It sounds like one of the simplest things we can do for good health – just sleep – but the key is getting good sleep – and that’s something we often struggle to do. With our increasingly busy lives, we often don’t prioritize rest, so we don’t get enough sleep, and the sleep that we do get isn’t often high quality.
“Most of the principles of getting good sleep are principles of sleep hygiene that have been around for several years,” says Dr. Neil Kline, a Pennsylvania-based internist and sleep physician and a spokesperson for the American Sleep Association.
Kline explains the principles of sleep hygiene include maintaining a regular sleep schedule; meaning you go to sleep and wake up around the same time each day.
“A lot of people are not aware that when you are physically tired your body was already tired anywhere between 30 to 45 minutes prior to that,” says AC Brown, owner and founder of Washington D.C.-based Goodnight Darling Co., a beauty, wellness and herbal apothecary lifestyle brand dedicated to teaching people how to sleep.
Because of this, Brown recommends going to bed an hour earlier than when you’re actually tired. “Going to bed earlier actually helps you relax your mind and you’re able to fall asleep naturally.”
She also recommends making sure you’re getting into a well-made bed and putting on nice pyjamas that make you feel good.
“I highly recommend taking a nice hot bath with Himalayan sea salt or Dead Sea salts. These minerals have the ability to relax your muscle(s) and pull out all the toxins that you've picked up during the day,” Brown says.
Kline shares these additional tips for getting quality rest:
- Get adequate, total sleep each night.
- Have a quiet, comfortable bedroom.
- Avoid caffeine for six hours before sleep.
- Avoid watching TV, reading, and other activities in bed.
“Get your digital devices outside of the bedroom,” Kline says. He also notes that vigorous exercise during the first half of the day is beneficial for sleep.
It’s also wise to be mindful of your consumption of cigarettes, alcohol, and over-the-counter medications, as Kline notes they may cause fragmented sleep.
We hope these tips help you sleep better. Happy snoozing!