Fostin Etindele, a sleep researcher and social epidemiologist at the University of Quebec at Montreal (UQAM), shared 10 tips on how to get better sleep.
It is based on your own observations and the scientific work of your colleagues.
- Set a regular schedule.
Regular bedtime and wake-up times will help maintain a healthy sleep schedule. - Pick up on natural light.
Open windows and let light into the room.
Natural light not only boosts your mood, but also regulates your body’s biorhythms, research confirms.
- Maintain daily physical activity.
Staying active during quarantine builds up enough fatigue in your body to make it easier to fall asleep and improve sleep quality, scientists have proven. - Limit daytime sleep.
Sometimes you want to take an afternoon nap, but it’s not always beneficial. A daytime nap lowers your blood pressure and increases your risk of insomnia. - Communicate.
Constant news about the coronavirus can easily cause anxiety.
Keep in touch with friends and family and find support from them.
Social networking improves mental health just as much as it does in person.
- Maintain your diet.
Drinking coffee during the day can lead to nervousness and sleep problems.
A heavy dinner can also make it difficult to fall asleep.
Some people don’t have trouble sleeping, even if they drink a lot of coffee and eat a lot.
However, scientists advise watching your diet, because anything you get in excess can make sleep worse. - Take out gadgets before bedtime.
Half an hour before bedtime, it’s recommended that you put away all devices.
If you’re having a hard time doing this yet, put your gadget into night mode to reduce its brightness.
The light from smartphones and laptops in the evening disorients the brain, eventually causing the body to stop following its natural sleep-wake cycle. - Don’t stay in bed if you’re awake.
The brain is like a computer that associates certain events with certain functions.
It associates bed and darkness with sleep and accordingly triggers the process of falling asleep.
So don’t stay in bed for more than half an hour if you can’t fall asleep.
Get up, do some quiet activities, and then go back to bed when you feel tired.
- Accept that not all of our nights will be perfect and restful.
We are all susceptible to stress, and we all have our own ways of coping with it.
Before you get upset about your sleep difficulties, read the eight tips above.
Often people don’t sleep well because of everyday problems like an argument with a loved one or anxiety at work.
Recognizing stress and working through it is a good place to start. - Avoid sleeping pills.
As a rule, the simplest solution becomes the most risky.
Prolonged use of sleeping pills without consulting a doctor can worsen a situation that was not initially serious.
It is better to live a healthy lifestyle than to resort to medication
