Healthy Sleep: This is one area of my life in which I have felt for years that I need to improve. I have been lacking healthy sleep practically since childhood, and this bad habit of staying up late culminated during my school years when I would often stay awake until 4 a.m. I would sleep for 4–5 hours, then get up and drink coffee throughout the day to stay alert.
The Art of Healthy Sleep.
Sleep is essential to our well-being; it rejuvenates our mind, body, and soul.
Of course my poor sleep habits caught up with me and I realized I would have to change a few things.
But it took a while to figure out what works best for me, and I had to have patience with myself. This meant practicing better sleep habits throughout the week.
Sleep is the ultimate form of self-care; prioritize it for a healthy life.
After switching a few things around, my brain is better equipped to focus, process information, and remember what I learn faster than before.
If I were to summarize what has worked best for me, I would recommend these tips for the health sleep:
- Set a bedtime alarm to go off 30 minutes before sleep. It’s a signal to the brain that you need to finish up any activities you are working on: reading, writing notes, doing exercises, working on a class project. Don’t just create this habit for every working day; extend it to weekends so that it has a better chance to stick.
- Have a smaller meal for dinner. If you have a habit of eating the biggest meal of the day at night, your sleep can be disrupted. I try to avoid fried food and caffeine (often hidden in desserts and sugary drinks), and instead go with a lighter dinner with a big salad and some protein such as grilled fish or chicken. Be sure to eat at least a few hours before your bedtime.
- Take a short walk after eating. It can be just 20 minutes. Being outside is good for your digestion, you inhale fresh air, and you give your busy mind some time to pause from everything you have been working on that day. A walk also sends signals to the body that it’s time to unwind and relax.
- Get away from electronics one hour before bedtime. This applies to your computer and TV. Looking at a screen keeps you alert. What can you do instead? Listen to a podcast or queue up some relaxing music and listen with your eyes closed as you are sitting on the couch.
- Have a cup of herbal tea. It can be any tea without caffeine, some warm milk with honey, or you can take a magnesium supplement or a melatonin supplement around the time your alarm goes off. The warm drinks can help you feel more sleepy, and the supplements promote healthy sleep and relaxation.
- Make your room sleep-friendly. Sleep in a well ventilated room, keep your window open at least a little, and turn off your devices. To prevent any noise from waking you up, invest in a good pair of soft silicone ear plugs so you can sleep through the night.
- Write in your journal. You may want to write about your day or even jot down a list of to-do items that are top priority for the next day. The benefit of writing a task list is that you train your mind to focus a few steps ahead so you don’t worry about forgetting something important, which could keep you awake at night.
