48 Sleep Life Hacks – How to Get the Best Sleep Every Night

Many people find that getting a restful night’s sleep has become a luxury they can no longer afford in today’s fast-paced and chaotic society. 

It is impossible to emphasise the significance of getting enough quality sleep since it is necessary for our physical health, mental well-being, and overall productivity. 

However, obtaining the elusive condition of deep sleep may sometimes seem like an uphill fight. Nevertheless, the goal is worth the effort. 

Because of this, we have put together a thorough list of 48 different sleep life hacks to assist you in having the finest possible sleep every night. 

Whether you have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or just want to optimise your sleep routine, the following practical suggestions and tactics are meant to modify your sleep patterns and enhance the quality of your rest. 

They can help you whether you struggle with falling asleep, staying asleep, or simply want to optimise your sleep routine. 

As we continue our journey into sleep hacks, you should be ready to say goodbye to sleepless nights and welcome the opportunity to have a revitalising night’s sleep. Sweet dreams await!

Part 1. Sleep Schedules

1: Wake Up at The Same Time Every Day

While getting a late start on the weekend could make you feel better rested, the benefits are typically just fleeting. Furthermore, when it’s time for bed, this strategy can backfire.

Thus, our bodies have a circadian rhythm or internal 24-hour clock that controls when we’re sleepy and awake. The cycle of daylight and night on Earth is the foundation for this internal clock. 

Therefore, we are more likely to feel alert in the daytime, and when it is dark, our bodies transmit signals and produce melatonin to signal that it is time for bed.

It is more challenging to fall asleep at night when you sleep in on the day off since your internal clock is thrown off. Because of it, we sleep for fewer hours, which means the cycle of lack of sleep continues when your alarm goes off the following morning. 

This can raise the risk of health issues like type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease.

To find a solution, set your alarm for the same time daily, including weekends. Even though getting up early on your day off could be difficult, you’ll start feeling more rested after a few weeks of using this nighttime trick.

2. Learn More About Sleep Cycles

The average human sleep cycle lasts 90 minutes. These cycles contain four phases, three of which are non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep stages and one of which is REM sleep.

A complete sleep cycle has the following stages:

• Stage 1 – Light Sleep
• Stage 2 – Light Sleep
• Stage 3 – Deep Sleep
• Stage 4 – REM/dreaming.

The secret to using this sleep cycle trick is remembering that each sequence lasts 90 minutes. If you can arrange your bedtime such that you awaken after 90 minutes, you’ll feel more rested when your alarm goes off. 

This is since Stage 1 is the lightest stage at the beginning of a cycle; therefore, waking up from light sleep is simpler. On the other hand, you’ll feel sleepy if you awaken in the middle of a cycle.

Implementing this technique is most challenging for people with trouble falling asleep rapidly. 

You may not be able to wake up at the beginning of a new sleep cycle if it takes you a long time to fall asleep or you can’t dependably fall asleep within a specific duration.

3. Reduce Your Overall Sleep Need

What if we had more energy and could function with less sleep?

You might use two methods to reduce your daily sleep time by up to two hours without being tired.

a) Exercise to Increase Strength and Stamina

Your body gains strength and endurance via regular exercise more than three times each week. We can function at our best without using as much energy because our cardiovascular systems improve.

Exercise in the evening, at least 4 to before your usual bedtime, for the best results with this strategy. This enables the body to recover from its endorphin high and receive better-quality sleep at night, lowering the general demand for sleep.

b) Gradually Reduce the Number of Hours You Sleep

Slowly push back your bedtime or rise an hour or two each week. Imagine you wish to reduce your nightly sleep from eight hours to seven. Setting your alarm clock an hour earlier than usual won’t help, at least not over the long term.

Instead, use this trick in weekly bursts of 20 to 30 minutes. Go to bed thirty minutes later or set your alarm 30 minutes early during the first week. Keep reducing your sleep time by 60 to 90 minutes by the third week.

Although it is recommended that individuals receive more than nine hours of sleep every night, how refreshed you feel will depend more on the quality of your sleep than the amount.

4. Keep a Sleep Log

Tim Ferriss, a best-selling author of several books, including The 4-Hour Workweek and The 4-Hour Body, is the source of this advice. 

Tim records his daily activities in notebooks and logs, including what he eats, how he exercises, and even his blessings. He said that by doing this, he could identify the factors contributing to his success in each attempt.

For sleep logs, the same rule applies. You may start a record by creating a custom spreadsheet-based sleep diary or purchasing one of several pre-made sleep diaries. 

It is ultimately up to you the factors you want to monitor. Still, these are some suggestions to get you started:

• When you went to sleep
• Length of time needed to fall asleep
• Whether you got out of bed or woke up in the middle of the night, the time you woke up
• How often do you snooze your alarm in the morning?
• If you napped that day, how long did it last?
• Whether you drank alcohol or caffeine
• If you worked out
• Your diet
• A score indicating how well you slept that night
• An evaluation of your morning mood
• Whether you were comfy that night or felt hot or chilly.

After recording many of these variables over time, you could discover trends regarding getting better sleep when you exercise or poorer sleep when you consume particular meals.

5. Explore Polyphasic Sleep

Sleeping in segments or various blocks instead of all at once is known as polyphasic sleep. In contrast, monophasic sleep occurs when you only sleep once a day. 

Most of us practice monophasic sleep, in which we only get any rest when we go to bed at night and get up in the morning.

Being a biphasic sleeper—sleeping twice daily—is typical in several nations. We’ve all heard of the afternoon naps (siestas) popular in Latin American countries. 

It’s becoming more and more typical for forward-thinking American businesses to offer nap rooms where staff members may go whenever they need to recharge during the workday.

One of two standard structures exists for polyphasic sleep:

• You take a 20-minute nap every four hours, giving you two hours of sleep each day.
• In addition to three discrete 20-minute rests during the day, you get three hours of “core sleep” at night.

While momentarily adding additional time to your day might be a benefit of this polyphasic sleeping pattern, it is not advised for long-term use.

The first effect is that it leads to a sleep shortage, which, if it persists, puts the body in danger of long-term health effects. 

Second, you must follow it for the timetable to be effective. If your days aren’t flexible, you’ll undoubtedly encounter obstacles that will cause your schedule to change.

You’ll function better on a biphasic schedule when you take one nap during the day.

6. Explore the 28-Hour Day Concept.

Consider the idea of a 6-day week with 28 hours in a day rather than adhering to a 7-day week with 24 hours each day like the rest of the world. 

You can no longer reliably rely on outside variables like light and darkness to trigger your body when it’s time to sleep since the 28-hour idea advances your clock.

The benefit of this routine is that it prevents you from falling asleep too late or missing out on weekend activities. 

The drawback is that your daily schedule will be entirely disrupted. If you have a 9 to 5 job, you might need help to work out a different timetable with your supervisor.

Part 2: Sleep Environment

7. Sleep in a Dark Environment

Due to the connection between our circadian cycles and the outside world, any light in the bedroom might disturb us and lower the quality of our sleep.

Our bodies depend on the melatonin and serotonin our pineal gland produces to help us sleep peacefully. Because of its pinecone-like structure and location in the middle of our brains, the pineal gland goes by the moniker of the pineal gland.

The LEDs from alarm clocks and laptops, as well as the illumination from your phone or television, can all cause this gland to become sensitive. 

You can slow down melatonin synthesis by exposure to light, including turning on a light at night to use the restroom. Therefore, attempt to do your business in the dark if you must get up in the middle of the night to use the restroom.

If you can’t turn off all the lights in your bedroom, consider covering your eyes with a sleeping mask to filter out artificial light.

8. Sleep in a Colder Room

It could be healthier to sleep as nature intended. We did not benefit from central heating when we first evolved as humans. 

Additionally, the natural tendency of our body temperature to decrease at night and the outdoor temperature are biological signs indicating it is time for sleep. We lose our natural equilibrium if we keep our bedrooms heated.

It is preferable to keep our sleeping environment chilly to simulate how we would sleep in nature and encourage this preferable ese biological sleeping cues. A word of advice: avoid sleeping in a too chilly room since being too cold might also prevent you from getting enough rest.

For adults, 66–70 degrees Fahrenheit; older individuals, 65–70 degrees; and infants and toddlers, 60–72 degrees Fahrenheit are the ideal sleeping temperatures.

9. Eliminate Noise

Although it may seem obvious, even the smallest amount of noise can wake you up from a restful sleep and reduce the effectiveness of your time for rest and recovery. 

Street noise, loud neighbours, and snoring partners might keep you awake at night or make it difficult to fall asleep.

We suggest two strategies for reducing noise.

• sound-cancelling earphones
• Look for lightweight, comfortable noise-cancelling headphones to get a good night’s sleep. 
• plugs for the ears

This is a low-tech but more economical alternative if you only want to drown out the noise.

10. Listen to Calming Music Before Bed

Powerful music exists — a good song can transport us to another place and time, elicit strong feelings, and even trigger our sense of smell through triggering memories. 

By lowering tension and anxiety, listening to calming music before bed may improve your ability to sleep and have a good night’s sleep. Additionally, over time, listening to soothing music might train your body that it is time to sleep, accelerating the process of falling asleep.

11. Try a White Noise Machine

The best way to handle a situation is to make it noisier rather than attempting to make it quieter. This is possible using a white noise generator, which sends sound waves with a range of frequencies to lull a person to sleep. 

The whooshing white noise, similar to the calming noises that parents offer their newborns, conceals and drowns out the sounds of your environment.

12. Paint Your Bedroom in Tranquil Colors

Did you realise that your bedroom’s colour might affect how well you sleep? According to research3, blue is the most tranquil hue, which promotes relaxation and better sleep.

Additionally, earth tones and soft variations of green, white, yellow,  and beige may aid in sleep promotion.

Don’t give in to the urge to paint your bedroom in loud, vibrant hues. While vibrant hues like red might boost a room’s enthusiasm, they are detrimental to falling asleep.

13. Try Aromatherapy

The olfactory nerve4 triggers our sense of smell and transmits information to the brain. These messages can cause either a reaction from our autonomic nervous system, which promotes relaxation and calmness or from the autonomous nervous system (flight or fight).

Essential oils offer several advantages, and when used in aromatherapy, they may be effective sleep aids that keep you peaceful all through the night. 

Lavender is the most often used essential oil for sleep. Blood pressure, pulse rate, and body temperature are all reduced by lavender aromatherapy oil, which soothes the nervous system. Additionally, it induces a more relaxed condition in brain waves.

Part 3: Diet and Nutrition

14. Eat Breakfast Every Morning

Mealtime provides a similar purpose to light and darkness in that it serves as an environmental cue to indicate when it is time to wake up and when it is time to relax.

The food-entrainable clock built into our bodies is straightforwardly connected to our sleep clock. It’s best to have breakfast as soon as you awaken since it should be the largest meal of the day to keep this clock on schedule. 

Having a filling breakfast sends a message to our body that we have enough energy to go through the day. But when it’s time to wind down at night, you should avoid heavy meals.

Cortisol levels are regulated by eating breakfast as well. The stress hormone cortisol can keep us awake and interfere with our ability to fall asleep if we have too much of it.

15. Keep Your Cortisol in Check

We get energy from the stress hormone cortisol throughout the day. This hormone, which aids in waking and getting us going, should peak in the morning. It should progressively drop during the day and reach a low point in the early evening when it’s time for bed.

Melatonin and cortisol are inversely correlated, meaning melatonin levels fall when cortisol levels rise and vice versa. We require melatonin to fall asleep. Thus if cortisol production is constant throughout the day, we won’t be able to do so at night.

A stressful day will result in an excessive amount of cortisol being produced. Chronic stress, disputes, and deadline pressure all cause higher cortisol levels. What you can do to maintain a healthy cortisol level is as follows:

• Exercise in a modest manner.
• Be more conscious of your thoughts, and try to think less negatively and stressfully.
• Try yoga, massage, and deep breathing as methods of relaxation.
• Increase your happiness-inducing activities, mainly an enjoyable hobby.
• Spend time with the people you love and maintain good connections.
• Think about getting a pet. Having an animal friend is believed to reduce stress.
• Be mindful of your nutrition and look for dark chocolate, pears, bananas,  probiotics, green tea, and water that lower cortisol levels.
• Consider taking vitamins like ashwagandha and fish oil.

16. Avoid Caffeine and Alcohol in the Evening.

Because coffee is a stimulant and will make it harder for you to fall asleep, avoiding it is wise. You can use caffeine in the morning, but you should consume it within six hours of going to bed.

Even while alcohol can induce sleep and help you sleep more quickly, it is still best to avoid it before bed. Alcohol might lead to more disturbed sleep and less REM sleep6 or, if you already have sleep apnea, increase its symptoms.

*Interrupting or diminishing REM sleep can make you dizzy the next day and keep you from waking up feeling refreshed.

17. Eat Light Food Before Sleep.

A huge meal before bedtime accelerates digestion and interferes with restful sleep. Food processing requires a lot of energy since our body diverts blood flow from the brain to the digestive tract. 

A shortage of blood supply to the brain implies it has less power for sleep since the brain regulates the sleep cycle.

Eating much before bedtime can also lead to heartburn, acid reflux,  and choking. Additionally, you are more likely to feel uncomfortable and overstuffed if you consume a huge meal soon before bed.

18. Avoid Snacks Before Bed

Even though most sleep specialists recommend avoiding eating in the hours before going to bed, being hungry will not make falling asleep or staying asleep any simpler. Something light yet filling may keep you full throughout the night. 

It is far more likely that items that are strong in carbs, such as a bowl of cereal, a tiny muffin, or a piece of toast, will cause an increase in the amount of tryptophan in the blood. Tryptophan 7 is an amino acid known to make people feel fatigued.

If you eat anything before retiring for the night, you should steer clear of caffeinated beverages, chocolate, soda, coffee, and caffeine.

19. Eat Healthy, Whole, and Unprocessed Food.

Digesting food takes a lot of blood and energy and takes attention away from thinking. 

Raw and natural meals are easier on the body’s energy reserves than processed, cooked, and animal products. This is due to the additional effort required by the body to recognise and digest processed foods.

Raw foods need less work in the digestive and absorption processes. Some examples of nutritious raw foods are cherries, raw almonds, guava, kelp, leafy greens, and seeds like sesame, sunflower, and pumpkin.

20. Avoid Drinking Too Much Water in the Evening

If you want to avoid getting up in the middle of your sleep to use the bathroom, you should avoid drinking too much water just before bed. But enough water intake is critical for various bodily processes, including restful sleep; the question becomes where to draw the line.

Keep yourself hydrated during the day, but don’t drink anything, even water, in the hours leading up to bedtime.

Part 4: Napping

21. Limit Your Nap Time

When timed properly, sleep may restore energy and focus. Naps are not for you if you have trouble sleeping at night. Sleep specialists warn that naps may make insomnia even more challenging to manage.

Those who like napping may find advice to help them get the most out of their naps without sacrificing their overnight rest. 

Your first step is to cut your nap time to 25 or 30 minutes. In the Ifdn’t get enough shut-eye the night before and might need a little boost, a power nap is the way to go. If you go over that time, you can feel sluggish and have trouble falling asleep.

Additionally, try to avoid napping after 4 p.m. A little nap when you get home from work may seem like a good idea, but it will make it harder for you to fall asleep later. A stroll in the fresh air might help shake off that additional grogginess. 

Thanks to the energising effect of a little time outside, you don’t need to sleep after all.

22. Try a Coffee Nap.

Only dismiss something as illogical once you’ve given it a go.

Before you lie down to sleep, you should have a cup of coffee. You plan to take a 20-minute snooze after drinking the coffee. 

It does because coffee takes 20 to 30 minutes to affect your blood pressure. Thus, by waking up from your slumber, you will have already experienced some of caffeine’s stimulating effects. The caffeine in your coffee will help you feel more awake and alert when opening your eyes in the morning.

Stay under 30 minutes of sleep time if you take this advice. If you know you’ll fall asleep quickly, set an alarm. Remember that you may feel sluggish and confused if you wake up amid a sleep cycle.

23. Meditation Nap

You may think of a meditation nap as a wink in which you don’t truly fall asleep. Even though you are awake after taking one of these naps, you will feel revitalised and stimulated, just like you would after a typical sleep. 

You may find guided meditation naps on YouTube, or you can practice a meditation nap on your own without the assistance of a guide.

Find somewhere comfy to sit or lay down, and do one of the two. Get your thoughts out of your head, loosen up your muscles, and focus on taking calm, even breaths. After around 15 to 20 minutes, you could discover that you feel as rejuvenated as if you had been sleeping.

Part 5: Bedding and Accessories

24. Sleep on a Good Quality Mattress

You probably already know that having a high-quality mattress is crucial. Allergies, sweat, and back discomfort are just a few examples of how an improper mattress may disrupt your night’s rest. 

It may be time to upgrade if you can relate to these complaints.

The quality of a mattress is very subjective, and the price tag does not always indicate the quality of a bed. Some may prefer a firm, hard mattress, while others may prefer a softer, plusher one. 

Most mattresses are of medium firmness; however, softer and firmer choices are also available. Your body type and preferred sleeping position will determine your ideal texture.

Having high-quality linens is another important factor for a restful night’s sleep. Finding the perfect sheets for you depends on several things. 

Sheets constructed from breathable, moisture-wicking materials are ideal for hot sleepers since they help to regulate body temperature as you sleep. 

25. Use an Appropriate Pillow

Finding a great pillow is like finding a great mattress or any other piece of bedding; it’s all about what works best for you. To get the best night’s sleep possible, follow some general guidelines when choosing a pillow.

A cushion that conforms to the shape of a person’s spine is ideal for those who like to sleep on their backs. This pillow will have a moderate height and depth but will still provide enough support to the upper body. Try placing a cushion between your knees to alleviate pressure off your spine.

Thicker pillows are recommended for side sleepers to keep the spine’s natural curve as they rest. A firm cushion between the knees is another method for maintaining spinal neutrality.

Stomach sleepers should use a flat pillow to relieve pressure on the spine and neck. Don’t use a pillow with a high loft if you’re a stomach sleeper. If your lower back tends to arch when you sleep, try placing a second (flat) pillow beneath your stomach or pelvis.

26. Consider a Cooling/Heating Mattress Pad

One may compare a cooling bed pad to a thermostat for the bed. Some can be heated on one side and cooled on the other.

With the touch of a button, these pads can keep you comfortably chilly or warm throughout the night. 

Couples may find that two separate pads work best for them. When did you last feel hot or chilly while your spouse felt the opposite? 

You may independently adjust a temperature preference for one partner on a dual pad. This stops the disagreement and keeps you from being woken up by their restless tossing and turning while they whine about the heat.

Investing in a mattress pad is another great way to save costs. Consider how you normally deal with a bedroom that is either too hot or too cold: by turning on the air conditioning or the heating system. 

A cooling or heated mattress pad might help you get a good night’s sleep without breaking the bank.

Part 6: Sleep Technology and Gadgets

27. Use Sleep Trackers

You may use a sleep tracker to monitor how long and well you snooze each night. Most trackers achieve this by monitoring your activity levels as you sleep to determine how long you spend in bed. More sophisticated trackers may also record physiological data like body temperature and respiration.

These gadgets monitor your sleeping habits and provide insightful statistics to help you learn from your sleep habits and make improvements. Some even include training courses and calming lighting and noises to assist you in going to sleep and staying asleep.

Hack 2 describes how to use a sleep tracker to wake up after a sleep cycle without needing to set the alarm or calculate your sleep cycles in advance.

The Fitbit is one example of a wearable sleep tracker, whereas bed-based trackers typically have a sensor that goes beneath your mattress or sheet. The cost of wearable sleep trackers is often higher, but these devices also monitor your steps, heart rate, and other daily activities.

28. Use a Sleep Mask

Wearing a sleep mask is the most effective approach to guarantee that you will sleep in complete darkness. Even if it’s only the LED on your alarm clock, having any kind of light in the room may make it difficult to fall or stay asleep, and it can even impede the creation of melatonin, which is essential for having a healthy nighttime routine.

Sleep masks, also known as eye masks, can effectively prevent any light from entering the wearer’s eyes. When shopping for one, you should search for a mask that does not let any light in — an important feature to look for. 

You don’t want anything that feels heavy, tight, or confining while it’s on your face, so comfort is another factor to consider. There is also the possibility of selecting a sleep mask that you may adjust may be adjusted to provide a more customised fit.

The fabric of the sleep mask is yet another aspect to consider. Cotton and silk are two natural fibres that you can use to make face masks. If you have acne-prone or easily irritated skin, you should look for a mask comprising one of these natural fibres.

29. Use Noise-Canceling Headphones

Specific individuals prefer not to have anything inserted into their ears while sleeping. For those who sleep on their sides, for example, the earphones’ protrusion may be a source of discomfort. 

Because of this, we also propose headphones made of cloth that may be worn as a headband when they are wrapped around your head. The only drawback to the headphones made of cloth is that after prolonged use; your ears may start to feel warm. 

30. Use a Journal.

Keeping a notebook is a fantastic strategy to change your perspective and concentrate on daily thankfulness activities. The following are a few instances of daily journaling practices.

• You write in a notebook twice every day. Just after waking up and once again just before going to bed.
• You start your day by writing down three things you are thankful for, three actions that would make the day fantastic, and an affirmation that would make you feel good.
• You provide three fantastic things that occurred throughout the day and suggest how you may have improved it in the evening.

This works so effectively because it enables you to begin each day on a constructive note and keeps you motivated toward turning each day into a wonderful experience. 

Then, before you go to sleep, you reflect on your day and put your attention on the positive aspects of it.

You also have the opportunity to think about what you accomplished each day and how you may have done things better. You adopt a proactive and optimistic attitude rather than brooding over your difficulties and conflicts. 

When you finally lay your weary head on the pillow at night, the mental clutter of the day is gone, and the tensions of the day have been relieved.

31. Use Bright Light Therapy

While bright light therapy is often used in the winter to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), you may also use it as a year-round sleep hack.

Here’s why it helps: natural light from the sun helps regulate our internal clock, but exposure to artificial light and the shorter days of winter might throw us off. We lose energy and sleep quality as a result of this. Therapeutic light boxes are designed to mimic natural sunshine by emitting a broad spectrum of light.

Therapeutic light boxes are most effective for 30 minutes to 1-hour at your workplace first thing in the morning. Your circadian rhythm will become more stable after exposure to this natural light, improving the quality of your daytime alertness, mood, and, eventually, your sleep.

32. Use a Bright Light Alarm

If the buzzing of a buzzer or the blaring of frenzied music tracks does not appeal to you as a means of waking up in the morning, we suggest using a bright light alarm instead. This is an alarm that, instead of waking you up with the sound, uses light to jolt you up in the morning gently.

This gadget wakes you up with a simulation of the sun rising, but if you get up before dawn (or at another dark time), you may find that the bright light alarm is more helpful. The brightness of the light rises steadily until it completely illuminates the space you are in.

33. Use Meditation Apps

These days, there is an app for almost anything, and for those interested in practising meditation, there are many options. Apps that provide guided meditation might be helpful if you are new to meditation and find the practice challenging.

The alleviation of stress and worry, two prominent causes of sleeplessness, can be achieved via meditation. This ritual may be performed first thing in the morning, before bed, or at any other convenient time for the practitioner. 

However, if you’re looking for a way to wind down at the end of the day, meditation before going to bed is the most helpful thing for you to do.

Part 7: Sleep and Lifestyle Habits

34. Quit Smoking

Cigarette smoking is a certain way to stay up all night long because of the stimulating properties of nicotine. Your ability to sleep may be negatively impacted if you smoke in the hours leading up to tonight. 

People who smoke have an increased risk of developing sleep apnea and waking up often during the night.

The quality of sleep that nonsmokers enjoy is superior to that of nonsmokers; thus, if you are a smoker and need better sleep, you should consider giving up this habit.

35. Avoid Stress in the Evening

Generally, stress makes it harder to fall asleep. After all, it’s tough to unwind and forget about the world when your mind continuously races with concerns about your day. 

Nighttime tension is particularly problematic since it prevents you from relaxing and preparing for sleep.

Take some time in the evening to distract yourself from your hectic day. Among the many options include engaging in a favourite pastime, visiting with loved ones, and walking the dog or cat. Consider the situations that cause you stress and do everything possible to prevent them. 

If you typically check your email before bedtime, consider attempting a cold turkey approach to determine if it improves your situation.

Planning the following day’s activities is a common source of anxiety in the evenings. It might range from anything inconsequential as what to wear to work to something as weighty as a looming presentation or meeting. 

The best way to deal with these pressures is to care for them before bed. Use Hack 30’s diary recommendation to help you wrap up the day and get ready for the next one, and plan the following day’s activities as thoroughly as possible the night before.

36. Avoid Reading Right Before Bed

Since many individuals find that reading before bed helps them relax and drift off, this may surprise them. 

On the other hand, if you choose an interesting book, you may find yourself saying, “Just one more chapter!” It’s easy to lose track of time and awake for an hour or more when you should have been sleeping.

Reading a book or magazine before bed may prevent you from falling asleep immediately. You’ll need to use some kind of artificial lighting if you want to read here. The sleep-inducing hormone melatonin is delayed, which might compromise the quality of your slumber.

However, you should keep up the practice if you discover that reading before bed helps you relax and get a better night’s rest.

37. Avoid Movies and Intense TV shows Before Bed

Watching TV before bed creates artificial light, which may disrupt your circadian cycle like reading light does. 

More so than any other kind of artificial sleep, the blue light emitted by electronic devices like TVs, laptops, and cell phones has been shown to decrease melatonin synthesis.

Also, practically anything can now be seen instantly at the tap of a finger, thanks to on-demand, streaming television and movies. 

It’s easy to be drawn into a marathon viewing session, even when you know you must be at work in three hours. 

If you like viewing shows or movies late at night, try to schedule them for earlier in the evening.

38. Exercise Regularly and Early in the Morning

Regular exercise has several positive effects on our health, including enhancing the quality of our sleep each night. Three-to-four times-weekly exercisers had healthier hearts, lower resting heart rates, and more stable blood pressure. 

Stress relief, problem diversion, and exercise-induced movement significantly improve sleep quality.

While it’s true that exercise raises cortisol levels briefly, this elevation is short-lived and returns to normal levels within a few hours. 

It is best to get our workouts first thing in the morning, at lunch, or in the afternoon to prevent excess cortisol at bedtime.

39. Do not Exercise at Least Two Hours Before bed.

Your body needs time to flush out the extra cortisol produced during exercise, and if you do that too close tonight, you won’t get it. 

Therefore, it is recommended that you plan your physical activity for the morning. Work out at least two hours before bedtime if you like to do it after work.

This is crucial for several reasons, not the least of which is the need to refuel the body with food after physical activity. The same logic leading us to eat too close to night suggests that we shouldn’t exercise too close to bedtime. 

You may skip a meal after exercise, but then you can become hungry in the middle of the night and lose sleep.

40. Meditate Before Going to Bed.

Your mind will be better prepared for sleep since it will relieve the day’s tension. 

You should choose a spot to sit at ease for fifteen minutes to one hour. You may use guided meditation by downloading apps or watching videos on YouTube. Another choice is to listen to music that helps one relax or do nothing.

You can do whatever makes you feel comfortable if it allows you to clear your thoughts and prevents you from thinking. 

41: Avoid Snoozing Your Alarm

No matter how often you hit the snooze button, whether, for 9 minutes or an hour, you won’t get any more peaceful sleep. You may even feel exhausted in the morning than before bed.

The alarm clock tricks the body into thinking it’s time to get up every time it goes off. When you push the snooze button, you tell your body the alarm is bogus, so it never learns to anticipate it. Every time the alarm goes off, you feel more dizzy than the last. 

You may train yourself not to avoid hitting the snooze button by placing your alarm clock or smartphone across the room from where you normally sleep. The apparent issue with this strategy is that you can just stroll over to your bed and get back in. 

If this describes you, you’ll need to reprogram your brain to stop wanting to hit the snooze button. 

The following advice may assist you in conquering your sleepiness.

Follow these steps:

• In the afternoon, lie down and set your alarm for five minutes.
• Do not fall asleep! Just unwind by lying in bed.
• Get up when the alarm goes off and continue your day.
• Do not hit the snooze button or go back into bed.
• Do this as frequently as possible, once or many times a day (spaced apart). After doing it a few dozen times, you will be an expert with a brand-new beneficial routine.

Part 8: Psychology

42: Use Your Internal Alarm Clock

We all have had to get up early at one point or another. It may have been for anything as mundane as an interview or as important as a flight.

The consequences will be severe if you repeatedly ignore your alert. What are your next steps?

You utilise many alarm clocks and maybe even subscribe to a professional wake-up service.

You set many alarms, yet you wake up five minutes early every morning. How did you manage that?

The stress chemicals ACTH and cortisol trigger our internal alarm clocks. Because of all the pressure we’re under, our brain sends a signal to our pituitary gland and adrenal cortex to release a flood of adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol to get up and going when it’s time.

This is not the best way to spend our lives or one you can maintain indefinitely. You may not need an alarm clock if you use this method.

You accomplish this by mentally preparing yourself for sleep before turning in for the night. Picture yourself waking up refreshed and on time at the time you’ve set, then check the time on your clock or smartphone. 

Using your circadian rhythm might serve as a somewhat different internal alarm clock.

Free-running sleep is achieved by doing the following:

• When tired, get some sleep.
• Without using an alarm, get out of bed.

This is how most people slept before the invention of alarm clocks. Our circadian-rhythm-based biological alarm clocks woke us up when it became enough light outside. Our biological clocks urge us to turn in for the night when the sun goes down.

This is the most reliable way to control your sleep pattern and wake up at your preferred time.

The only catch with this method is that it won’t work if your internal alarm clock isn’t synced with your external obligations, such as an early morning job or school. However, it may be worthwhile to try while on vacation to see whether you can keep up with it.

43: Write Down a To-Do list for Tomorrow.

You have a million things to accomplish tomorrow if you’re busy (and who isn’t?). Do you ever toss and turn at night, mentally ticking off your to-do list for the following day? Do you stress out that you’ll forget anything important?

You won’t be able to sleep because of these things, and what’s even worse is that they’ll be the first things on your mind when you open your eyes in the morning. When this occurs, it’s easy to procrastinate getting out of bed by obsessing about how many things still need to be done.

The answer is straightforward:

Make a note of tomorrow’s tasks tonight. When everything for the following day is written down, it’s out of your thoughts, and you can relax.

To make your list you only need a notepad, calendar, or scrap of paper to make your list.

44: Set a Morning Reward.

You may use this trick by deciding on a reward for yourself if you follow your prescribed amount of sleep each night.

For instance, you may give yourself a treat every day that you wake up without hitting the snooze button. A few additional minutes in the shower or your go-to breakfast item might be all it takes.

This method may also be used as an incentive over an extended period. You may, for instance, congratulate yourself after doing a certain task. 

Pick a goal, choose a period you’re going to measure and reward yourself if you keep to your plan, whether it’s to go to bed by a specific hour, wake up without napping, or resist the impulse to watch television just before bed.

If you’re very motivated, you may even make yourself suffer the repercussions of failing to meet your daily target. 

45: Focus on Small Wins in the Morning

Our cognitive powers and willpower are at their lowest first thing in the morning when we’re still sleepy and foggy. 

Setting the tone for the day is crucial to celebrate the little victories that add to a happier, healthier, better-rested you.

Celebrating even the little victories is important, like waking up to an ironed shirt, seeing a breathtaking sunrise, or getting through the morning commute with no red lights. 

It will significantly impact your ability to relax and fall asleep.

46: Maintain a Positive Attitude Toward Other People and Life.

The power of optimismPositivity’s transformative potential is essential to improving our dispositions and contentment. We require less time in bed and have higher sleep quality when feeling upbeat.

You may have gone on many job interviews without receiving an offer for the position you wanted. Think at it this way: the employer did you a favour by not employing you since there’s something better out there, so why dwell on the fact that you didn’t get the job?

You may have a happier and more restful existence by looking on the bright side of things instead of dwelling on the bad.

47: Listen to Uplifting Music in the Morning

A morning that begins with blaring talk radio and beeping alarms isn’t exactly the most relaxing way to start the day. Music, on the other hand, may serve as an energising accompaniment to your daily wake-up ritual.

You’ll have the feeling that you’re on top of the world if you find music that you can wake up to that is inspiring and evokes pleasant connections and pictures.

48: Get Some Sunlight in the Morning

Exposure to the sun first thing in the morning is the most effective method for establishing and maintaining the rhythm of your body’s internal clock. 

When exposed to strong natural light, your body becomes aware that it is midday. This, in turn, prevents your body from creating melatonin while simultaneously priming it to create it once again later in the evening.

Another advantage of getting sun in the morning is that it may assist in treating depression. This is particularly true in the winter when fewer daylight hours are available for sunlight exposure. 

If you discover that you simply cannot obtain natural sunshine in the morning, whether it’s due to the time you get up or your location, consider utilising a therapeutic lightbox as an alternative in your home or workplace. This may help you enjoy the benefits of natural sunlight without leaving the house.

Simple Hacks to Fall Asleep in 30 Seconds, Backed by Science

Yawn. Snuggling up for a good night’s rest is easier said than done, and a wide range of individuals are fighting for their rightful place in sleep. 

Everyone wants a good night’s sleep, yet many of us toss and turn for hours after hitting the hay, unable to drift off.

It’s not always easy to get the quality shut-eye we need, so we’ve compiled a few of our tried-and-true sleep hacks to make it simpler for you to tuck yourself into bed. Without further ado, here are our top 10 easy sleep tricks…

1. Read A Book Before Bed

Dim the lights, go into bed, and read a decent book for a few minutes before you hit the hay. It doesn’t have to be anything profound; reading something dull or stale may be enough to send you to dreamland. 

Reading before bed may help you sleep better since it requires you to turn off technological devices to keep your mind active. 

If you’re having trouble nodding off, go for one of the novels on your nightstand. It might be the answer to our prayers.

2. Set A Formal Bedtime

If you have trouble falling asleep quickly, setting a firm bedtime (when you must go to bed each night) might be helpful. There are clear mental advantages to establishing a regular bedtime and physical ones. 

Like teaching a toddler to sleep through the night, establishing a regular bedtime cues your brain into knowing it’s time to start calming down and relaxing. 

Maintaining a consistent bedtime also aids in regulating your circadian cycle and adjusting your brain’s serotonin and melatonin levels. Everything you need to know and do to fall asleep in a flash is right here.

3. Eat A Healthier Diet

We’re sick of hearing everyone preach the benefits of eating better, and we think you probably are, too. However, if you allow us to convince you otherwise, changing your diet to improve your sleep can be worth it. 

Studies have shown that getting more magnesium, potassium, or other vital minerals from a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and pulses may impact sleep quality and the time it takes to fall asleep. 

Adding extra turkey to your diet, which is high in the sleep-inducing amino acid tryptophan, may help you transition from being awake to asleep.

4. Keep Your Room Cool

One the last advice we can provide is to keep your room as cold as possible, but not too chilly, to fall asleep more quickly. 

Numerous studies have shown that a person’s core body temperature lowers significantly just before they fall asleep, making it one of the most important factors in falling asleep quickly. 

Keeping your room at the best temperature is so crucial. 

The best action is to keep a fan or a window open to keep cold air moving. In the same way, getting out of a hot bath makes you feel drowsy due to your body’s temperature decrease, and then cuddle down. 

5. Practice Yoga Before Bed

A tiny bit of study says that engaging in some yoga might help calm your body and get you to sleep faster, so if you’re looking to try something a little less conventional, this could be the activity for you. 

Particular yoga sequences, such as “Salute to the Moon,” are intended to be slow, soft movements that encourage a sense of relaxation and which help ease any physiological pains that could keep you up at night. 

Regarding sleep hacks, yoga has long been recommended as an avenue worth pursuing; particular yoga sequences, such as “Salute to the Moon,” are supposed to be slow, soothing motions that promote sleep. 

Try yoga if you’re having trouble falling or staying asleep on a restless night. You’ll discover that it quickly relaxes you and puts you to sleep. Yoga receives a lot of attention because of the health advantages it offers.

6. Meditate

There’s an excellent reason for the spreading popularity of meditation across our cities and cultures; it may greatly assist anybody. 

Meditation, which is both age-old and cutting-edge, has been hailed as a panacea for various health problems, including insomnia. 

Slow, regular breathing has been shown to improve sleep quality, and meditation may help you cultivate this habit. The ujjayi breath (also known as the “ocean breath”) is designed to help you relax and fall asleep.

You’ll need helpful toolkits to make yourself more organised, focused, and enthusiastic. 

We can assist you in achieving whatever you want in life, whether it is more time or a sense of purpose. Simply take what you need!

7. Drink Some Warm Milk

It’s common for seemingly ridiculous old wives’ stories to contain an unexpected nugget of wisdom. The old wives’ tale that sipping warm milk before bed may help you drift off is an accurate and useful sleep trick. 

There is some controversy concerning the efficacy of tryptophan in promoting sleep, which might undermine the soporific reputation of warm milk and other milk-based drinks. 

Psychologists, however, have speculated that drinking warm milk may have a subconscious psychological impact, with roots in the reassuring act of nursing in infancy. 

If you want to drink anything before bed, but don’t want the usual alcoholic nightcap, try warm milk instead. In the morning, you’ll appreciate it for more reasons than one.

8. Cut Out The Caffeine

Eliminating caffeine use, one of the most widespread addictive substances available, is one of the most effective sleep hacks. 

Yes, every one of us is guilty of participating in at least a little bit of caffeine at some time in our lives, whether it be via the consumption of tea, coffee, or even chocolate. 

If, on the other hand, you want to ensure that you sleep as quickly as possible, you should strive to exclude caffeine from your diet after a specific time of the day. 

According to several studies, reducing or eliminating caffeine use after 3 p.m. may improve both the quality of sleep and the amount of time it takes to fall asleep. 

Therefore, if you are interested in trying anything that can assist you in falling asleep more practically, you might try giving up that cup of coffee you have in the evening and see what happens.

9. Turn Off The Electronics

This may be a problem regardless of how your bedroom is set up, but if you are looking for a fantastic sleep hack that you can rely on, purchasing a good pair of blackout curtains is always a good idea. 

Your neighbour’s backyard spotlight, the streetlamps outside, and everyone’s vehicle headlights shining in at 1 am are all examples of light pollution that may make it more difficult to have a good night’s sleep. As a result of all this additional light flowing in, your chances of falling asleep are negatively impacted. 

Your sleep will be deeper, more restful, and less likely to be disrupted if you use blackout curtains as a preventive step. This is because they completely block out light.

10. Invest In Some Blackout Curtains

This may be a problem regardless of how your bedroom is set up, but if you are looking for a fantastic sleep hack that you can rely on, purchasing a good pair of blackout curtains is always a good idea. 

Your neighbour’s backyard spotlight, the streetlamps outside, and everyone’s vehicle headlights shining in at 1 am are all examples of light pollution that may make it more difficult to have a good night’s sleep. 

As a result of all this additional light flowing in, your chances of falling asleep are negatively impacted. 

Your sleep will be deeper, more restful, and less likely to be disrupted if you use blackout curtains as a preventive step. This is because they completely block out light.

The 8 Golden Rules of Sleep

As part of its National Health Education Week coverage, HiDoc Pulse investigates why obtaining a good night’s rest seems impossible.

HiDoc Pulse demonstrates how you may readjust your life by adopting a healthier diet and manner of living. Get our app, and you may talk to a doctor in a specialised field as easily as making a phone call.

A minimum of eight hours of sleep every night is recommended for optimal health. A 2018 YouGov study found that an alarming 44 percent of Singaporean adults sleep less than seven hours every night. 41% of this population gets between four and six hours of sleep every night, while 3% gets under four.

The risks of developing cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes are all amplified by persistent sleep deprivation or poor sleep quality. 

Even neurological illnesses like Alzheimer’s might be a result. If you need a midnight Mars bar to keep you up, you’ll start a vicious cycle of staying up longer, nibbling more, and gaining weight.

Sometimes, not even eight hours of sleep will do the trick. However, sleep is just as important as food and drink because, during sleep, the brain commands an influx of cerebrospinal fluid to flow into it, flushing out the toxic waste proteins accumulated during the day. 

Like defragmenting a computer’s hard drive to improve performance, the brain categorises the information during the day into “Essential” and “Unimportant” categories.

HiDoc Pulse offers this helpful checklist of 8 Golden Rules to ensure a restful night and a refreshed day.

Develop a Sleeping Ritual

Making a series of actions into a routine increases the likelihood that those actions will be completed. A regular bedtime routine helps your body learn when to sleep. 

Stretching out, reading (a real book, not an electronic one), and practising breath meditation are excellent methods to wind down before sleep.

Keep to a Regular Sleeping Schedule

Regular bedtime helps you fall asleep more quickly and wake up refreshed because it keeps your circadian rhythm steady. 

The circadian rhythm controls the release of melatonin, the sleep hormone, and other essential physical and mental changes that prepare the body for sleep. 

If you don’t want to readjust your sleep schedule every Sunday night, it’s important to maintain a consistent bedtime routine throughout the week and on the weekends.

Avoid Spending More Than 20 Minutes Trying to Fall Asleep

If you have been tossing and turning in bed for twenty minutes, and it is in your best interest. The longer you remain in bed anxiously attempting to sleep, the more agitated you get, and the less likely you will have a restful night’s sleep. 

Take part in some low-key pursuits that don’t need modern devices. Clearing your mind off the ideas keeping you awake by reading a book, staring out the window, or meditating will help.

Avoid Too Many Stimuli in the Hour Right Before Bedtime

This includes limiting your exposure to loud sounds and blue light, which may cause your brain to get overloaded and keep it active late into the night. 

Because the light emitted by our electronic gadgets sends the brain the message that it is daylight, even though it is one in the morning, blue light is particularly damaging to the quality of sleep one gets.

Consequently, there is a cessation in the generation of the sleep hormone melatonin.

Keep Active During Your Waking Hours

During the day, engaging in physical activity helps burn off any surplus energy that can keep you from easily falling asleep at night. Keeping up with a consistent workout routine is another great way to improve the quality of your sleep. 

However, don’t go overboard. Due to the adrenaline produced, running 10 kilometres around your neighbourhood will help you lose weight, but it will also make you feel too energetic to go to bed because of how good it will make you feel. If you want to exercise before bed, try low-intensity yoga activities instead.

Avoid Overeating and Overdrinking During Dinner

In addition to feeling bloated and nauseated after a big supper, you may also find that you cannot normally sleep since your body works so hard to break down everything you have eaten. You may also have to get up in the middle of the night to use the restroom, which will further degrade the quality of your sleep. 

Because coffee contains caffeine, which can activate your nervous system, drinking coffee up to six hours before bed may impact your sleep quality. Even while alcohol might make you sleepy after only a few drinks, it can also prevent your body from producing the sleep hormone melatonin. 

Instead, try drinking a cup and a half of chamomile tea about an hour before bed. It has antioxidants, which help your brain encourage drowsiness and higher quality sleep. These antioxidants assist your brain in inducing sleepiness. 

Only Two Activities Are Allowed on the Bed: Sleep and Sex

Because your brain will begin to link the bedroom with activities other than sleep if you practice reading or watching television in bed, the bedroom must be used just for sleeping and having sexual relations.

 Conversely, you may teach your brain to wind down by reinforcing the relationship between your bedroom, slumber, or a good time.

Make Sure Your Bedroom Is Comfortable to Unwind for the Night

Pay attention to the room’s temperature, how well you can manage the ambient noise, and how well the lights can help you sleep. Your body needs to be cooled down to sleep, and maintaining a cold and pleasant environment at an equal 24 degrees helps your body do this without leaving you shivering beneath the blankets. 

The artificial lights emitted by screens should be avoided at all costs because they are a source of distraction and inhibit the generation of melatonin. Instead, go for yellow mood lighting, which does not interfere with the body’s generation of melatonin.

Conclusion

There is a high probability that you will see an improvement in the quality of your sleep if you use even a single one of these sleeping hacks. Some are quick cures, while others may take you to work with your body and cultivate healthy habits.

It might be challenging to adjust one’s lifestyle, but having a proactive attitude and changing your routines before bed is essential. Your ability to get quality shut-eye is directly proportional to how well you can maintain and improve your overall health.

FAQs

What Causes Lack of Deep Sleep?

Some persons who suffer from insomnia report alterations in their sleep cycles. As a consequence of these shifts, they may spend more time in stage 1 sleep and less time in deep sleep. 

Additionally, stress and becoming older may also contribute to less deep sleep. In addition, those afflicted with diseases such as schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease have a diminished capacity for slow-wave sleep.

What Is the Secret to a Good Night’s Sleep?

Exercise and Maintain a Healthy Diet: Exercising and maintaining a healthy diet can improve the quality of your sleep at night. However, you should avoid exercising too late to experience this benefit. 

You should avoid eating large meals too close to bedtime, particularly if you suffer from heartburn. You should also try to limit the amount of alcohol and caffeine you consume since both stimulants may make it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep.

Does Honey Help You Sleep?

Honey stimulates the production of the melatonin hormone, which allows your body to repair and rejuvenate itself while sleeping. 

This occurs as a result of a chain reaction in your brain: the sugars in honey cause an increase in insulin levels, which results in the release of tryptophan; tryptophan is then converted into serotonin, which is then converted into melatonin.

Should We Drink Water Before Bed?

Consuming water just before going to bed might be beneficial in preventing dehydration. It is also possible that it will assist you in lowering your core body temperature when you are sleeping. 

What Are the Magic Numbers of Sleep?

There is undeniable evidence that seven hours of sleep is the minimum a human being needs to operate correctly the following day and in the future regarding cognition.

What Herb Helps You Sleep?

Many different herbs may help you go to sleep, but some of the greatest ones are chamomile, lavender, peppermint, and valerian. However, you should know that there is a shortage of research on these natural herbs’ efficacy and mechanisms of action.