How To Have An Easy And Relaxing Sleep

How often do you have an easy and relaxing sleep? Personally, I manage to rest quite well, as soon as I put my head on the pillow I fell asleep. I don’t know how to make a special effort for that, I’m probably just listening to my natural instincts.

Most people who have a good night’s sleep and who rest well have told me that they do not make a special effort for this. Everything seems to flow by itself. There are also people who have (even severe) sleep disorders or just can’t find a way to feel rested in the morning.

How poor quality sleep affects the body

The effects of good (or poor) quality sleep have been intensively studied. I am referring here to both the number of hours slept and how it takes place. Among the negative effects found are:

• Fatigue and lack of motivation,
• Frequent irritability,
• Difficulty making decisions and controlling stress
• Decreased overall immunity of the body, infections and colds (small and common),
• Increased risk of health problems, especially diabetes and heart disease,
• Low overall concentration,
• Reduced creativity and problem solving,
• Low reaction speed.

Does it sound familiar to you? Lack of sufficient or quality sleep affects the overall performance of the body – the way you judge, react and manage the environment.

How to have a good and relaxing sleep

1. Sleep enough.

First of all, no matter how well you sleep, it’s useless as long as you don’t follow a minimum sleep schedule. It is advisable to generally respect a necessary sleep environment.

Average rest needed:

How many hours do you need to sleep daily to always have a light and quality sleep?

The myth of 4-6 hours sleep:

There are people who sleep on average 4-6 hours a day and lead a relatively active lifestyle. Perfectly true, but not valid for everyone. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) have found that a very short sleep schedule is possible in some people who have an extremely rare gene. It is estimated that only 3% of the population has it.

The rest of the population still needs 7-9 hours of sleep. However, there are experiments that have managed to reduce the need for sleep by 2-3 hours, so far only in animals. Or you can experience polyphasic sleep.

2. Go to bed early and wake up early

In the second half of the evening, after 9 pm, the human body naturally looks for its bedtime. It is healthier to go to bed at 22 and wake up at 6, than to use the 1-9 interval for sleep. Fatigue accumulates, plus the body’s optimal sleep time is in the range of 22-4. I learned to wake up early every morning and have been much more productive ever since. Afterwards, the morning routine helps me start the day well.

3. Avoid the TV and computer, even before bed

Like any other means that agitates and involves activity. A good, relaxing movie might work if you don’t abuse it. I think more important is the content they give you before bed. There are people who, after a violent movie, have a restless sleep.

4. Exercise

Any form of exercise, performed a few hours before sleep, burns energy and prepares the body for the sleep interval in which energy is restored.

Avoid only tiring forms of movement 1-2 hours before going to bed. Tired movements in bed are really welcome 😊

5. The right food

Some foods promote easy sleep: the classic ones, such as chamomile tea or warm milk, but also others less known as bananas, almonds, potatoes. In general, foods containing tryptophan and amino acids have proven to be the most suitable.

6. Keep the bedroom in the dark

Sleep is deeper and more beneficial when you avoid bright light while sleeping at night. In the past, it was customary to draw curtains over windows during sleep. In the country, the custom is still maintained.

7. Take a warm bath beforehand

A warm bath before bed relaxes you and predisposes you to sleep. Especially after a hard day.

8. Avoid coffee, cigarettes and alcohol 1-2 hours before bedtime

The explanation is quite intuitive – everything can shake you and negatively affect your sleep. Personally, I usually drink a cup of tea before going to bed. It relaxes me much

9. Establish a bedtime routine

Define a way you go to bed and repeat it. The body will get used to it, and after a while, when you start the sleep preparations, it will automatically enter a sleep state. I accustomed the child, for example, to brush his teeth, pajamas, potty, read the story, etc. in the evening. After a while, when I finished reading the story, he was already asleep – his sleep routine had its effect. You can include meditation, prayer, reading a light book, or other appropriate activities. Notice that these are quiet activities.

10. Avoid loud sound while sleeping

Even if you got used to falling asleep on AC / DC, your body was not made to naturally sleep like that. Loud and agitating music is not a good idea for a light sleep. Stop it. It is recommended that the level of ambient sounds be below 50 dB during sleep. If you sit on top of a club, you either put earplugs in your ears or move.

11. No TV and laptop in the bedroom

I know, I know, you have to watch a little TV before bed. Or fall asleep with your laptop in your arms. Personally, when we moved to where we are now, I didn’t want to put the TV in the bedroom. My reasoning was simple: we have one in the living room, 4-5 meters away, so what’s the point in the bedroom? I was surprised to see the surprise of my friends: “But don’t you watch TV in the evening?”. Yes, in the living room, a few meters away. The truth is that I wanted to clearly delimit the spaces: the living room also included the part where we stay in the evening as a family and watch a good movie. The bedroom is for sleep and sex (which in fact promotes good sleep). It’s true that sometimes before bed I usually read something, but in bed the TV and the laptop have nothing to look for. Point.

12. The right temperature

It is best to keep the room cool while you sleep. 16-19 ° C seem to be the most suitable (sleeping in pajamas and covered with at least a blanket). Once you fall asleep, melatonin is secreted and your body temperature drops, reaching a minimum level around 4 in the morning, temperatures that seem to favor a light sleep.

13. Don’t sleep on an empty stomach. Or a full one

Putting yourself to bed with a full stomach will not promote good sleep. The reverse is also true – if your stomach wants food during sleep, it will not help you sleep well.

14. Pillow, quilt and the rest of the bed

A few years ago when we furnished our apartment, we had an interesting discussion with a carpenter. He told me that in general his clients gave a lot of money on the bed frame, on its appearance and took a pillow, quilt and mattress for two pennies. After all, having a nice bed will not make you rest better. The frame of the bed, its stability are important. But physically you will sit on the mattress, pillow and quilt. So carefully dose your bedroom budget. Oprah reports the results of a German study which concluded that a pillow of medium firmness radically improves the quality of sleep. The pillow should be neither concrete nor buried in it. After you use something suitable and quality, you will immediately feel the difference.

15. The position in which you sleep

It is generally recommended to sleep on your back or side and avoid sleeping on your stomach.

16. Don’t stay awake in bed

I mean, you could, but if you can’t fall asleep, it’s better not to stay in bed. Do something until you feel tired. Drink a cup of warm milk. The unpleasant feeling of not being able to fall asleep will not help you if you stay in bed. If you have problems with insomnia, read the book “The Book of Sleep” written by Joseph Emet.

Some of the above ideas are difficult to apply. Maybe the environment you live in doesn’t allow you to keep quiet at night or you just can’t sleep alone. If you have a small child and he wakes up 3 times a night, it’s hard to rest too well. In the long run, however, you can combine some tips here to have an easy and restful sleep.

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