Busy lives, kids, stress, electronics, light, and noise can all play a factor in sleep. Rest plays a key role in energy levels, concentration, disease prevention, and even happiness. In the long run, sleep is a key factor in keeping us sane. Use these 5 fitness tips to get more restful sleep.
1.) Turn off you electronics 1 – 2 hours Before Bed to Get More Restful Sleep. Many people fall asleep to the Tv, play on their computers, and cruz Facebook right before dozing off. However, research shows that blue light is a key factor in disrupting a major factor in restful sleep, melatonin.
“Light — particularly of the blue variety — can keep the pineal gland from releasing melatonin, thus warding off sleepiness. You don’t have to be staring directly at a television or computer screen: If enough blue light hits the eye, the gland can stop releasing melatonin. So easing into bed with a tablet or a laptop makes it harder to take a long snooze, especially for sleep-deprived teenagers who are more vulnerable to the effects of light than adults (source).”
Can’t avoid the computer? Use this blue light blocking screen cover. It will allow you to work without robbing you of precious melatonin that your body needs.
Blue Light Blocking Glasses – I use these glasses at night while watching TV. It has helped me avoid my horrible insomnia and boost my own melatonin. It also helps to reset your internal clock. The minute you put them on it triggers your brain to realize that it’s night! They are reasonably priced, however, they take about 10 days to get here. It’s worth the wait!
2.) Turn Your Phone to Airplane Mode if it’s near your bed. Don’t worry, if you have an Iphone, I guarantee that your alarm will still go off! Even if you aren’t interacting with your phone, it still emits energy and searches for signals while you’re fast asleep. These waves can interrupt restful sleep patterns.
3.) Keep Your Schedule in Check to Get Restful Sleep! A consistent schedule of sleeping is a great way to keep your sleep on track! You can also use a sleep tracking app such as Sleep Cycle.
Sleep Cycle tracks your sleep patterns throughout the night. Then, using a 30 minute alarm window, Sleep Cycle will wake you in your lightest sleep phase. You can then view the data and see how well you slept, and if you can change any outside factors to have a subsequent better night’s sleep (source).
4.) Workout for Better Sleep Quality – Of course, working out helps to calm anxieties and reduce the stresses of the day.
“Of the handful of studies that have been performed, they suggest that exercise significantly improves the sleep of people with chronic insomnia. The only study that looked at the effects of a single exercise session found that a bout of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (e.g., walking) reduced the time it took to fall asleep and increased the length of sleep of people with chronic insomnia compared to a night in which they did not exercise (Passos et al., 2010) (source).”
5.) Take Your Magnesium – Not only is magnesium a wonderful mineral for belly fat, stress, and disease prevention, it’s also great for relaxation and sleep! My favorite brand is Jigsaw, since it’s a slow release formula. Other magnesium pills will release it too fast and cause a laxative affect.
Take your sleep seriously and make it a priority in your life. It will benefit your career, your health, your workouts, and your mental state. Restful sleep is the key to a happy, healthy life!
Adria
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