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Sleep is important for your health, vitality and well-being every day. A good night's sleep can improve your concentration at work and helps you to start the day in a good mood, but it’s not just the amount of sleep you get, it's the quality too1.
If you hear your alarm go off in the morning and you wake up feeling tired like you only just went to bed, here are a few simple changes you can make to help you feel well-rested and awaken at your best every day.
Try these 5 tips to help you sleep better at night.
1. Avoid the caffeine
Australians love our coffee, tea, energy drinks and soft drink.
But most of these contain caffeine, which has a stimulating effect on our bodies by blocking sleep-inducing chemicals in the brain and increasing adrenaline production2.
Consuming caffeine three to six hours before bed can disrupt your sleep. So, if you’re quite fond of any of these beverages, replace them with decaffeinated versions in the hours leading into the night, or avoid them altogether to help your body and mind relax when you hit the pillow.
2. Don’t drink alcohol after dinner
Despite what we read and see in popular culture, alcohol can cause sleep problems rather than induce a deep slumber.
When you drink alcohol, your body metabolises it into sugar, raising glucose levels which can keep you awake and fragment your sleep3. Alcohol is also a diuretic and can cause dehydration, which may wake you up because you are thirsty or need to use the bathroom (or both).
With all of these effects combined, it’s best to lay off the alcoholic drinks if you want to improve your sleep.
3. Exercise more frequently
Regular and sufficient exercise is not only good for your health, but your sleeping patterns as well.
It’s recommended to exercise daily for a minimum of 30 minutes4. Maintaining a healthy exercise routine can strengthen circadian rhythms, promote daytime alertness and help bring on better sleep at night, because you’re burning more energy throughout the day5.
Schedule some time in daily and get into a routine of keeping active to help improve your quality of sleep. Just don’t exercise too close to bedtime!