In this contemporary era, so many of us are wondering about “how to get better sleep at night”. The percentage of night owls and nocturnal ramblers has increased at quite a high rate in the last few years. Quality sleep and effortless naps naturally seem to be fading away and many people are prone to sleep interruption in the middle of the night due to a number of factors.  Reasons for inadequate sleep and disruption during naps might include; a lethargic lifestyle, insufficient physical activity during the daytime, not following a sleep schedule, technology addiction, and excessive exposure to blue light before sleep hours, stress and anxiety, and lastly any underlying health issue which still needs to predicate and resolve.

Since we all know that proper and timely sleep is crucial to both physical and mental health, getting better sleep at night should be our top priority in order to carry out our daily life routine robust and vigilant.

Ways to get better sleep at night

Depending on the causes and symptoms of poor sleep quality and sleeplessness at night, there are a number of ways to deal with the problem to get an ample amount of sleep at nighttime along with an energetic start of the day. So let’s discuss how you will be able to get better sleep at night;

1- Follow your Body’s Innate Signals – Get Better Sleep Secrets

Before searching for any sleeping technique or taking any medication to boost the sleep hormones, your first and foremost preference should be getting sleep naturally. You need to know and understand that our body has its own built-in natural cycle for sleep where it get signals to go to bed and awake without even looking at the clock and this is body’s internal clock ticking for different needs throughout the day and night.

a) Watch out sleep cycle

All you need is to train yourself to go to bed at the same time at night to not only sleep fast but also to have better sleep quality all night long. When you will follow the same bedtime daily religiously, you will not need to sleep forcefully any longer. In order to sleep conveniently at night, you also have to wake up at the same time daily. This discipline is going to bed and waking up at the same time daily will let you sleep effortlessly as well as will improve your sleep quality

b) Consider the Timing of Sleep Hormone 

Another thing you need to ponder over is the timing for releasing melatonin which is the sleep hormone. It usually gets released from around nine at night till 10:30. That is the time you should put away for your bedtime. When melatonin releases in your body, it makes you drowsy and dizzy naturally, so sleeping within this one and a half hour will lead you to a healthy and natural sleep cycle. Usually people take melatonin tablets to induce sleep artificially neglecting the fact that they can utilize the natural melatonin produced by their own body for better sleep experiences. 

c) Avoid long naps during the daytime that’s the answer to how to get better sleep at night

To maintain a sleep schedule daily and have an uninterrupted nap all night, you also need to avoid long naps during the day. Daytime naps will make you less tired and will also decrease the sleep tendency at night resulting in nuisance during sleep as well staying awake for late. So, if you want to unwind a little during the day, be thoughtful of the sleep duration and the time of the day. Sleeping past afternoon will definitely disturb your night schedule for sleep. By practicing all these cautions will let you sleep better at night naturally. 

2- Stimulate sleepiness through Food and Remedies -Get Better Sleep Secrets

If you are suffering from insomnia and want to cure it through remedies and food then let me tell you how to get better sleep without going anywhere. Before discussing what to take to induce sleep faster, first, you need to know what to avoid for better sleep. Taking caffeine and nicotine in late afternoons or evenings will have a negative effect on your sleep pattern. So you should take them till noon in order to shun sleeplessness at night. 

a) Food

The food for good sleep includes chamomile tea, which has proven to be a great sleep booster. Then there comes a spoonful of honey along with warm milk. Eating cherries at night also provides you with melatonin that will help you in regulating your circadian cycle. For some people intake of almonds at night also proves to be a sleep inducer. 

b) Home remedies

Home remedies for good sleep include; a spoon of honey along with warm milk or soya milk before going to bed that will radically refurbish your night sleep. Another home remedy for good sleep is having a bowl of oatmeal. Oatmeal is full of magnesium and calcium. While magnesium has both the building blocks for melatonin and calming properties for stress release. 

3- Simmer down all your Anxieties – Get Better Sleep Secrets

Another major reason for sleep deprivation at night is stress and anxiety. Oftentimes, anxiety not only surrounds our thoughts but also haunts us when we lie down on a bed at night. After a busy day at work or in household chores, our mind starts to dwell over things that make us distressed and anxious. Nonetheless, sleeping with anxiety is not less than a challenge; there are certain techniques you can exploit to sleep better with anxiety.

a) Mediate before bedtime

When you get free from all your daily endeavors, you should make time for your mental health activities. If you are going through a rough patch in your life which is causing you anxiety and stress, then meditating a while before your bed time surely will help you sleep better at night. Practicing meditation and enchanting your brain boosting mantras results in stillness and tranquility of your brain. This activity will make you less anxious and will surely facilitate you in sleeping at night. When your mind becomes less worried, there are high chances of very low interruptions during your naps. That is how your sleep quality will improve consequently amplifying your sleep hours as well.

b) De-clutter your brain 

Before going to bed, craft an hour that is only for you; exclusive of your errands and duties. This should be your “me-time” in which you can do anything of your interest and well-being. In this hour, you first need to surrender yourself to your current situation. And then, you can plan any activity like watching a movie, stand-up comedy, playing a game that can untangle you from your worries. Such slot in which you will not only surrender to your concerns and give yourself a pleasant time will surely shrivel your anxiety during the night as well. That is how you will be able to sleep better with anxiety at night. 

c) Workout during the Day

Following a workout schedule during your day will also let you sleep better at night. Regular exercise not only boosts your physical health but also improves your thought patterns causing you to feel less worried. When you workout, a chemical known as endorphin releases which transform the responsiveness towards pain. This chemical basically helps out in prompting good feelings in your body that may act as a catalyst for fighting anxiety. Moreover, exercise also drains you physically in a good way, and because of this physical fatigue, you will certainly have interrupted sleep at night. Since we all have experienced better naps after an exhausting day, and we all do know the reason behind this instinctively. 

4- Dodge the Mind through Acute tricks

If you want to sleep instantly then let me tell you how you can try some tricks to make your brain sleepy. If you are leaning on your bed with your eyes wide open and are totally feeling alert and dewy at night, here are some techniques through which you will be able to get better sleep at night;

If your brain is feeling bloomy and attentive at night, blinking your eyes quickly will make you sleepier and your brain will start to catch the signal as if you are sleepy. Try this for at least sixty seconds in order to get the expected results. 

b) Breathe Consciously and Deliberately

Another way to induce sleep when you are not able to sleep is by starting breathing not only consciously but also purposely in a peculiar manner. First of all, you need to inhale for four seconds and then hold it for a count of seven seconds and then exhale for eight seconds. You can also elongate your exhale as much as you can do easily. Repeat this for a certain number of times as per your condition. This breathing practice will surely induce sleep and you will start to feel sleepy soon. 

c) Employ sleeping apps

You can avail sleeping apps that provides you with comforting music that calms down your mind and body so that you can fall asleep right away. You can search these apps in accordance with your condition and employ them as and when required.

5- Be Conscious of Your Actions 

When you are not able to sleep at night because of any reason and trying really hard to induce sleep then you need to be conscious of what you are doing while lying down on the bed. There are certain things that we do out of restlessness and insomnia that result in even more agitation. Continuous sleeplessness and inability to sleep when you are not left with much time for your rest might result in unconscious activities which might make the situation even worst. So, in order to cope with the situation and fall asleep when you cannot, you should;

a) Put the clock aside

When you are left with very few hours to sleep, the first thing you could do is putting the clock far away from your reach. Keeping your clock away will help you relax in order to lose track of remaining sleeping time. This way you will not get entangled in the thoughts of again waking up early and counting the leftover minutes. 

b) Do not lie down on the bed for long

Another important thing to consider falling asleep when you cannot is to avoid long stays on bed and stare on the ceiling. It will cause more mess in your effort to fall asleep resulting in staying awake for long and restless. If you found yourself agitated and insomniac while rambling on your bed, then you should change your position immediately. You just have to start doing which is without the exposure of blue light. You can start reading a book or having a walk in your room which will give you a sudden sense of tiredness. This way you will be able to get better sleep eventually.  

Adopt What Suits you the best

Depending on your situation, you can choose whatever suits you best in accordance with your situation. You can have a yoga pose called “legs up the wall” to get sleep within five minutes. You can also take a hot bath to induce sleep which also has proven to be beneficial for many. And you can also try methodically and consciously relaxing your muscles to have a good night’s sleep. Since so many techniques available but it’s you who has to fight and cure your insomnia, for whatever reason you got succumb to it. 

About the Author

Syed Sarmad Ali

Syed Sarmad Ali is a Writer, Poet, and a Digital Marketing Enthusiast. He aims to spread happiness and inspire people to Live, Love & Laugh wholeheartedly.

View All Articles