How Daily Habits Impact Your Sleep

3 min

A healthy night’s rest starts way before your head hits the pillow. Establishing essential habits throughout your daily routine won’t just help you feel healthier throughout the day, it will also help you sleep better through the night.

Diet

Something that has a huge impact on our sleep is our diet. Specific foods can have a huge effect on our body’s ability to get deep, restful sleep, and when our bodies are lacking key nutrients, it is much harder to get the quality sleep we need. Some foods that can help improve your overall quality of sleep include fruits, veggies, and whole grains. Avoid eating spicy, fried, and acidic foods as well as alcohol and caffeine too close to bedtime.

Another important aspect that your diet has on your sleep is when you eat. Try sticking to a consistent dinner schedule to help follow your set bedtime and ensure that your food is fully digested so you can fall asleep easily and stay asleep through the night.

Exercise

Exercising not only has numerous health benefits for our bodies, but it also helps your body produce melatonin, making it easier to fall asleep at night with the additional benefit of helping prevent acid reflux. Exercising also helps reduce stress, which is one of the key inhibitors when it comes to getting quality sleep. It has been found that exercising in the morning, soon after waking up, can have some of the best sleep-enhancing benefits. But remember, exercising at any point in the day is better for your sleep quality than no exercise at all.

Preparing Your Sleep Space

Before slipping under the covers, it’s also important that your sleep space is set up in a way that supports your sleep needs. Follow these tips to help ensure your sleep space is serving you in a positive way:

• Prepare your room for bed: Making sure your room is cool and dark will help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep throughout the night.
• Reserve your bed for sleep: While many of us love a good lie in bed, ensuring your bed is just for sleep is another way to signal to your body that it’s time to unwind.
• Protect yourself from allergens: Utilizing a mattress and pillow protector can create a barrier between you and allergens, allowing you to breathe and sleep peacefully.
• Choose comfortable, quality bedding: Covering yourself with bedding that is supportive, comfortable, and natural can help you get the quality sleep you need.

Bedtime Routine

Having a consistent bedtime routine is also a great way to improve your overall sleep quality. Because our bodies react so strongly to habits, sticking to a routine each night can help signal to your body that it’s time to relax and get ready for bed.

Beyond your evening shower, nightly tea, or book in bed, an important part of your nighttime routine is clearing your mind. The stress buildup of the day creates a huge hindrance to our ability to both fall asleep and get the deep, restful sleep we need. Journaling and goal setting can be great ways to rid your mind of the day’s stressors and help you avoid overthinking before bed. Additionally, meditation and deep breathing help your mind and body relax and prepare for slumber. The 4-7-8 breathing technique is a great way to calm your mind and help you fall asleep.

Sources
“Bedtime Routine for Adults.” Community Health Network. https://mychn.org/bedtime-routine-for-adults/

1. “Get Moving to Get Better Sleep.” National Sleep Foundation. thensf/get-moving-to-get-better-sleep/
2. “Healthy Sleep Habits.” American Academy of Sleep Medicine. sleepeducation/healthy-sleep/healthy-sleep-habits/
3. “Healthy Sleep Starts Before You Hit the Sheets.” National Sleep Foundation. thensf/healthy-sleep-starts-before-you-hit-the-sheets/
4. “Is Eating Before Bed Bad?” Sleep Foundation. sleepfoundation/nutrition/is-it-bad-to-eat-before-bed
5. “Nutrition and Sleep.” Sleep Foundation. sleepfoundation/nutrition
6. “The Effect of Physical Activity on Sleep Quality and Sleep Disorder: A Systematic Review.” National Library of Medicine. ncbi.nlm.nih/pmc/articles/PMC10503965/
7. “Stress and Sleep Disorder.” National Library of Medicine. ncbi.nlm.nih/pmc/articles/PMC3538178/

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