How to Sleep Better
- Couple of ideas for improved sleep
- * Simple yet effective…
Waking up early on a consistent basis is something that I had struggled with until recently.
How often do you wake up in the morning and think “I can’t wait until I can sleep again tonight”?
Whether it’s the thought of getting up for work or just an early morning training session, a couple of changes will improve your mindset.
One thing I absolutely hate is waking up groggy and tired.
Follow these recommendations to feel more awake in the morning.
1) Alarm Call
Firstly, as I have written about before, there are plenty of free apps that monitors your sleep simply by placing it on your bed.
Monitoring the quality of your sleep when able you to plan when you’re at your deepest sleep and makes adjustments accordingly.
Furthermore, these devices normally have a mechanism for waking you up at your point of lightest sleep (rather than a binary, on or off mechanism). It may be anecdotal but I found that it works for me and I’m less drowsy. It really has to be tried to be appreciated.
Secondly, a small trick is to have your alarm (or phone – if you use that) outwith arms reach. Especially if you leave it charging overnight, having it in a any position where you are forced to get out of bed will give you no option.
The snooze button can be dangerous and they will prevent any use of that!
Also, if you suffer from anxiousness about your alarm not going off (like I do) set a couple of alarms. If I have a different schedule (eg a change of shifts) or something planned, I’ll set a reminder in my phone to organise my alarms the night before (so I don’t forget to set it).
It’s all about the preparation to put your mind at ease.
2) Unwind
Having a routine before bed is vital.
I’ve found that on days when I’m working, by the time I’ve been to the gym, got home and had something to eat, I’m pretty much fighting sleep already.
I wouldn’t necessarily recommend any strenuous workout shortly before sleeping but likewise, long bouts of watching tv aren’t conducive to sleeping either.
When I took evening spin classes, I found that if I taught later than 7.30 then I would be unable to sleep properly.
Relaxing mentally is the ideal way to induce sleep. Admittedly I’ve fallen out of my routine with reading before bed but it certainly does help.
Also, the less you use your mobile / laptop before bed the better, even having it close to me when I’m sleeping (I find) affects my sleep pattern.
3) Keep it fresh
I will normally have a shower before I go to sleep (or certainly after work) as I feel it relaxes me and almost symbolically clears me of the stresses that have accumulated through the day.
The last thing I want is to be worried or stressed about the following day. Therefore, I will make notes or reminders before going to bed about anything that must be completed the following day. Also I will ensure that I am as organised as possible for the following morning, meaning that not only can I sleep for longer but I’m ready to go from the start.
Clothes all ready and food sorted so it reduces my amount of thinking when I’m half asleep!
It’s amazing how much you can shorten your routine by simplifying / streamlining things and having a clear perspective. If it means an extra fine minutes in bed at 6am then I’m happy.
Organising all my cycling, work and gym kit would be chaotic if I didn’t have a routine in place. Indeed, it’s normally a checklist on my phone that I follow.
Small things will all make a big difference particularly when it comes to being relaxed enough to sleep.
Washing your bedding frequently will certainly help improve a good nights sleep. There is nothing worse than dusty room to sleep in and I find that allergies can kick up at night.
Even taking the perspective of things that are hampering your sleep and aiming to reduce these is effective. See what’s worked in the past as oftentimes, we already hold the answers and it just requires a bit of digging.
February sees the fitness hack of the day on the RYPT Facebook page. Join in and like RYPT today! New vlogs coming up.
Ross
