I am delighted to welcome a guest post from James today. During his tenure as a writer for a leading supplier of ink cartridges, James has covered major releases in hardware as well as design and art on their blog.
A number of factors hinder your getting a good night's sleep. You can be drinking lots of caffeine before bedtime, using your laptop all through the night, or living in a cluttered environment. Here are a dozen tips to help you sleep well.
1. Develop A Sleep Schedule
Staying up all hours of the night does not work anymore. In truth, pulling the all nighters were not very good at the time. Set up a sleep schedule and adhere to it. Tell yourself that you will go to sleep at a time which allows you to get a certain number of sleep hours. The roller coaster sleep schedule is not conducive to deep sleep.
2. Clear Your Agenda
You might be prone to laying in bed and attempting to take care of what is next on the agenda. It can wait until tomorrow. If you are having trouble believing that it can wait, set your alarm slightly earlier so you can take care of the issue in the morning.
3. Clean Your Room
If you know that you have to step over your stuff to get to the bathroom, or you have cleaning your room as a constant item on your to-do list, clean your room. That will allow for a deeper sleep because the energy flow in the room will become better and you have removed something from the schedule.
4. Work As Hard As You Can
Put the whole of your effort into every task that comes your way. You want to make sure that your emotional, physical and mental energies are exhausted by the end of the day. You can sleep better and deeper, getting the most sleep for the time investment.
5. Start Early
Start your day off as early as you can while still getting enough sleep. That way, you will get more things accomplished and a higher sense of satisfaction. More activity means more potential to be tired. If you are tired, you will sleep better.
6. Exercise
You have heard about the benefits of exercise. It keeps you in shape and physically fit. Exercise expands mental capacity. The body repairs itself from the exercise during sleep, allowing you to sleep deeper.
7. Say No To Caffeine
Caffeine is great in the morning for waking people up. Drinking caffeine in the form of soda and coffee late at night diminishes the quality of sleep. Getting a deeper sleep means that you will wake up more refreshed and alert. You might not have to use the caffeine in the morning if you stop using it in the evening.
8. Shut Down Your Laptop
Looking at a laptop all day and then coming home to look at the laptop during your off hours causes eye strain and trouble. The best sleep states are caused when your body is exhausted or relaxed, and the laptop doesn't provide for either of these conditions.
9. Meditate
Meditation for just twenty minutes a day makes you more relaxed. You can meditate for a few minutes over your lunch break so you can better focus on your tasks.
10. Leave Alcohol Alone
Small quantities of alcohol might relax you temporarily, but it is not a viable long term solution. Your body develops a resistance to alcohol, requiring that you drink more to get the same effect. In the long run, it is better to stay away from the bottle.
11. Eat Some Carbs
Pasta is a great source of short term energy. It will raise you up to the top, then drop you down into a short nap. Allow your food to run its course, and you will sleep peacefully.
12. Sleep When You Are Tired
If you're able to, take a nap when you're tired. This will help you refresh and get recentered on your day. Naps lay the framework for a good night's sleep.
There are no secret formulas to sleeping well. Sleep at the same time every day or take a little time to meditate, and you will get a better night's sleep. With great sleep, you can tackle the next day's problems with ease.
What a fantastic post! A poor night's sleep often makes for a poor next day, so it's just so important to try to sleep well. I love your list, and I'd just add that if your mind is busy with things to do the following day, make a list. Once it's all down on paper you can clear your thoughts and put your mind at peace. Thanks for a great read, and have a wonderful day!
Claire - Gratitude Connection´s last blog ..Today Im grateful for
Hi Claire
James did a great job here with this post didn't he? Making a list is a great tip too Claire, I find that really helpful when I can't sleep in the night - as you said it helps clear your mind.
Thanks Claire and wonderful to see you here.
Jen
This post couldn't have come at a better time for me. Just this morning I was so tired that I could barely think straight. It took me an hour and a half to really get awake and take care of things for my blog and such.
I drink a lot of pop throughout the day but that hasn't really affected my sleep that I know of.
I know I need to clean our room better so that's something I should be focusing on as well.
Other than that, I do work on going to be around a certain time and I don't drink all that much unless it's the weekends and then only once in a while.
Over all though, I think working hard and giving your all each and every day and knowing that you're satisfied with your daily results can do a number of good things for sleeping at night.
Thanks for the tips!
Eric´s last blog ..Blogging Better- The Two Simple Ways To Do So
I'm glad James post arrived at the right time for you Eric! it's cool how that happens!
It's great this post gave you a chance to review our habits. As you said giving it your all each day is a great way to go to bed satisfied and happy with your efforts.
Jen
Hi!
It's really just a process of finding what's personally affecting you
We're all different, after all. The trick is finding that thing that's keeping you up and solving that problem.
LOTS of great reminders here. For me, if I brainstorm what I need to do the next day and make myself a little list I can fall asleep much much faster. Of course, being organized and effectively limiting your mental clutter is also key!!
Great tip Mike!I think clearing our mind of all those little bits and getting them on paper is a great idea.
Jen
Alcohol is a stress reliever for most. At times I find myself drinking a bottle of corona as i begin to settle into the character I maybe writing about. But the latter is the same. Alcohol can slow you down rather than relax the person who is consuming this toxic consumption of an alternate state of mind.
My theory on alcohol is if you drink it, do i moderately. For life is but a dream. When you wake up, you can at least say, you had a beer or two before you walk through heaven gates. Who knows, maybe the creator of us all will greet you with a cool brew and a few scriptures in the bible he forgot to put on earth.
( You never know)
Great Post.
jonathanfigaro´s last blog ..Four Easy Ways You Can Be Present In Every Moment
Hi Jon
Like you I find a little alchohol can help me but if I have too much I sleep worst than normal. I like your idea.. who knows indeed!
Stay well
Jen