10 Tips for Better Sleep and Relaxation
Sleeping well is essential for optimal health. At the Marc Bony Chiropractic Center in Mataró, we offer practical tips to improve your sleep and overall well-being.
1-Relax before bedtime. Stress can put you in a miserable and activated state. Take your time for a pre-sleep ritual to break the connection between stress and bedtime. Try listening to this CD, reading, meditating, doing gentle stretches, using aromatherapy, or taking a hot shower.
2-Be careful with caffeine, coffee, many teas, and sodas that contain caffeine can keep you awake. If you have already consumed too much, you need to eat carbohydrates, like cookies, to help reduce the effects.
3-Be careful with alcohol. Alcohol may help you sleep at first, but as your body metabolizes it, it can cause headaches, sweating, and nightmares, which will disrupt your sleep. To help with these symptoms, try drinking a glass of water for every glass of alcohol consumed.
4-Exercise at the right time. Exercise helps relieve stress, but a good time to exercise is in the morning, never in the afternoon or at bedtime.
5-Reduce noise, light, and extreme temperatures, decrease the stimuli to your brain so it can rest, try earplugs, a night light, or a sleep mask. The best temperature for sleeping is 21 degrees.
6-Eat well and sleep well. Avoid having a large dinner right before going to bed or going to bed on an empty stomach. It’s always a balance; foods that promote sleep include: tuna, pumpkin, potatoes, asparagus, avocados, artichokes, eggs, peaches, oats, bananas, almonds, walnuts.
7-Understand jet lag. Before changing time zones, remember to go to bed earlier. And also keep in mind that your body needs 2 days to adjust.
8>Remember the purpose of the bed, avoid television, eating and arguing in bed. The body and mind associate activities done in bed with being in bed. Don’t let a bad habit keep you awake.
9-Don’t drink after 8 PM. It’s a fact, most of us can’t go to the bathroom and sleep at the same time. So don’t drink after 8 PM so you can rest.
10-Nap wisely. A powerful 20-minute nap early in the day can really refresh you, but if you sleep too much, you’ll spend the whole night staring at the ceiling. Marc Bony, DC
