Five Ways To Improve Sleep

According to the Centers for Disease Control, or CDC, improper patterns of sleep or insufficient sleep is bad for one's health and contributes to an increase in road accidents, “industrial disasters, and medical and other occupational errors.” Sleep is vital for the proper functioning of the mind and body.

The National Institutes of Health states that children need approximately 10 hours of sleep, while teenagers require almost the same and adults need to have at least eight hours of sleep. However, data from a survey conducted by the Institute from 2005 to 2007 found that 30 per cent of the adults only had an average sleep duration of six hours.

CDC reports that insufficient sleep can increase the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, obesity, diabetes and depression. It also contributes to the development of hypertension as well as lowers the quality of one’s life and work productivity. Many of these issues could be avoided by improving one's sleep habits.

Curtail the daily naps

There are several ways to increase the quality of one’s sleep according to Prof Jim Horne of Loughborough University's Sleep Research Centre. In an interview with The Guardian, he mentions few methods. He states that if one feels sleepy during the day, it is best to take a 15-minute nap. This allows the body to get what it wants and feel rejuvenated. A person often plans to take a nap and sleeps for a longer time, which leads to a disruption in the sleeping pattern during the night, he explains.

Physical exercises

According to Mayo Clinic, incorporating physical exercises in one's daily routine can lead to deeper sleep. However, the website recommends that physical exercises must be done earlier during the day. If it is done during bed time, then the person would feel energized that would pose difficulty in sleeping.

Make sure the environment is sleep friendly

For better quality of sleep, it is important to maintain a cozy bedroom environment. Dr. Christopher Winter, medical director at the Charlottesville Neurology & Sleep Medicine, wrote on the Huffington Post blog that a very cold or hot environment may disrupt sleep. It is important to keep the temperature between 60 to 67 Fahrenheit. Also, a dark bedroom is better to sleep in.

Limit water intake

Mayo Clinic states that drinking too much water before bed time often causes a person to urinate in the night more frequently. This disrupts the person's sleep one's again. Hence, too much consumption of water before bed time must be regulated.

Combat Snoring

According to the Snoring Foundation, 90 million American adults suffer from snoring. The National Sleep Foundation states that losing weight, reducing alcohol intake and adopting a good sleep posture help combat the problem. The posture experts recommend sleeping on the back to improve sleep quality.

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