Learn How to Sleep Better Today

Do you have trouble sleeping? Want to know how to sleep better? Looking for a way to get your sleep patterns back to normal? Well, you are not alone. Millions of people have trouble with sleep, especially aging adults and it is most definitely due in part because of a hormone called melatonin. So what does melatonin have to do with sleep? It has everything to do with sleep.

Melatonin is a hormone naturally produced in your body. It is a major regulator of you guessed it, sleep. It controls your body’s internal clock or, our Circadian Rhythm; it’s more commonly called the sleep-wake cycle. As you likely know, sleep is one of the most important, if not the MOST important gift you can give your body each night. That is why it is vital to get consistent, quality sleep. When we don’t sleep, we don’t perform right. We can become grumpy, agitated, nervous, flustered, tired; these are just some examples of sleep deprivation or even insomnia. Long term effects of sleep deprivation can be more serious and can ultimately lead to declining health and chronic disease. Check out what WebMD has to say about Melatonin and how it works.

As humans age, we produce less melatonin in the body, causing a shift in our sleep patterns. Generally, the expectation of quality sleep declines as we age. We know… this just stinks with aging because we wish everything would just keep ticking like it did when we were 20 years old. While we cannot wave a magic wand to generate more melatonin and make you fall asleep instantaneously every night(sorry, we SO wish we had these magic powers), we do know a thing or two about how to help get quality sleep back into your life.

How to Sleep Better?

So, why aren’t you sleeping? We realize this list might be kind of long. So, we decided to focus on some common reasons and some subsequent “lifestyle change” solutions, for your lack of sleep. Finding how to sleep better for any person takes time, so be patient. Small adjustments can improve the quality of your sleep. Here are some examples. Switch off technology(turn off the TV). Avoid artificial light 30 minutes before bed: this means no computers, smartphones or Ipads. Keep the temperature in your bedroom between 64-68 degrees for sleep time and stay well hydrated. These are small, yet big deals when it comes to getting a good night of sleep.

Sometimes, sleep patterns are disrupted by stress factors that are physical, emotional, work related and/or deeply personal. Yes, stress sucks, period. So, if you are finding stress to be affecting your sleep, why not try incorporating some awesome Tai Chi or Yoga into your weekly routine? Studies show that practicing yoga 3-4 times a week can not only reduce your stress levels, it can really help with balancing your circadian rhythm sleep cycle. Don’t forget to ask your yoga instructor for special poses that help with insomnia. Additionally, Tai Chi is a phenomenal way to reduce stress and maintain strength, flexibility and balance. Incorporating different and gentle forms of exercise into your life is an easy way to extricate that stress. Check out what Harvard Health has to say about Tai Chi.

Another culprit for sleep disruption is caffeine. Yes, yes, we love our morning coffee just like many other adults in this world. However, when the caffeine is flowing into the evening hours, this can really impact sleep. And, while some people can casually say,”Caffeine doesn’t affect me or my sleep at all if I drink it before bed”, there are others not so lucky and caffeine wreaks havoc on their sleep cycle. Therefore, if you think caffeine might be affecting your sleep, why not try having a daily cut off time for caffeine? Like, no coffee after 12pm? Many people have told us that after they stopped drinking caffeine in the afternoon time, over time their sleep cycle became much better. So, what do you have to lose? Go for a hot tea instead of that coke or espresso.

Okay, so what if you try all of the above and it’s still not doing the trick? Well, then perhaps it is time to think about supplementing some melatonin into your nightly routine. Learning how to sleep better and get quality sleep takes time and sometimes a little help with a supplement is really beneficial.