By: Drew Rivers

A good night’s sleep is essential. It can boost your immune system, help you lose weight, and makes you feel more energized in the morning. You can do many different things to help you get a better night’s sleep, from changing your diet to creating new bedtime routine habits to cutting down on alcohol and more. This post looks at some other ways you can improve your sleep quality and boost your physical and mental health.

Create a consistent sleep routine

Maintaining a consistent sleep routine is essential for improving your sleep quality. Work with your body’s natural circadian rhythm by creating a bedtime and wake-up time. Creating a consistent sleep routine can also help you improve your health. The idea is that consistency leads to better sleep and, by extension, better health.

Create a sleep routine and stick with it every night. For example, try to go to bed simultaneously and wake up at the same time each day.

Avoid food close to bedtime.

Avoiding food close to bedtime is an excellent way to improve your sleep. It may sound counterintuitive, but we’ll get into why this will improve your sleep a little later in the article.

You want to avoid too much sugar or caffeine close to bedtime. Caffeine can stay in your system for up to six hours after you have consumed it and has been shown to impact our ability to fall asleep and stay asleep.

Eating a large meal close to bedtime can also affect how well you sleep because of increased blood flow and acid reflux that result from overeating.

Ensure adequate exposure to natural light

Your body’s natural sleep and wake cycles are regulated by a hormone called melatonin. Light is essential for producing this hormone, which is why adequate exposure to natural light can improve your sleep quality. If you’re not sleeping well, it’s possible that you’re not getting enough exposure to natural light. When the sun sets, your body starts pumping out melatonin, and you start feeling sleepy. You can help regulate your melatonin levels by ensuring you have adequate exposure to natural light in the morning and evening. Keep curtains open during the day so that sunlight can enter your room at night. This will help regulate when your body produces its natural sleep hormones and provide an easy way to wake up in the morning without an alarm clock.

Don’t exercise too close to bedtime.

Exercising is good for your physical and mental health, but it shouldn’t be done right before bed. Exercising can make you more alert and may keep you awake. Keep your gym visits to Fitness 19, for example, earlier in the day and save exercise close to bedtime for less strenuous workouts such as swimming, yoga, or pilates.

Pay attention to your bedroom setup and decor.

Your bedroom setup can impact your sleep quality. To start, make sure you have a cozy and comfortable bedroom. The temperature should range between 60-75 degrees Fahrenheit. You should also invest in a good mattress, pillow, and sheets.

Your bedroom should be free of clutter and have no electronic distractions. You should also avoid using bright, stimulating patterns to help create a sleep indicative environment.