7 Keys To Improve Sleep Quality
In this article, we share 7 keys to improve the quality of sleep that you can apply as a routine during your nights. The reality is that having a good night’s sleep is a fundamental factor to function properly in our day to day life, to have energy and a good quality of life.
Sleeping well helps us to be well on a mental and physical level, which is why people who suffer from some alteration or sleep disorder manifest problems in their day to day, such as daytime sleepiness, malaise or a lower quality of life. Thus, sleep problems are increasingly common in the population, insomnia being the most prevalent disorder.
In this sense, it is estimated that approximately half of the world’s population has ever experienced symptoms of insomnia. As you will see, the keys that we bring you have to do with the habits that allow us to sleep a minimum of hours and improve our rest, and are included in the so-called sleep hygiene.
Sleep hygiene encompasses a series of measures and good bedtime habits that allow us to sleep better. For its part, and in relation to this, the Spanish Sleep Society (SES), through the Journal of Neurology , proposes the following keys to improve the quality of sleep:
Take care of the diet
To improve the quality of sleep, it will be essential to avoid the consumption of stimulant substances, such as coffee, energy drinks or caffeinated soft drinks. We can take them, yes, but in moderation and avoiding their consumption after five or six in the afternoon.
On the other hand, through a balanced and healthy diet and, above all, the avoidance of large dinners, opting for light dinners before going to sleep, we will be able to increase the probability of a better rest. Finally, the SES recommends having dinner two hours before going to bed, approximately.
Limit daytime napping
Ideally, if we take a nap during the day, it should be a maximum of 20-30 minutes. It is also not advisable to take a nap after five or six in the afternoon (better just after eating), and above all it is recommended to avoid it if we have difficulty sleeping at night.
Practice physical exercise
Did you know that a sedentary lifestyle favors insomnia? Therefore, try practicing some type of sport or daily physical exercise, even if it is going for a brisk walk for half an hour a day. Of course, avoid doing it just before going to bed, as this could reactivate your body and negatively influence the induction of sleep.
Take melatonin or natural herbs
Although it is not essential, taking melatonin or natural herbs (such as passionflower) just before going to sleep (approximately half an hour before), can also help us improve the quality of sleep. Melatonin is a hormone found in humans, plants, animals, fungi, bacteria, and some algae.
Among its properties is that of facilitating sleep and it is known that melatonin deficiencies can be accompanied by insomnia (and also depression). For its part, passionflower is a plant of the passifloraceae family and its medicinal use is widespread for the treatment of nerves, insomnia or anxiety.
Take care of the environmental environment
The environmental environment is another variable that we must take care of in order to facilitate a deep and restful sleep. Thus, it will be important that the room or space in which we sleep is properly ventilated and with a suitable temperature (between 18 and 21ºC).
It is also advisable to avoid noise (and if there is, we can try to use earplugs). Light stimulation should also be avoided. In this sense, consuming content through screens, and especially if we do it in the dark, is never a good option.
Avoid using electronic devices
Another key to improving the quality of sleep is to avoid the use of electronic devices that emit artificial light, such as computers, mobile phones, tablets , other types of screens, etc. This is recommended because this light activates the body and makes it difficult to induce sleep.
Take a bath before bed
According to a 2019 study by a team of biomedical engineers at the University of Texas at Austin, in collaboration with the University of Southern California and the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston, taking a 90-minute bath minutes before bedtime helps you sleep better.
In addition, the study, led by Shahab Haghayegh, suggests that for this to be effective, the water temperature has to be between 40 and 42ºC (that is, opt for a hot bath).
Check your thoughts
In short, sleep hygiene encompasses a series of measures and habits that aim to facilitate a deep and restorative sleep. We have seen some of these habits that can help us improve the quality of our sleep. If we apply them systematically and constantly, it is very likely that we will improve our rest.
On the other hand, it will also be important to review our thoughts before going to bed (and during bedtime), since day-to-day worries often make it difficult to induce sleep.
For this, there are some techniques such as stopping thinking, which can help us disconnect. Finally, a “stimulate blackout” just before going to bed will be beneficial in getting sleep to come more quickly.
