Getting ample sleep is as important as consuming a healthy diet. Quality sleep is essential for physical and emotional well-being. It helps a person stay refreshed throughout the day thus making the day more productive. If you find yourself tired too often in the middle of work, it is a sign of a lack of adequate sleep.
Role of mattress in promoting sleep:
One of the factors that are often overlooked is the mattress. A relaxing sleep environment coupled with a comfortable mattress that suits one’s body requirements. Many people who complained about poor sleep found relief after changing their mattresses. In recent years several mattress types have been introduced, each catering to different user needs.
Selecting the best mattress for back pain can be quite tricky as there isn’t one solution that fits all. You’ll have to narrow down a mattress after considering several factors. Click here for a better idea about the different types of mattresses and their features would help you select the best fit.
Finding the right mattress for your needs:
1. Thorough research:
Look for information on the best mattress brands in the market online and their mattress models. Find out the thickness and foam type you require and then shortlist the options. Take into consideration mattress lifespan, your sleeping position, and weight.
2. Decide on the size:
Consider your current lifestyle before deciding on the mattress size. Mattresses are available in various sizes including twin, full, queen, king, split king, etc.
3. Right fit for your health ailments:
People with health issues like back pain, shoulder pain, and athletes require specialized mattresses offering neutral spinal alignment. Gel-infused memory foam mattresses have a springy feel and work best for them. Consider looking for cooling mattresses that are specifically designed for hot sleepers.
4. Assess the pros and cons:
The vast array of choices available makes it quite confusing to select one. The popular mattress choices are traditional innerspring, memory foam, hybrid, latex, etc. Weigh down the pros and cons of each type before proceeding with the purchase.
5. Stay within your budget:
Though best-quality mattresses are usually expensive, one doesn’t have to break the bank to purchase a good one. Find a good fit that won’t burn a hole in your pocket.
10 ways to promote better sleep:
Apart from the mattress, there are other factors that contribute to poor sleep patterns which include:
1. Avoiding consuming chemicals that meddle with sleep:
Chemicals like caffeine, certain medical supplements, alcohol, nicotine, etc have a reputation for disrupting sleep patterns. Avoid taking these substances at least 4 hours before sleep.
2. Stick to a sleep-wake cycle:
Good sleep isn’t always about sleeping for a particular number of hours. Rather than sleeping at random hours every day, following a regular sleep schedule ensures that one stays energized the next day.
3. Resist the urge for long mid-day naps:
It is natural for us to doze off during the day in the absence of proper sleep the previous night. But if we make up for that by taking a long mid-day nap, one’s sleep-wake cycle is affected. Refrain from sleeping for more than 20 minutes or half an hour during noon.
4. Maintain a serene sleep environment:
Factors like light, sound, temperature, and even furniture placement can affect one’s sleep pattern. Ensure that your bedroom is dimly lit and adorn it with heavy curtains. Filter out outside noise and use eyeshades if needed. Maintain a comfortably cool temperature for sound sleep.
5. Follow a pre-sleep routine:
Activities like a hot bath, reading a book, listening to music, meditation, etc can help to ease oneself to sleep easily. Avoid using the phone before bed and minimize stress.
6. Check for possibilities of sleep disorder:
Around 50 to 70% of US individuals have sleep disorders. If an underlying medical condition is preventing you from having a good night’s sleep, a specialist would help you with it.
If you are facing sleep issues, start by replacing your mattress and try making these small changes for better sleep. Mattresses generally last for 8 years and make a worthy investment. Keep chronic health problems at bay with adequate sleep.
7. Dim the lights:
One of the important things that you need to do is to dim the lights on time. The natural sleep cycle works the same way. Sunsets gradually and first, the light gets dim and then eventually completes darkness. However, with the use of LED lights, we are disturbing our sleep cycle. Even after the sun sets, we have lights on. These lights affect the secretion of melatonin, which is responsible for inducing sleep.
Of course, you won’t turn off all your lights. However, what you can do is dim the lights an hour before you go to bed. Dimming the lights will make you feel relaxed and induce the secretion of melatonin. And when you go to bed, you can turn off all the lights. This will improve your sleeping time.
Firstly, you will fall asleep quickly. Secondly, your sleep will be better and uninterrupted.
8. Using color temperature
There is another type of light available in the market. They are known as color temperature lights. These lights have a temperature of fewer than 3000 kelvins. The benefit of using these lights is that they have soft and warm tones. Thus, they reduce the effect of light on our brain and nervous system. This eventually helps in getting better sleep.
9. Stay away from screens
Screens also have a blue light that greatly disrupts the sleep cycle. One of the biggest reasons for insomnia in today’s generation is the excessive availability and use of screens. Everyone has one or two mobile phones with them. And as if this was not enough, they have laptops and LED screens too.
All these screens have a negative effect on the production of melatonin. Turning off the screens will keep us away from the blue light. Thus, the production of daytime hormones will decrease at night. On the other hand, melatonin production will increase.
Therefore, it is recommended that you should not use any screen at least an hour before your bedtime.
However, you can only limit the lights inside your home. What about the outside light? If your surrounding area has a lot of lights and screens, you should get a blue-light blocking glass for windows. This will keep you away from the blue light and thus, you can keep the windows open without worrying about the light penetration.
10. Find some activities for yourself
It is hard for you to fall asleep. You can practice all things but what will you do until you get the sleep? You will be bored, there are dim to no lights and there is nothing that you can do. This situation will make you feel frustrated. And thus, you will end up using your mobile phone.
Therefore, it is important that you get some activities for this time. You can listen to calming sounds like the sound of raindrops, waterfall, or wind blowing through the forest. Or you can listen to podcasts or some bedtime stories.
