How to Improve Your Sleep

Sleep is essential to living a healthy and fulfilling life; after all, it can be difficult to do everything that needs to be done if you’re constantly running on empty.  But getting enough sleep at night is easier said than done – plus, with so many stresses and worries on your mind, it can be tough staying asleep.

So how can you improve your sleep so you can feel more alert, refreshed, and revitalized?  Here’s what you need to know:

• Watch your caffeine intake.  Drinking coffee might help you power through the day – but it can make it harder for you to fall asleep at night.  Try to cut down on your caffeine intake by only having one cup of coffee per day.   What’s more, make sure you don’t have any caffeine after 3pm; this ensures the caffeine leaves your body in time for bed.
• Use naps sparingly.  If you’re constantly tired and trying to catch up on your sleep with naps, beware – you might be doing more harm than good.  A typical REM sleep cycle is about ninety minutes long.  That means you need to take a nap that’s shorter than twenty minutes (before you enter REM sleep) or around the 90-minute mark.  Just be careful with longer naps – they tend to mess with your regular sleeping schedule, which can exacerbate your sleeping issues.
• Turn off your phone.  If you check your email right up until you go to bed – or you just can’t turn off that TV marathon – you’re making it much more difficult for you to fall asleep.  Excessive light from devices can trick your brain into thinking it’s still daylight, which prompts mental activity.  It takes awhile for your brain to come down from this state, so make sure you turn off your devices at least an hour before you go to bed.
• Stay consistent with your sleep schedule.  It might be nice to sleep in on the weekends, but it can actually mess with your sleep schedule.  Try to establish a stable sleep schedule where you wake up and go to sleep around the same times.  This can ensure you’re not up until the morning hours of Monday trying to get some sleep.

Sleep is not only essential for feeling refreshed and revitalized; it’s also essential for looking and feeling great.  For more information on maintaining your sleep schedule – along with treatments that could help – visit Dr. Nhi Le at the Fountain of Youth Medical Spa in Victoria, Texas today at (361) 576-9100.