(ThySistas.com) Do you spend your nights staring at the ceiling of your bedroom, tossing and turning, and counting imaginary sheep in vain? A good night’s sleep is crucial for overall physical and mental health. The benefits of sleep are many and varied, leading some professionals to go as far as to say that it’s just as, if not more important than exercise and a healthy diet. If you’re struggling to get the sleep you need each night, then here are five things that you could be doing wrong.
Sharing With Your Pet
Cats, dogs, and many other types of animal don’t follow the same schedule as us humans. They eat at different times, exercise at different times, and, unfortunately, also go to sleep at different times. This means that your furry friend may be active throughout the night, making it difficult for you to get a good night’s rest. Pet fur can also irritate your lungs, which might wake you up. Because of this, you should consider keeping your pets out of your bedroom at all times.
Exposure To Light Sources
It doesn’t matter whether it’s coming from a lamp, digital clock, or passing headlight outside, exposure to light sources during the night can negatively impact your sleep. The main reason for this is that the human body understands light to mean daytime and dark to mean night and is programmed to be awake during the day. Removing lights sources from your bedroom is the simple remedy for this problem. You can also use blackout blinds to block external light sources.
Too Cold A Temperature
Our bodies naturally drop in temperature as we nod off, which is why many people benefit from sleeping in a cool room. However, that doesn’t mean that you should disconnect from the gas mains or cancel your order of red diesel. If your bedroom is left to get too cold, then you’ll likely wake up in the middle of the night shivering. For this reason, you should try raising the temperature a little, especially when you’re sick, and keep extra blankets close to your bedside.
Chaos In The Bedroom
Mess and clutter can be major sources of stress, especially in a place you should be able to relax, like your bedroom. You may view the chaos in your space as organized, but unless it actually is, then it’s going to take its toll on your mind, and therefore your sleep. Clearing out any unnecessary clutter is a great first step toward creating a more sleep-friendly room. Make sure you remove anything that might cause you any extra stress, like work files and horror novels.
The Wrong Bedtime Snack
Going to sleep on an empty stomach is never a good idea. Even if you don’t feel particularly hungry when you head to bed, you will probably wake up to hunger pangs at some point in the night. To prevent this, you should have a small snack just before you plan to go to sleep. Just make sure that you choose the right one. Anything with too much sugar or fat, like chocolate or pizza, can make it even harder to nod off.
Lack of sleep is a huge problem, so make sure that you don’t contribute to the issue by avoiding the mistakes above.
Staff Writer; Lisa Jacobs