How to get a good night's sleep
Improve your sleep patterns and get 8 hours a night
Struggling to sleep? The ideal amount is about 8 hours, but for some, 8 hours is the stuff that dreams are made of.
The ideal amount of sleep is about 8 hours, but for some, 8 hours is the stuff that dreams are made of. So what can you do to get a good night's sleep?
- Only use your bedroom for sleep and sex.
- Have a bedtime routine to cue yourself into winding down for sleep, just as you would a child.
- Don’t do stimulating activities like exercise one to two hours before bedtime.
- Go to bed and get up at the same time every day.
- Consume foods containing melatonin’s precursor, tryptophan. Sources include turkey, chicken and whole grains.
- Overeating can suppress melatonin production, so eat light at your last meal of the day.
- Sleep in a pitch-black room to increase melatonin production.
- Cut back on caffeine. Avoid caffeinated drinks after 11am (or at least 10 hours before bedtime if you work nights)
- Relax. Meditation and deep breathing can work wonders.
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