Are you having trouble sleeping? Are you curious about what you could do to improve how much shuteye you get at night? Sleep is a vital component of your health and wellbeing. Improving your sleep helps maximize brain detoxification, elevates your mood, and makes you feel like a rockstar! Today, Arise Acupuncture goes over the 9 ways you can optimize your sleep naturally.
Reasons You Might Not Be Sleeping Well at Night
If you suffer from a sleep disorder, you may have issues falling asleep and staying asleep at night. Your trouble getting to sleep could be a result of many factors, which include but are not limited to the following:
Stress
Jet lag
Alcohol
Caffeine
Nicotine
Health condition
Medication
Mood disorders
9 Ways to Improve Your Overall Quality of Sleep at Night Naturally
Here are 9 ways you can optimize your sleep naturally:
Get to bed at a decent hour
The best time for sleep recovery is between 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Try to be in bed no later than 10 p.m. If that is not possible, work your way down the clock in half hour increments to get closer to that ideal bedtime. Remember to set your alarm and get up when it goes off. Consistency is key, so get into a rhythm and make this a habit.
Avoid eating later than 3 hours before bed
You want to give your body time to switch gears from digesting to sleeping. During sleep, your body heals itself, so it is important to avoid eating late at night. It is ideal not to eat past 7 p.m.
Try not to drink caffeine past 1 p.m.
According to the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, as little as 400mg of caffeine taken 0-6 hours prior to bedtime can significantly disrupt a sleep cycle. Over time, this disruption can have a detrimental impact on your body’s ability to function during the day.
Avoid sleep aids
Even natural sleep aids like melatonin can create a dependency and disrupt your sleep. If you do need some help getting to sleep, we recommend L theanine, passionflower, chamomile, or CBD.
Dim your lights after dinner
Higher light levels have been shown to suppress melatonin, which is a hormone that lets the body know it is time to go to sleep. Use a dim or red light before bedtime to help improve your sleep.
Head to bed once you feel tired
When you get tired, that is your brain telling your body to go to sleep. Do not ignore this sign and head to bed.
Use a blue light filter on your devices
Make sure you use this type of filter on all your devices – especially your phone. Aim to be off all devices at least 1 hour before you go to bed. Put your phone on airplane mode and unplug your Wi-Fi at night to avoid exposure to electric and magnetic fields (EMFs) while you sleep.
Make your room as dark as possible
A dark room is essential to optimal sleep. Once it is dark, your brain lets your body know it is time to rest. Light exposure before bedtime can affect your body’s internal sleep clock.
Get out and exercise
Sunlight helps your body’s internal clock adjust appropriately and increases your body’s amount of serotonin, which is important for sleep. Exercise is not just imperative for your overall health,
it can also help you stabilize your mood, which aids your body in your transition from awake to asleep.
Can Acupuncture Help with Sleep Issues?
If you suffer from a sleep disorder, acupuncture would be a great option for you as acupuncture treatments help patients relax and destress. Acupuncture also increases the release of natural melatonin in the body to improve your overall quality of sleep. Treatments have been scientifically proven to be effective for individuals with insomnia or mood disorders, such as anxiety that affect a person’s ability to sleep as well.
Are you curious to learn more about how acupuncture can help you sleep better at night? Contact us online today or by calling 619-356-1225 to schedule a consultation.