8 Healthy Pre-Sleep Habits For Better Sleep

A (wo)man who sleeps well is a (wo)man who lives well.

Well, I haven’t said anything new. But the relevance of the statement springs from the alarming frequency with which we forget the importance of sleep.

The ‘civilized’ world has begun to neglect what could be the most important contributor to their health – sleep. Our habits don’t allow a number of us to get proper and optimal sleep at night. They instead contribute to the very opposite.

Here, we have listed a few habits that can help you fall asleep faster. And sleep better. Keep reading.

Make Your Room Dark

We often underestimate the power of light in keeping us awake. But even the most inconspicuous glow from a distant alarm clock can disturb us. So pull the curtains over and make your room totally dark. If requried, you can also use a comfortable eye-mask.

Take A Hot Bath

A rapid drop in body temperature induces sleep. To achieve this, you can take a hot bath or soak yourself in a hot water tub for about 20 minutes. When you take a hot bath, you are raising your body temperature by a couple of degrees. And when you walk out of your bathroom, there is a steep drop in temperature, which facilitates deeper sleep.

Keep Your Room Cool

The ideal temperature induces great sleep like no other. So ensure your room is somewhere between 15 to 19 degrees Celsius. The cooler, the better. But not too cold, though.

Try A Leg Pillow For Back Pain

Sleeping with back pain, well, is a pain. If you are suffering from back pain and are taking medications, it might take a while before you see improvement in your condition. However, you don’t have to struggle to get some sleep. Simply place a pillow between your legs. This aligns your hips and minimizes stress on your lower back.

Keep A Journal

Oftentimes it could be our mind that keeps us from getting peaceful sleep. It could be some personal issue you are trying to sort out. Or your professional goals. It could be anything. Write it down. Just write your thoughts down so that you feel less anxious and free.

A free mind induces great sleep. Once you have penned down your thoughts, you will find yourself drifting off to sleep in no time.

Try Adding Gentle Sounds

Here’s the problem with keeping your room pin-drop silent while you sleep – even a slight disturbance in your surroundings can wake you up. The remedy? Adding gentle sounds, something like a white noise generator. It generates sounds that are soothing – like a pleasant breeze, a flowing stream, etc.

White noise not only helps you fall asleep faster, it also disguises other noises that can be potentially disturbing to you. 

Put Your Mobile In Silent Mode

You can also turn it off. But in case you have an alarm set, you can put your phone in silent mode. This is important, and is something most of us forget to do. We might sleep, but our WhatsApp is forever on. Late night texts and pings can disrupt your sleep to a great extent.  

Just put your phone in the silent mode and keep it away, at least an hour before bed. This can be one of the healthiest habits you can develop.

Drink Something Warm And Relaxing

A warm and relaxing beverage can soothe your mind. You can have a warm glass of milk or chamomile tea. In fact, most herbal teas are good. But ensure they don’t contain caffeine.

The quality of our habits determines the quality of our life, doesn’t it? And so does the quality of our sleep. Make these actions your habits and see your life get better and better!

Images via Pixabay.