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As we are told on a seemingly daily basis, these are unprecedented times. Coronavirus has impacted all of our lives, disrupting our work and home lives, and even our sleep. Most of us know that getting a good night’s sleep is important for our health, but it can seem impossible in times of heightened stress and anxiety. However, you improve your chances of a peaceful night’s slumber by making a few small changes.
There are multiple reasons to remove screens from your bedroom, the most important of which is the impact that screens are having on your sleep. Human beings are designed to respond to sunlight, waking up when it’s light and sleeping when it’s dark. By using devices that are giving off a bright white light as you are settling down to go to sleep, you are telling your brain that it’s daytime and, therefore, time to be awake. If you like to read, try to do it on an e-reader without a backlit screen, or better yet read an actual book! Investing in an alarm clock is another great way to keep your phone out of your bedroom.
Most of us know that caffeine stops us from sleeping. What many of us won’t be aware of is that caffeine stays in your body for a long time after it’s been consumed, it takes six hours for just half of the caffeine you ingest to be processed. So even if you have a coffee at midday, you might still be feeling the effects at bedtime — experiment with switching to decaffeinated coffee or herbal tea earlier in the day, or eliminating caffeine altogether.
Even though it might feel like alcohol is helping you to get to sleep by making you more relaxed, it actually affects the quality of your sleep, meaning that you will feel more tired the next day if you are consuming alcohol before bed. Try forgoing that nightly tipple and see if it makes a difference.
There is evidence to suggest that CBD may help with getting a better night’s sleep. Some people have reported that CBD alleviates anxiety, which in turn helps with sleep. Turn to the advice of the experts at Cope CBD if this is something that you would like to try.They are a GMP certified CBD provider and will be able to point you in the right direction if you are completely new to this natural remedy solution.
Going to bed at the same time each night and waking up at the same time each day, even the weekends, is really important for setting your bodies internal clock (circadian rhythms) so that it knows when to sleep and when to be awake. Experiment with a bedtime routine to help you to relax and unwind before bed, try writing down your worries so that they don’t plague you as you try to settle down, or listen to relaxing music.
It’s important that your bedroom remains a place of calm, so if you find that you can’t sleep, then don’t lie there tossing and turning. Get up and read a book or go for a walk until you are tired enough to sleep. That way, your brain will continue to associate your bed with rest and relaxation, rather than with anxiety.
