In case you don’t know this yet, getting a good night’s sleep is just as important for your health as a balanced diet and regular exercise. It should be obvious that when you’re better rested with some good sleep during the night, your mind and body works better, and that’s true as well when you’re at your local Club Fitness gym.
When you get enough sleep, it boosts your mood, focus, and concentration. These improvements make you better prepared and more efficient for your workout. And you also have more strength and drive to maximize the workout.
If you’re not getting good sleep on a regular basis, then here are some hacks that might help:
Replace Your Mattress
Maybe you have a mattress that’s just too old. You’re supposed to replace your mattress every 6 to 8 years.
Or perhaps you have the wrong sort of mattress for your sleeping habits. If you travel a lot and you realize that you generally sleep a lot better in hotels, then perhaps you should just get yourself a hotel-quality mattress instead.
Let the Sunlight In During the Day
If you’re the sort of person who likes to spend the whole day in a dark room or office, then that might be the whole problem. The lack of natural light (or even just bright light) during the day is messing up your natural circadian rhythm.
So, if you’re suffering from insomnia, get the curtains off the windows and use bright lights during the day. This improves sleep duration and quality, and it will also lessen the time you need to get to sleep.
Reduce Night Time Light
Again, this is about your natural circadian sleep rhythm. If you’re under the bright lights at night, your body still feels like it’s daytime so you may have trouble sleeping. That’s why it’s crucial that you dim the lights at about 2 hours before you sleep.
Blue light from electronic sources is also problematic. So lay off the TV, computer, and smartphone screens 2 hours before you sleep. Or you can wear special eyeglasses that block blue light.
Set the Proper Temperature in the Bedroom
It’s not really so much of a problem when it’s a bit too cold. You can just bundle up with warm clothes and blankets.
But it’s a lot more problematic when it’s a bit too warm. Sometimes even the fan won’t help, especially if it’s summer time or you’re in a warm location.
You will need an air conditioner so you can really set the right bedroom temperature. For most people (at least in the US), the ideal sleeping temperature is at around 70°F or 21°C. But if you’re used to tropical climates, then even 79°F or 26°C might just be cool enough for you.
Be Careful of What You Eat and Drink in the Evening
It’s best if you eat dinner at least 4 hours before you sleep. Late night snacks may have a bad effect on your sleep.
Don’t drink coffee late in the day. Some studies show that caffeine taken even 6 hours before your bedtime can keep you up at night.
And alcohol isn’t good for your sleep either. It will just disrupt your healthy sleeping pattern!