Making the Most of Sleeping

Roughly a third of our lives is spent sleeping. Our bodies need it, after all. Since we spend so much time in dreamland, maximizing sleep should be a priority. It is most certainly worth our while to ensure we get the most out of every second of sleep.

Not all sleep is equal 

Sometimes we can sleep for a long period and still not feel well-rested. On the other hand, there are times when one sleeps for only a few hours but feels rejuvenated. That’s because there are different stages and levels of sleep. It’s the quality, not just the duration of the sleep, that matters as well. 

Getting higher-quality sleep means better rest. It helps you stay alert longer during the day, sustaining you better as you work and engage in other activities. Conversely, lack of consistent high-quality sleep has been found to be a precursor to illness, increasing the likelihood of developing chronic health conditions. That’s why it is always to your advantage to aim to get enough good quality sleep.

How to ensure you get longer periods of high-quality sleep 

There are factors we can’t always control when it comes to sleeping. However, if you frequently experience difficulty getting enough sleep quality, these tips might help you. 

• Exercise regularly. Physical exertion will get your juices flowing during the day and will help you sleep easier at night. Activity also promotes more time in the deeper stages of sleep. In addition, exercise has been found to help mitigate instances of sleep apnea or insomnia. 

• Many people do some last-minute social media or web browsing as they lie in bed. However, the light emitted by our phone or tablet screens can disrupt our subsequent attempts to fall sleep. Minimize this by lowering the brightness of the screen. You can also turn on the blue light filter, a feature available on most devices. 

• Some people are able to sleep even with the lights on. Still, to facilitate your journey to dreamland, it might be better to switch them off. If this is not possible, consider wearing a sleep mask for this purpose. 

• Install dim lights for moving around at night. These nightlights will help you get around without having to turn on a bright light to avoid stumbling in the dark. The result will be that you’ll be able to get back to sleep easier. 

• Track and monitor your sleep patterns. It can be hard to know whether or not you’re actually getting a healthy amount of sleep without doing this. You can track your sleeping patterns by wearing fitness bands and by using dedicated apps on your mobile phone. This allows you to plot the time you sleep and analyze your sleep quality on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. Once you have the overall picture, you can find ways to improve and facilitate better sleeping habits.

The results will be worth the effort 

Making the most of the time you spend sleeping will surely impact each day positively. From waking up to getting on with chores, exercise, and school or work, sleep helps you get through it all. So, start putting more emphasis on this and aim to improve the quality of your daily sleep. You’ll be pleasantly surprised with the results.