Sleeping Well: Six Habits to Get Enough Rest

Good quality sleep is crucial for maintaining optimal physical and mental productivity. Fortunately, there are some healthy routines that help you sleep better.

Reviewed and approved by the psychologist Bernardo Peña.

Written by Daniela Echeverri Castro

Last update: 15 December, 2022

Although many people don’t really care, it’s important to get enough rest to have a good quality of life. This biological need that all living creatures experience is important for physical and mental processes that influence your health.

And if you still have doubts, just ask yourself this question: how do you feel when you don’t get enough rest?

The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) speaks of minimum and maximum ranges of hours of sleep according to age, indicating that people between 26 and 64 years of age should sleep between 6 and 9 hours. Reducing this time interferes with important body functions.

You can develop metabolic disorders, drowsiness, loss of concentration, and other consequences that affect day-to-day tasks. Therefore, it’s critical to pay attention to sleeping problems and try routines that can help.

The best routines to get enough rest

Our modern lifestyle, technology, and work are some of the things that cause insomnia. Although it’s recommended to sleep well in order to be healthy, many people have cut back on how long they sleep.

Consequently, the many disorders have increased and people’s productivity has decreased. What can you do prevent this happening?

1. Eat light meals

Eating a light dinner every day helps us to sleep well and get adequate rest. Often, a heavy stomach will prevent you from falling asleep because you feel too full.

In addition, it’s also important to eat at least two hours before going to bed, according to Dr. Alfonso Pérez, from the Hospital Clínico de Barcelona.

2. Do yoga to get enough rest

Yoga is one of the most effective relaxation methods to improve your quality of sleep. However, there’s no conclusive research on this subject.

However, regular practice has shown other health benefits, such as improved flexibility, muscle strengthening and improved mood in people with depression and anxiety, according to this study by Dr. Woodyard.

3. Scan your sleeping environment

One key to sleeping well is choosing an appropriate sleeping environment. A place with background noise, irregular temperatures, or a lot of lighting won’t help you sleep. That’s why you have to arrange your bedroom so that it’s as comfortable as possible.

What’s more, you should stop using it as a space for work or hobbies. Keeping these things out of your bedroom will help your brain associate it with sleep.

4. Avoid stimulants

The demands of today’s lifestyles make us believe that stimulants are the best way to energize the body. Although many do indeed help get rid of tiredness, consuming them in excessive amounts can cause sleeping problems and health conditions.

These substances activate the nervous system to keep you alert for longer periods of time. Therefore, to sleep well, it’s best to avoid drinking coffee, energy drinks, and other stimulants after noon.

5. Take a hot shower to get enough rest

Ironically, fatigue that appears during long workdays causes insomnia and sleep problems.

That’s why it’s a good idea to take a hot shower to relax the body before going to bed. It can be a very pleasant moment to take your mind off your day-to-day worries.

6. Listen to relaxing music

One of the best ways to rest well when you’re having problems sleeping is listening to relaxing music at a low volume. Nowadays, it’s very easy to find calming melodies that can help you fall asleep more easily.

Have you been having troubles sleeping well lately? If so, be sure to add these simple routines to your daily lifestyle. Though a bad night’s sleep can seem harmless at first, with time it can cause problems that are harder to treat.

Seek help if it gets serious

In conclusion, to sleep well you can help yourself with these six effective habits. However, we also want to warn you that there are many causes to explain the difficulties and problems related to sleep.

Therefore, if you don’t improve, we recommend seeing a doctor for a proper diagnosis and, if necessary, specific treatment.