Are you having trouble getting proper rest? These five steps will help you get the best sleep of your life.
Stay Active
According to Harvard Medical School: "Regular aerobic exercise like walking, running or swimming provides three important sleep benefits. You'll fall asleep faster, attain a higher percentage of restorative deep sleep and awaken less often during the night."
Schedule It
Per the experts with the sleep aid ZzzQuil, it’s important to "set a sleep schedule and stick to it. Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day — even on the weekend. This will help program the body to feel sleepy when it’s time for bed and to wake up refreshed in the morning.”
Get Comfy
"Adults spend about a third of their lives asleep, so it’s worthwhile to invest in bedding that comforts and relaxes you,” says the Mayo Clinic. “[Also], before climbing into bed, try lowering your thermostat a few degrees. Your core temperature drops during rest, and keeping your room chilly will aid in this natural drop."
By the Numbers
As laid out in the book Supercharge Your Sleep, follow the ten-three-two-one-zero Sleep Rule. That is: Cut out caffeine ten hours before bed. Don’t eat or drink alcohol three hours before. Stop working two hours before. Get away from any screens one hour before. And hit the snooze button zero times.
Mask Sounds
A white noise machine may help, says Dr. Jeffrey Ellenbogen, a neurologist and director of the Sound Sleep Project. “What sound masking does, it introduces a broad, calm, consistent, gentle sound in the background that can make it so you can’t quite pick out those noises that [can wake us up].”