5 Life-changing Habits for a Good Night's Sleep

Waking up suddenly from a deep sleep? 

There are some things you can do to improve your chances of getting a deep sleep every night. 

As we age, our sleep patterns alter, and we may experience sleepless nights and tired mornings. 

According to the Sleep Foundation, experts say that adults aged 18–60 need at least 7 hours of sleep and 1.5-2 hours of deep sleep every night. 

Having trouble falling or staying asleep might have led you to consider sleeping pills in pursuit of a better night's sleep. However, these medications can cause appetite changes, dizziness, abdominal pain, dry mouth, headaches, and weird nightmares. 

So what do we do?

In order to achieve deep sleep, you need to know what causes a lack of deep sleep and how to get deep sleep at night. In this blog, we are discussing 5 Life-changing Habits for a good night's sleep. Let’s have a look at them one by one:

1. Exercise

It’s a no-brainer how important exercise is for anybody. An exercise program can benefit your sleep pattern and help you overcome problems falling asleep and staying asleep. There are specific exercises for deep sleep. It is not necessary to follow that unless you are moving enough. 

Modern lifestyles lead to mental fatigue from work, stress, etc., but we forget that we cannot fall asleep until and unless our body is tired.

2. Avoid the 3 devils!

Gone are the days when traditional devils are after you. It is the modern devil: screen time, caffeine, and alcohol. 

The blue light generated by your phone screen decreases the production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates your sleep-wake cycle. Due to this, it is considerably more challenging to fall asleep and wake up the following morning. 

Research by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine found that 400 mg of caffeine taken 0, 3, or even 6 hours prior to bedtime significantly disrupts sleep. Even at 6 hours, caffeine reduces sleep by more than 1 hour. This degree of sleep loss, if experienced over multiple nights, may have damaging effects on daytime function.
Caffeine, which is a stimulant, is found in chocolate too. Thus, the current findings suggest that caffeine use should be limited to 7+ hours before bed.

Alcohol, surprisingly, has a similar impact. It causes fatigue, but it is mostly a stimulant that disrupts your sleep at night. Moreover, avoid anything acidic (such as citrus fruits and liquids) or spicy that can cause heartburn during sleep.

3. Be smart about what you eat and drink throughout the day.

“You are what you eat.”

It is not just about what you eat before bed but throughout the day. Eating healthy is definitely the key to deep sleep. For example, almonds, walnuts, turkey, fatty fish, kiwi, bananas, oatmeal, etc.

If you want a hassle-free substitute for these, indulge yourself in superfood mixes like Focus Mushroom with Cacao that help you find your focus and make you feel energetic. Infused with Reishi Mushroom, Lion’s Mane Mushroom and Ashwagandha, which are known to support a healthy natural defence system and caffeine free.
Add 1 tsp of Focus Mix to hot water and top with frothed milk of your choice to make hot chocolate. Or you can add it to your smoothies, lattes, and baked treats. 

It's perfect for coffee replacement and tastes like chocolate and light cinnamon, which you can enjoy any time of the day.

4. Develop a Bedtime Routine That Is Relaxing

While stress is the body's natural defence mechanism, prolonged stress or worry can have a wide range of long-term consequences, including poor sleep or even sleepless nights.

There are various techniques for lowering nocturnal stress and anxiety before sleeping. You can use just one or two of these relaxation techniques, or you can mix and match them:

• Meditation
• Deep Breathing
• Warm Shower/ Bath
• Journaling, etc.

Sleep should be encouraged by the environment in which you spend each night. The temperature must be lower, there must be no bright lights, and there must be no loud noises. The ideal temperature for sleeping is between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit. Listen to some deep sleep music like this or this and to block off light, wear an eye mask.

So, what exactly happens during deep sleep?

It is referred to as the restorative phase because it is essential for hormone control, growth, and physical regeneration. It is also when the brain generates and retains knowledge in the long-term memory of a person. It also aids in the production of feel-good neurotransmitters such as serotonin.

If you skip deep sleep, you will most likely wake up tired and depressed. You may also gain weight and have trouble concentrating and socialising during the day. Deep sleep is essential not just for the body and mind, but also for your overall quality of life.

In conclusion, it is essential to understand how body works so that you can optimise your sleep pattern.