Do you remember the last time when you woke up and you felt like you were going to “rock the world”? Feeling refreshed, relaxed, full of energy, maybe even younger? If that was a long time ago and you feel that you really like to feel this again, then I put together 4 ways that will improve your sleep and help you feel great the next day.
As we know, better sleeping leads to better mood, memory, relationships, performance and productivity, so pretty key areas in our life. Aren’t these important enough to have a closer look at what we do before going to bed? I believe so. If you do too, then read further.
Environment
Winding down before you start dreaming starts with preparing your bedroom. According to sleep.org, your bedroom needs to be around 16-19 degrees Celsius (60-67 degrees Fahrenheit) to get an optimal sleep. Make sure you open the windows for at least 5 min, ideally when you are making the bed, so that you get some fresh air. Check also your curtains or blinds, the darker the light in the room the better because it helps to increase production of “sleep hormone” melatonin which then helps you to fall asleep.
Food and Drinks
Herbal tea is one of the best options to drink before you go to bed. You can save any more “substantial” or heavy food for lunch and I would recommend eating the last meal 2-3 hours before going to bed. Also leave alcohol and any caffeine drinks for another time, they will not support a good night sleep .Personally I like having soup or a salad for dinner and before going to bed drinking red fruit or chamomile tea.
Stretching
If you like doing sports during the day, even a low-intensity movement like walking, you would appreciate stretching before going to bed as it helps you to relax the tension in your muscles. Unfortunately I learned that in a hard way and after I overcome an injury I stick to evening stretching,including some yoga elements. What works for many people is to set a timer and do the exercises for a specific amount of time. It is also easier because our brain receives a signal that stretching is not going to be “forever” but only for 10-15 min or that stretching is “too hard” which will help us to start with it. To track the time, I am using an app “Insight Timer” which has such a timer, in addition I choose music and frequency of bells and just do it! Using a simple kitchen timer will do a brilliant job too.
Meditation
I have mentioned the app Insight timer in the previous section and it is very helpful for meditation too. The free version contains a lot of types of practices for a few minutes or longer. Make sure that you have a cushion and blanket handy especially after doing stretching as your body will start cooling down and you will then cover yourself and make yourself feel comfortable. Equally you can use the kitchen timer too and maybe just start with sitting quietly for a few minutes, listening to your breath, observing your thoughts and then going back to the healing breath.
So these are 4 ways to improve your sleeping and feel great the next day. Start small, with one change, maybe with food and drinks or stretching, observe how you feel and how your sleep improves and continuously include the rest of these 4 techniques and live a more full, happy life.
-> If you like to work with me or have a comment, please fill in the “Contact me” form. I look forward to hearing from you.
