Skip to content
As a BetterHelp affiliate, we receive compensation from BetterHelp if you purchase products or services through the links provided
Are you looking for a way to fall asleep and stay asleep at night? If so, you need to keep a few essential tips in mind. First, you must ensure you get enough sleep at night because you want to be able to fall asleep and stay asleep. There are several tips backed by science that you need to follow to maximize your ability to fall asleep. Take a few essential tips below, and incorporate them into your sleep habits if you want to have an easier time falling asleep.
1. Use Your Bed Only for Sleep
First, you should only get into bed when you are ready to go to sleep at night. One common reason my people have difficulty falling asleep at night is that their body does not associate the bed with sleep. So even though you may like to sleep and watch TV in bed, you should avoid doing so. If you train your body to crawl into bed only when you sleep, you will quickly fall asleep at night.
2. Consider Meditating Before Bed
You may want to try meditating before bed as well. Meditating is a great way to get your brain to relax. Spend a few minutes in quiet meditation. Focus all your energy on getting each body part to relax from head to toe. That way, you will have an easier time falling asleep at night.
3. Avoid Caffeine in the Afternoon
There are a lot of people who cannot get up in the morning without coffee. Even though a morning cup of coffee is fine, avoid drinking coffee or soda in the afternoon. If you put caffeine in your body in the afternoon, it will still be in your bloodstream when you go to bed. Caffeine has a half-life of approximately five hours, so do not drink caffeine in the afternoon if you want to sleep at night.
4. Do Not Drink Alcohol
There are a lot of people who believe that alcohol makes you tired. Even though alcohol will make it easier to fall asleep, it will make it very hard for you to stay asleep. As your body metabolizes alcohol, you may wake up in the middle of the night. This can seriously impact your sleep quality, so avoid drinking alcohol if you want to stay asleep at night. Alcohol will also cause you to wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom.
5. Avoid Screens in the Evening
Many like to wind down in the evening by scrolling through social media or watching TV. This will keep you awake at night. The blue light from the screens will stimulate your brain, causing you to stay awake. You may want to consider using glasses that block blue light to make it easier for you to fall asleep. Avoid screens in the evening if you want to stay asleep.
6. Exercise Regularly, But Not Before Bed
You need to avoid exercising right before bed as well. Exercise is essential for keeping you healthy, but exercise also releases adrenaline. If you exercise too close to the time you usually go to bed, you will have difficulty falling asleep. You may want to try exercising when you get up in the morning. Or, you may want to try exercising during your lunch break. Do not exercise in the evening if you’re going to fall asleep.
7. Go To Bed at the Same Time Every Night
If you want to make it easier to fall asleep, you need to go to bed simultaneously every night. If you do not put yourself on a regular sleep schedule, your body will have difficulty figuring out when it is time for bed. You should also try to get up at the same time every morning. If you sleep on the weekends, you will throw off your sleep schedule. Try to put yourself on a regular sleep schedule if you want to fall asleep and stay asleep.
8. Eat a Healthy Diet
You should eat a healthy diet to make it easier to fall asleep at night. Eating a healthy diet is essential because it keeps you at a healthy weight. If you are overweight, you could develop obstructive sleep apnea, making it hard to go to bed. Eating a healthy diet can also reduce inflammation throughout your body. Reducing inflammation can help you control chronic pain, making it easier to go to bed at night.
9. Do Not Nap in the Afternoon
Having a hard time sleeping at night can be a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you have difficulty falling asleep, you might be tired throughout the day. Then, you may take a nap in the afternoon. Because you have taken a nap in the afternoon, you are not tired when it is your bedtime. Therefore, avoid napping in the afternoon to make it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep at night.
10. Think Carefully About Prescription Medications
There are some conditions where you might require prescription medications. On the other hand, many prescription medications can make it hard to fall asleep at night. Look at the side effects of any medicines you take, including over-the-counter options. If they have the potential to disrupt your sleep, talk to your doctor about stopping them.
11. Avoid Large Meals and Drinks Before Bed
Try to avoid large meals and drinks before bed. If you eat or drink too much before bed, you will have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. It will disrupt your sleep pattern. You may want to move your dinner a bit earlier if you wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. Large meals and beverages could be the reason why your sleep patterns are being disrupted.
12. Turn Off Your Devices
A lot of people are addicted to their devices. This includes their cell phones. If you leave your cell phone on when you go to bed at night, you may hear a phantom buzz or ring that will wake you up in the middle of the night. Unless you are on call for your work, turn off your devices. That way, you don’t have to worry about them going off in the middle of the night. You do not want your electronic devices to disrupt your sleep patterns, so make sure you shut them off when you go to sleep.
13. Visit Your Primary Care Doctor Regularly
Finally, you also need to visit your primary care doctor regularly. If you are having difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, there could be an underlying medical condition. Make sure you talk to your primary care doctor about any health problems you have. This includes difficulty falling asleep at night. They may be able to run some tests to figure out what the problem is.
Fall Asleep and Stay Asleep at Night
In the end, these are a few essential tips you should follow if you want to fall asleep and stay asleep. Sleeping at night will give your brain and body a chance to rest and recharge. That way, you will have enough energy to tackle the day. Consider reaching out to your doctor if you want to learn more about how to fall asleep and stay asleep when you go to bed at night.
- Stress Management: What is the Relationship Between Stress and Addiction? - June 28, 2024
- Exploring Techniques to Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle without Drugs - May 28, 2024
- How Acupuncture Helps Treat Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - May 28, 2024
This site contains affiliate links to products. We will receive a commission for purchases made through these links.
