A survey conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, reported that the healthier you are, the better you sleep. Here are three ways sleep specialists advise improving bedtime habits.
Environment
It’s also advised to only use your bedroom for sleeping.
So, desks and room offices should be removed so you don’t associate the bedroom with work and only associate it with sleep, according to Brunilda Nazario, chief physician editor for medical affairs at WebMD.
Keep the bedroom quiet and use window shades.
Keeping the room at the right temperature and brightness can also help facilitate sleep.
Exercise
Overall, older adults should exercise at least 30 minutes a day for their health, but exercising can also help with sleep.
Exercise raises core body temperature, which tells the body to stay awake.
After 30 to 90 minutes, the core body temperature starts to fall and that facilitates drowsiness, according to The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
When doing aerobic exercises, the body releases endorphins as well, and once the endorphin levels go down and the brain relaxes.
However, because of this time frame, it is not advised to work out right before bed.
Drugs
Stay away from stimulants such as nicotine, caffeine and alcohol.
Studies show that having them late at night disrupts sleep as the body tries to digest the stimulants, according to Nazario.
To help with sleep, magnesium supplements decrease stress hormones and help with muscle relaxation.
For those with chronic insomnia, especially since it’s so common in older adults, prescribed medication from the doctor is an option to consider to help with sleep.
