1. Lighting
The right lighting can help you fall asleep and stay asleep longer. The invention of the light bulb was an excellent time for humanity, but it actually did some harm to the human species. It created an environment where the level of darkness isn’t as deep during the night because of ambient light and street light.
At the same time, we managed to move create jobs and work environments that require us to stay in offices and buildings for most of our daylight hours. As an end result, we aren’t getting as much light during the day and are getting too much light at night. This can cause some problems for our body, which manifest as a lack of sleep.
This is due to the levels of melatonin in our bodies, which vary depending on levels of contrasting light you get during the day.
Melatonin helps your body regulate your sleep cycles, so if the production of melatonin is out of balance, you can end up messing up your sleep cycles as well.
To correct this, the absolute best thing you can do is to make sure that throughout the night your room is as dark as possible. When you are out and about during the daytime, make sure that your environment is well lit and bright.
If you need an alternative method to adjust your melatonin levels, you can actually purchase natural melatonin supplements which will help to replace the melatonin that your body is unable to create on its own.
This is especially helpful for those of us who cannot make adjustments to the levels of light we are in contact with, such as those who work at night or who live in locations where there is little daylight for longer than average periods of time.
2. No More Naps
It may seem counterintuitive, but napping can have a bad effect on your sleep cycle. You might have heard that short naps can help you correct your sleep cycle and relieve insomnia. While some of the research does lead to evidence that this is indeed true, it has also been proven that naps during the day can disrupt the sleep cycle severely.
This causes issues like frequently waking up at night or not being able to fall asleep. It has been determined that the best amount of time to nap is about twenty minutes or so.
A longer nap can result in cycle irregularities. It is best not to take naps at all, but if you are struggling to stay awake these shorter naps should be sufficient to get yourself revitalized.
3. Get 8 Hours
The perfect amount of sleep for adults is eight hours, but A people frequently misunderstand this metric. Many people think that eight hours of sleep means spending eight hours in bed, and this just isn’t true.
You actually need to be asleep the full eight hours. Watching TV or staring at a computer screen doesn’t count as rest. You need turn off the screen, put down your phone, and actually go to sleep. This may require adjusting your schedule, and if so you will need to move things around so that you are getting the full eight hours your body needs.
This might mean you have to go to sleep earlier or wake up later. It doesn’t really matter which way you choose to adjust your schedule. All that matters is that you are getting eight consecutive hours of sleep without interruption.
4. Exercise Matters
Getting the right amount of exercise is also vital for proper sleep. Believe it or not, exercise can greatly help you to fall asleep and can affect how deep of a sleep you experience. There has been a large amount of research performed which determines that people slept much better if they exercised vigorously for at least 35 minutes that same day.
The time the exercise occurred didn’t matter as long as it was during the same day. So get some extra exercise in for a few days, and you may find that it helps you with your sleep trouble.
5. Check the Temperature
The regulation of your body’s temperature has a huge effect on your sleep cycle. It has been determined that your body’s temperature is lowest about four hours after you fall asleep. This means that cooler bedrooms are naturally better for falling asleep because they follow your body’s natural temperature drop.
Taking a hot bath before going to sleep is a fantastic way to assist in your body’s natural temperature cycle, as well. As soon as you get out of the bath your body temperature drops, signaling that it’s time for sleep.
If you aren’t accustomed to taking baths before bed, we suggest you regulate the temperature of your bedroom anywhere between 54 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on your normal climate preferences. Anything lower or higher will create disruptions in your sleep cycle.
We hope that these natural sleep aid tips will help you get a good night’s sleep. Try to incorporate some of the different ideas together or follow all of them to get the best results. Give it a shot and we are sure these practices will lead to a better sleep.
