7 Ways to Get a Better Night's Sleep 【助眠7个小妙招】
Ok, so you might not be at the 'I'm so exhausted I feel like I'm being interrogated' stage just yet. But the fact is, with ever-increasing work commitments, expanding after-school activity schedules and endless nights worrying how the heck you're going to cope when the Ayi leaves for holiday, many of us these days are well and truly sleep deprived.
Here are a few tried and tested methods that should have you nodding-off in no time:
1. Go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day
Sticking to a sleep schedule helps regulate the body’s internal clock. Choose a time when you normally feel tired so that you don’t toss and turn. If you’re getting enough sleep then over time you should be waking up naturally without the need of an alarm. If after several weeks you’re still in need an alarm clock to wake up, try going to bed a little earlier. Keep to within an hour of these sleeping times even during the weekends as any changes can throw your body’s clock back out of whack.
2. Avoid bright lights for one hour before going to sleep
Any artificial light at bedtime can interfere with the body’s natural sleeping rhythm. Blue light emitted by electronics is especially disruptive, just as much as their content is stimulating. Turning off the TV, switching your mobile to flight mode, dimming the lights in favor of candles and reading from a good old fashioned paperback instead of your beloved tablet will not only help you to relax but the darkness also indicates to the body that it’s time to sleep.
3. Exercise Regularly
Studies show that regular exercisers sleep better and feel less sleepy during the day. Exercising regularly increases the amount of time you spend in the deep, restorative stages of sleep, so the more vigorously you exercise the more powerful the sleep benefits will be. But even light exercises such as walking will make a difference. Working out early in the day wakes the body up, but doing so too close to bedtime is energizing and you may then find it harder to drift off.
4. It’s not just what’s going on inside your head
What’s in your stomach while you sleep is just as important! Sleeping on a full stomach may seem like a nice idea but it’s a recipe for digestion issues, heartburn and stomach reflux. Wine may be known as a relaxant, but too much of it actually has the opposite effect. Alcohol might send you off to sleep initially, but the quality of sleep you have will be poor, increasing the likelihood of waking up in the middle of the night and feeling sluggish in the morning.
5. Cut out the caffeine
You might be surprised to know that caffeine can still have an effect on the body for as long as 12 hours after consumption. Consider swapping your normal caffeinated drink for herbal teas in the afternoon and avoid it at all cost in the evening. You may have been drinking a cup of English tea every night before bed since you were young, but you'd be amazed at the difference in quality of sleep once you stop!
6. Leave your day behind
Process your thoughts about the day before getting into bed. Leave your to-do list behind and take some time to focus on your breathing. Switching off from your day and getting in tune with your body helps the mind to wind down. Instead of thinking about all the stuff you’ve got to do tomorrow, think about all the things that you are grateful for that happened today.
7. If all else fails, get out of bed
Continuing to lie there only makes matters worse. Take your mind off trying to sleep with something that's relaxing and doesn't involve bright lights for a while, then climb back into bed when you finally feel tired.
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好吧,可能你还没到“累瘫了,简直像在受刑”的地步。但实际上,工作永远做不完、课外活动一直加塞,还有无数个夜晚要担心节假日阿姨不在时,自己该如何收拾,各种纷杂的事情都剥夺了我们拥有良好睡眠的权利。
下面介绍一些临床测试过的有效方法,应该对入眠很有帮助:
1. 每天定时定点睡觉和起床
坚持定点睡觉有助于保持体内的生物钟规律运行。最好选一个你容易感到困意的时间点,这样不容易在上床后还翻来覆去。如果你睡眠充足,那么久而久之,不需要闹钟你也能自然醒了。如果几周之后你还是得用上闹钟才能起床,可以尝试把晚上休息的时间再提早一些。即使是周末,也尽量将作息时间的调整控制在一小时以内,否则很容易扰乱生物钟会。
2. 睡前一小时避免强光
睡眠时间内,任何人造光线都会干扰身体的自然睡眠节奏。电子设备发出的蓝色光尤其具有干扰作用,就和他们的内容一样(看着看着就不想睡了)。关掉电视,把手机调至飞行模式,把灯光调暗到烛光的强度,读读纸质书刊而不是盯着平板电脑,这些做法不仅能帮助你放松,黑暗的环境更能暗示你的身体是时候睡了。
3.定期锻炼
研究表明定期锻炼的人睡眠质量更高,白天也更少犯困。定期锻炼能够提升你深度恢复阶段睡眠的时间,所以你越是勤奋锻炼,睡眠对身体的益处越是显著。即使是像散步这样的低强度锻炼也会有帮助。晨间运动能够唤醒身体,但太靠近睡觉时间的锻炼会让身体兴奋起来,入睡就困难了。
4.影响睡眠的不仅是大脑
你的胃里有什么也是很重要!吃得饱饱地入睡也许是个好主意,但容易引起消化问题,心悸以及反胃。大家都知道喝酒有助于放松神经,可饮酒过量只能起到反效果。酒精也许能先让你睡过去,但无法保证高质量的睡眠,更可能让你大半夜清醒,接下来整个早上都过得浑浑噩噩。
5. 戒咖啡因
你或许会惊讶地发现在饮用过12小时之后,咖啡因仍对身体的具有影响力。不如把下午常喝的含咖啡因饮料换成草药成分的茶吧,同时,晚上也要无条件避免摄入咖啡因。可能你很早就养成了每晚睡前一杯英国茶的习惯,然而戒掉之后,你定会感叹睡眠质量的提升!
6. 摒除一日的杂念
将一天的思绪和总结在上床休息之前进行整理。把待办清单暂时放下,将专注放在呼吸调节上。关闭你“日常模式”,让呼吸与身体同步,这样有助于思绪的平静。不要再去想明天做什么,回想一下今天值得感恩的事情。
7. 以上方法均无效,下床走走吧
继续躺着只能让事情变得更糟。把注意力从试着入睡转移到令人放松的事上,先别开灯,然后当你终于觉得累了的时候再爬回床上。
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