We welcome this guest post this week from Karen Weeks at https://elderwellness.net/ We all know what a good night’s sleep feels like, and how distressing it is when we don’t sleep well. This post describes some common sense suggestions for sleeping better.
A good night’s rest doesn’t just leave you feeling refreshed and energized the next day. It’s also essential for your health. A lack of sleep can seriously impact mental and physical well-being, particularly among seniors. Healthline flags the possible dangers of sleep deprivation, from memory issues to weakened immunity. While you want to get the sleep you need, you may want to avoid pharmaceutical sleeping aids, which can lead to dependence.
This guide provides tips for all-natural sleep solutions.
Try a massage to alleviate stress and relax
A massage can help reduce muscle tension, enhance circulation, and alleviate stress. That relaxed feeling you get after a massage can also improve sleep. According to the journal Sleep Science, massage therapy is effective for alleviating insomnia. If you’ve been experiencing troubled sleep or just need to relax, book an appointment with a massage therapist to work through any tension.
Make sure you’re getting enough exercise
Exercise has many general health benefits, from ensuring a healthy weight to reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Regular physical activity is also important to help you get the rest you need at night. When you work out, your body temperature rises. As you cool down after, you may start to feel drowsy. Just how much exercise should you be getting? According to Very Well, the average senior should get 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week.
Try to work toward a balanced life
If you’ve yet to retire and juggle a job and a variety of personal obligations, most likely your mind is racing on to the next task. All. The. Time. It’s probably a good guess too that you’ve conditioned yourself to think that being busy is just life. Unfortunately, this mindset not only affects our physical and mental health over time, but it can also have a negative affect on our sleep. Rather than maintaining a state of constant exhaustion, consider adding more balance in your life. The strategies outlined here offer helpful methods for limiting the overwhelm and learning to find happiness, which in turn makes for much better sleep.
Redesign your sleeping space with a good night’s rest in mind
If you want to improve sleep naturally, take a moment to assess your sleeping space. There are a few characteristics that will help make your bedroom a snooze-friendly zone. First, it should be completely dark. MySPlus explains that the absence of light signals to your brain that it’s time to shut down. Hang blackout curtains to keep light out. Second, the room should be quiet. Finally, it should be relatively cool.
Take stock of your PJs and linens
If you’re a hot sleeper, it’s important to have breathable linens. If you’re using jersey, flannel or even microfiber sheets, you could be enduring sleepless nights thanks to overheating. Bamboo sheets and a multi-weather blanket or duvet can make a big difference in your comfort, and bamboo is especially helpful at keeping you cool in the night. The same holds true for what you wear to bed. Whether you run hot or cold, you should be wearing pajamas that help you stay comfortable.
Invest in tech tools to support good sleep
If you can’t get complete silence in your bedroom, turn to technology for assistance. Using technology where you can to reduce stress is a great way to rebalance and improve your life. You can use speakers, earbuds, or a dedicated sound machine to play white noise to drown out street noise. You might also consider investing in an automated scent diffuser. Soothing aromas like lavender can help you drift off.
Stop staring at screens before bed
While tools like earbuds or scent diffusers can help you fall asleep, not all tech is conducive to a good night’s rest. If you’re in the habit of watching television or scrolling on your phone before bed, it’s time to cut the habit. As The Sleep Foundation explains, the blue light these screens emit interrupts the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. As a result, you may have trouble drifting off and not sleep as deeply.
Try pre-bedtime meditation to eliminate stress
The last thing you want when you lay your head down on the pillow at night is to be kept up by anxious thoughts. As mentioned, a massage is one way you can alleviate stress and improve sleep. You can also help reduce tossing and turning in bed with proactive stress-reduction measures like meditation. Try accompanying it with incense such as frankincense or copal to get rid of stress. The practice combines repetitive mantras with deep breathing, centering the mind, and forcing the body to slow down.
While there are drugs to help you sleep, the above tips offer drug-free alternatives that can help you get to sleep more quickly.
For more information on ideas to stay well, you can go to https://elderwellness.net/