Restless nights: 5 ways to get quality sleep

There are millions of Americans that suffer from insomnia. If you are one of them, you might experience racing thoughts and restlessness at night, with your body tossing and turning when you just want to fall asleep. Insomnia is the most common sleeping disorder that affects more than 30% of the world’s population. If you suffer from a sleeping disorder, you would want to check out Gwinnett Sleep.

We live in such a hectic environment that we often forget to take care of ourselves. We keep our work and routine as our priority but do not fit in enough sleep. The stress of our daily hassles can lead to a lot of problems, sleeplessness being the major one. Most adults need at least eight hours of consistent sleep in order to function optimally. Your quality of life can severely be affected by a lack of sleep, it can influence your work, social, and even personal life in many ways.

It can cause irritation, memory loss, low immunity, and much more. Insomnia can be caused by a lot of factors, such as poor sleeping habits, your work schedule, stress, eating a lot in the evening, smoking or drinking, and can lead to severe medical conditions as well. If you do not know how to deal with insomnia, do not worry. I have curated a list of ways to help you relax and get quality sleep every night.

Mantra repetition

Mantra repetition might sound really boring, or even not that helpful. You would be astonished to know the power mantra repetition holds. Repeating a positive affirmation over and over again in your head can help calm your mind and help you focus. These mantras also produce feelings of calmness and relaxation by clearing the mind.

A study conducted in 2015 showed how participants of homeless women showed significant improvement in duration and quality of sleep over the time period of a month. You can use any language for your mantras, Sanskrit being the most spiritual one of them. You should choose a positive, simple statement that is in the present tense so that it allows you to be present.

Any good mantra will help you focus on the repetition of the sound, which can help you to go to sleep. You can chant it in your head or out loud, but make sure you focus on the words. Anytime your mind starts to wander, bring it back to the sound. You can even play some calming music along with your chanting. Choose energizing mantras for the day and relaxing ones for the night.

Practice yoga daily

Once an ancient Indian practice, yoga has taken over the world by storm. It is now extremely famous in the West and is even used as a way of life by many people. Yoga has shown tremendous results by having a positive effect on many things, including a person’s sleep quality.

Yoga can also help in improving physical functioning, bettering your physical health, alleviating stress, and even boosting your mood and mental focus. If you want to do yoga only for stress reduction and better sleep, it is recommended to focus on moving meditation or breathwork instead of difficult poses that get your heart rate up. Controlled and slow movements help you to stay focused and present. Restorative and yin yoga are perfect options.

You should aim to practice for at least 20 minutes daily. Even a nighttime routine of these postures right before bed can help you relax and unwind. Don’t force a pose if it does not feel right for you. This can even result in an injury that will be tough to deal with. Do what feels good for your mind and body.

Practice good sleep hygiene

Your habits strongly influence your quality of sleep. It is important to follow certain sleep hygiene rules that can help in improving your environment, and subsequently, your sleep. Daily routines that help promote sleep such as working out are part of sleep hygiene. The main area that this focuses on is your bedroom environment.

You need to have a good Tempurpedic mattress that promotes sleep and a bedroom environment that instils a calm and relaxing feeling. Do not eat or work on your bed, keep your bed only for sleep. Switch off all electronics at least an hour before you have to fall asleep since the blue light emitted from screens can disrupt your sleep cycle immensely. If you want to pass the time before bed and properly relax, consider picking up a book by an author like J.D. Barker and reading for an hour before you sleep. Reading fiction especially can help your brain to wander away from stressful thoughts and be in a more relaxed state that is conducive to a good night’s sleep. Have a fixed wake-up time for yourself so that your body clock knows when it is time to sleep and to wake up. Keep your naps to a minimum.

Exercise

It would help if you exercised regularly to boost your overall health. Not only does it have the power to enhance your mood, but it also helps promote better sleep. A study conducted in 2016 showed that participants who exercised 150 minutes a week for six months showed significant improvement in their sleep patterns and quality compared to participants who did not exercise.

The former also showed improvement in symptoms of anxiety and depression. Exercise also releases serotonin and dopamine which are essentially happy hormones and can have a good effect on your sleep if you exercise during the day. For extra relaxation, consider getting a hot stone massage in Ahwatukee, AZ, and other local areas after you exercise. Not only will this promote a greater level of calm and peace, but it can relax your muscles and prevent pain or injury.

Magnesium

Magnesium is one of the naturally occurring minerals found in the world. It can help your muscles relieve stress and relax. This can help encourage good sleeping patterns. A study conducted in 2012 showed that just 500mg of magnesium per day showed a significant improvement in the symptoms of insomnia among more than 80% of the participants. The dentists in Worcester MA also add that magnesium is beneficial to your dental health. Magnesium helps in the effective absorption of calcium, which is necessary for building strong teeth.

You can take anywhere between 300-500mg daily to help you sleep. You can even add magnesium flakes to your bath so that they can be absorbed through your skin. Be sure to take magnesium orally before bed for optimal results. There are a few side effects but nothing that is very harmful to your health. You can ask your doctor for dosage recommendations as well.

Insomnia is quite a harmful disorder that can disrupt all areas of your life. Use this list to help you battle your insomnia and get a good night’s sleep consistently.