By Otto Rodriguez
Miami-Dade Health
Recent research has consistently shown how important is sleep for a healthy living. Sleep plays an important role in your physical health as it’s involved in healing and repair of your heart and blood vessels. Ongoing sleep deficiency is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke.
Here are some steps you can follow to make your dream of sleeping better a reality:
1-) Avoid evening meals
Eating a heavy meal at 10 p.m. may be a recipe for insomnia. Finish dinner several hours before bedtime and avoid foods that cause indigestion.
2-) Exercise early
Exercise helps promote restful sleep if it is done several hours before you go to bed. It can help you fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly as long as it’s done at the right time. Exercise stimulates the body to secrete the stress hormone cortisol, which helps activate the alerting mechanism in the brain.
3-) Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine
Caffeinated products decrease a person’s quality of sleep. Caffeine is a stimulant that can keep you awake. So avoid caffeine (found in coffee, tea, chocolate, cola, and some pain relievers) for four to six hours before bedtime.
4-) Pre-sleep routine
Light reading before bed is a good way to prepare yourself for sleep.
Ease the transition from wake time to sleep time with a period of relaxing activities an hour or so before bed. Take a bath, read a book, watch television, or practice relaxation exercises.
5-) Go to bed when you’re truly tired
Struggling to fall sleep just leads to frustration. If you’re not asleep after 20 minutes, get out of bed, go to another room, and do something relaxing, like reading or listening to music until you are tired enough to sleep.
6-) Use Light to Your Advantage
Natural light keeps your internal clock on a healthy sleep-wake cycle. So let in the light first thing in the morning and get out of the office for a sun break during the day.
7-) Turn your bedroom into a sleep-inducing environment
A quiet, dark, and cool environment can help promote sound slumber. To achieve such an environment, lower the volume of outside noise with earplugs or a “white noise” appliance.
