Tips To Getting A Good Night’s Sleep

I have never had any longterm issues with getting a good night’s sleep. Over the years I have talked to a good number of people that couldn’t say the same. Recenty Joyce shared her top five tips for getting a good night’s sleep with me, which I am sharing with you with permission.
The Wonders of a Good Night’s Sleep (and How-to Get One)
I have barely ever experienced a good night’s sleep for as long as I could remember before finally taking the time to understand my body, mind, and sleeping situation. I would toil away for hours, in bed, and curse the day when I’d go into work feeling much like I was hungover. Even when I managed to get a solid amount of sleep it still felt like I was stiff, unrested, and wanting more.
I had enough of it.
Since we sleep nearly one third of our day – it made sense to take some time to do the research. I had figured if I’m aiming for 8 hours of sleep – I may as well figure out what would allow me to enjoy it and feel rested to take on the day.
Through a bit of research and trial & testing, I landed on the points that had helped me the most:

• Fresh Pillows & Sheets – When’s the last time you replaced your pillow and sheets? The pillow, by now, is probably scrunched up in one area and down-right uncomfortable. Worse is that it was probably just one you picked up from Walmart and called it a day. You should take some time to learn what types of pillows work best for you (for many it’s memory foam while others may be feathers, wool, or even bean-filled). Keep trying them out until you find the one that gives you proper support and comfort.
• Environment – We’re glued to our computers, TV’s, and phones right up to the moment we decide to pass out. Anyone that does this ritual can tell you how easy you can zap back to awareness when you get a ping from a text message or the next episode of a show starts. It’s best that you turn your sleeping quarters into just that – only for sleeping. Once you turn off the notifications, shut down the PC, and pause the videos to snuggle into the bed you’ll drift off to sleep because they aren’t there as a distraction.
• The Mattress – Seeing you’re spending 1/3^rd of your day lying in bed sleeping, it would make sense to invest your money into great mattresses. Everyone has different needs; the comfort comes down to soft/hardness, pricing, size, and type. Mattresses can climb in price which is why it would be a good idea to do some shopping around and find a company that provides finances and a solid guarantee. Do this extra amount of research and your sleep will be completely changed because for once you’re finally resting on what works for your body.
• Pre-Sleep Ritual – I’ve found doing a “ritual” is very important when you’re turning in for the night. A small amount of exercise, hot show, cranking down the air conditioning, and putting on white noise does the trick and has me knocked out in just a few minutes. I would recommend you experiment with different ways to rest your mind (like meditation or reading a book), working out all that extra energy and thoughts (perhaps write a journal entry), and lay down fresh & clean so you aren’t stuck toiling away, endlessly creating scenarios that will keep you awake.
• Ease Up on Coffee and Naps – A good cup of coffee will jolt you into action during the morning hours. A nap will keep your chugging along in the afternoon. But when you make a habit of doing these too heavily (a pot or more of coffee or hour+ long naps) you’ll throw off your sleep cycle and routine. Try to limit yourself on the stimulants; try to push through the day so you’re able to feel rested from your core sleep.

Since I’ve changed these routines and situations I have been knocking out a great, sleep experience. I wake up feeling refreshed; I also have found it to be less of a “chore” ever since cutting out so much of the constant tossing, turning, and anxiety before finally nodding off.
Sleep is something we all do for a quarter part of our day so it’s definitely important. You’ll easily invest the time into learning ways to improve work, spending money on things like cars, and working toward your physical health so why not add this to the fold and make it a priority, too? After all – a good night’s sleep does wonders for creating a brighter day.