If you have gotten 7-8 hours of sleep at night but feel like your body is dragging, you could be missing out on precious deep sleep. What is deep sleep? It is the state of sleep that is responsible for replenishing cells, healing and repairing your body, and revitalizing your immune system.
Deep sleep is important for you as it will enable you to wake up in the morning feeling refreshed. As such, get enough deep sleep every day. The following tips will help improve your deep sleep and help you feel refreshed when you wake up in the morning:
1.Do Light or Moderate-Intensity Exercises at The Right Time
Experts recommend 30 minutes of exercises every day, 5 days per week. It is a good idea to do physical activities you enjoy doing the most for 30 minutes on a daily basis. Moderate physical activities such as light jogging, walking the dog, or yoga can help you get 30 minutes of physical activity a day.
While physical activity can help expend your energy and increase deep sleep, you should avoid strenuous exercises too close to bedtime as such exercises can negatively affect your nighttime sleep. Working out in the morning can make you feel energized and awake and make you feel good throughout the day knowing that you have already exercised.
For many people, late afternoon is a great time to exercise to burn off the stress of the day. Doing this at least 3 hours before going to bed will enable you to wear yourself out while not encroaching on your time to wind down and relax before bed. Getting enough sleep will help you have more energy. When you feel energized, you can get more done including more physical activity which will increase your deep sleep.
2.A Pre-Bed Warmup
Warming your body before bedtime can help you fall asleep faster, help you enjoy a good night’s sleep, and help improve deep sleep. Your bed should feel warm and cozy. You want to feel comfortable and warm, not hot at night. It may be a good idea to spend time in a hot tub, warm bath, or sauna at night. We recommend taking a long bath with a temperature of 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius or higher) at least 45 minutes before going to bed. Then when you lay down on your Eve mattress your body will be relaxed and ready to fall into a deep sleep.
3.Avoid Taking Caffeine at Least 6 Hours Before Bedtime
Taking caffeine before going to bed can negatively affect your sleep. However, the time you should avoid taking caffeine may surprise you. Caffeine can stay in your body for up to 6 hours. This means that taking coffee at least 6 hours before going to bed will increase the amount of time you will spend in lighter stages of sleep hence decreasing the amount of time you spend in a deep sleep. That is why it is good to avoid taking caffeine at least 6 hours before going to bed to increase the chances of enjoying a good night’s sleep.
4.Listen to Pink Noise While Sleeping
Northwestern Medicine researchers did a certain study that showed that sleeping while listening to pink noise as a constant sound in the background increased deep sleep in patients with a mild cognitive impairment which improved the memories of the patients the following day.
There are many good sound machines available on the market. These sound machines have a wide variety of sounds including pink noise. You may also consider an air purifier or a fan for their background noise and with bonuses of clean air and temperature control.
5.Consider Hypnosis Before Bed
A study carried out by the University of Fribourg in Switzerland found out that those who participated in the research and listened to a sleep-promoting audio recording containing hypnotic suggestion spent more time in deep sleep than those who didn’t listen to the recordings.
If you would like to try this technique, consider free and paid audio resources available. Look for one that meets your needs and try to use this before you sleep. Turn it off before you fall asleep or use a timer to turn it off. This will prevent the sound from disrupting your sleep when you fall asleep.