Sleeping well ???  

I am sure I will get a lot of mixed answers.

Many people face trouble falling asleep even though they are super tired and have been very productive during the day.

Now, why does this happen?

There are a lot of reasons.

It could be stress because you have to give an important presentation tomorrow, or you have a tough exam or in a few cases it could be due to depression.

But no matter what the reason is, I do have some ways in which you can have a good night’s sleep. And the application of these tips is very simple.

Table of Contents

1. Reduce your screen time
2. Don’t consume caffeine after 7 pm
3. Eat at least 2 hours before going to sleep
4. Read a Hard Bound book
5. Jot down a plan for the next day
6. Don’t go to bed angry

So, Let’s dive straight into the tips so that I can get you to sleep like a baby.

#01 Reduce your screen time

I would say the best way to fall asleep very quickly is to switch off your mobile and all other electronic devices at least 2 hours before going to bed.

I know, this is difficult, but it is very important to detox from technology.

However, I tried doing this myself and it was not very helpful.

That is the reason the title says “Reduce” your screen time.

Since I am in the audit field, I have a lot of late nights working.
For whatever reason, even you might have to work on your phone or laptop at night.

And who am I kidding? We all love to scroll through Instagram and Facebook or binge on our favorite web series cuddled up in our blankets.

While all this seems a lot of fun, using any electronic display device just before going to bed is the number one reason, people find it difficult to fall asleep.

The blue light that emits from these devices suppresses the release of melatonin which is the hormone responsible for inducing sleep and balancing the sleep-wake cycle of your body.

It might also cause anxiety in some cases. This happens especially when you are scrolling through social media and see that your friends are either vacationing or have got a job and you haven’t, etc.

So how do you control the use of technology at night?

I am sure you already know about the ill-effects of using your phone just before bed, so here are some steps you can follow to reduce your screen time and start sleeping better :

• First and foremost, you need to get your schedule together.
  If you have to work on your laptop during the late evenings, don’t plan to sleep right after that.
  
  After you have finished working, log-off and detox. You should at least have 45 minutes of technology-free time before sleeping.
  
  You can spend this time, doing a lot of things like reading, crocheting, knitting, etc.

• After you have fixed your schedule, keep all the devices that are likely to distract you in another room, or keep it out of your reach.
  
  Also, keep your phone on airplane mode, so that no calls disturb your sleep.
  You must have heard a lot of times that Health is Wealth.
  
  Well, this is not just said often because it rhymes, but also because it is true. After you have logged off, don’t attend to any work calls.
  
  You have done your best and the rest of the work can wait for the next day.

• The above two points cover work, now coming to entertainment.
  
  It is quite logical actually, that almost everyone scrolls through social media and watches their favorite shows during the later part of the day.

This is because in the mornings and afternoons we are busy either studying or working and hence we save our recreation time for when we are tired.

However, like I said this disturbs your sleep.
But, there is a very effective tip that I have applied and achieved great results.

Whenever you are using your phone in the night, don’t sit in your bedroom. You can sit in any other room and use social media or watch T.V. Another important thing is to keep the lights switched on.

I have recently started using this technique and it has made a huge difference in my sleeping pattern.

The main reason why this tip is so effective is that, when we are using our phone while lying down on our bed with the lights switched off, our body goes into sleep mode.

But, when we are not actually sleeping it gets confused. That is why by using the above strategy you are not confusing the body to fall asleep.

And then when you do go lie down, you are bound to get a good night’s sleep.

#02 Don’t Consume Caffeine after 7 pm

Caffeine acts as an artificial stimulant and promotes alertness. That is why people have consumed coffee just a few hours before going to bed have a hard time falling asleep.

Adenosine is a substance in our body that promotes sleepiness. Caffeine blocks the adenosine receptor and keeps you from feeling sleepy.

Thus, it very clear that you should not consume caffeine after 7 pm or maximum 8pm.

Now, you shouldn’t interpret coffee and caffeine as synonyms.

You must not consume coffee after 7, undoubtedly. But you should also stay away from food products containing caffeine.

Some very surprising foods that contain caffeine are medications for headaches, ice cream, chocolates, etc.

You can visit https://www.sleep.org/foods-with-caffeine/ for more information on foods containing caffeine.

If you are in the habit of eating before you go to sleep, you can use some of the following safer substitutes such as:

1. Warm water and honey
2. Warm milk and Honey
3. Peanuts
4. Flax seeds
5. Cumin

#03 Eat at least 2 hours before going to Bed

This is something that celebrity dietician Ms. Rujuta Diwekar has said and I totally swear by it.

At times it does happen that I eat dinner and go to bed right after that.
But because of this, I have woken up the next morning feeling bloated and gassy.

That is why I make a conscious effort to complete all my meals at least
2 hours before going to bed.

You should also avoid eating spicy foods for dinner as they might be the cause of heartburn or indigestion.

Moreover, sleeping just after you have finished eating, also aids in weight gain.
Going to sleep directly after you eat means your body doesn’t get a chance to burn off those calories and hence you gain weight.

Why does sleeping right after you eat likely to cause a disturbed sleep?

Lying down with a full tummy causes the stomach contents to reflux into the esophagus leading to heartburn or bloating.

Going to bed right after eating also delays the digestion cycle. Scientists have found that digestion takes place at best when the body is in an upright position.

This is mainly because gravity also plays a significant role in moving the food substances from the stomach into the intestines, so on and so forth.

So when you lie down with a full stomach you are going to feel uncomfortable and therefore have trouble sleeping.

However, what you eat also matters as much as eating 2 hours before sleeping does.

Choose the right foods for Dinner

If you are going to consume caffeinated foods and then wait for 2 hours before sleeping, it is not really going to do you much good.

You should choose foods that enhance your sleep.

Like I have mentioned before, avoid caffeinated and spicy food stuffs.

Some of the foods that I would recommend are :

1. Chapati and a vegetable dish
2. Rice and Fish
3. Curd Rice
4. Veg Pulav and there are many such combinations.

Avoid eating meat such as chicken, salami, bacon, etc. since they take longer to digest.

The above suggestions are completely flexible. It is what works best for me. You can try out your own combinations and decide what suits you better.

Sleeping on an Empty Stomach is Just as Bad!

Just like you should not sleep right after eating, you should also not skip your dinner completely.

When you are hungry, your stomach sends signals to your brain which is very commonly known as hunger pangs.

And you are very likely to get these hunger pangs when you are sleeping, if you choose to skip dinner.

This will keep you from having a good night’s sleep.

Moreover, you might wake up feeling very hungry and end up overeating at breakfast.

So even if you are watching your weight, I would advise you to not skip any meal of the day, as it may end up doing you more harm than good.

Plan Your Meals

The best way to avoid both the above situations is to have a weekly or daily meal planner.

This will not only help your sleep cycle, but it would also help you stay healthy and fit.

There are a lot of free planners available on the web, pick one and start pleasing your tummy ?

#04 Read a Hard Bound Book

Emphasis on the words, “Hardbound”.

So, if you are planning to download an e-book on your phone, that is not going to help.

Reading allows the body to relax its muscles, slows down your breathing, and helps you feel calm.

This is in turn preparing the body to fall off to sleep.

On the other hand, reading is definitely a better alternative as compared to checking social media or watching T.V.

Reading also helps to improve your writing skills and creativity.
This means you are developing skills even when you are the most tired. That’s great isn’t it?

If you are not an avid reader, listening to music has also proved to be very effective. But, for most of us, this would mean connecting to our mobile phones again.

That is why I would recommend developing the habit of reading for at least 30 minutes before going to bed.

I am not much of a reader myself, but I did start developing this habit by following the above tip.

Another thing to remember is that I would advise you to choose fiction novels or comic books for the night.

This is because, if you are reading an informative book it is going to defeat the purpose of putting you to sleep. It is not going to calm you down but start engaging you even more.

But this is just an opinion, if you are getting a night of good sleep by reading non-fiction, there is nothing like it.

#05 Jot down a plan for the Next Day

If you have read my article on 10 Tips to Have the Perfect Morning, I have talked about this tip there as well.

This does not directly affect your sleeping pattern, but having the next day sorted out is going to give you some satisfaction which will definitely aid in giving you a good night’s sleep.

Now, you can plan at anytime of the day. However, having said that, I do strongly recommend planning at night.

This is because you are looking forward to the next day to come and this is going to excite you about the challenges that you are likely to face.

You also know that you are going to sleep after planning and therefore, you are not going to get overwhelmed by the long and tough plan that you are making.

And the most important reason is that, you are less biased.

This means, if you plan at night, you are also going to factor in the time you are going to get up.

Now, when you wake up the next morning with your alarm, you are less likely to hit that darn snooze button.
You know that if you don’t wake up on time, you will fall behind on your schedule.

On the other hand, if you plan your day after getting up, you might not accomplish as many things as you would have had you planned the night before.

Now, wait a minute. Don’t stress.

You just have to remember to plan the night before and my free printable is going to help you do the rest.

This is an editable version, so you don’t have to worry about printing it out. You just need to enter your email address below and the planner will be emailed to you.

#06 Don’t go to bed angry

Since we’re humans, we are bound to face all kinds of emotions such as happiness, sadness, shock, anger, frustration, surprise, etc.

Therefore, it is very natural to get into an argument or fight.

However, we always tend to think that fighting or arguing with someone is a bad thing.

But hey, it is really not!

That’s right.

Arguing with someone can actually have a lot of positive effects on your relationship with the person you are fighting with.

It improves your communication skills, and as we have all heard:

‘You fight the most with the person you love the most.’

But that being said, you should not go to sleep without resolving that fight or argument you might have had with your spouse or sibling or parent or friend.

This is because you will find to harder to sleep if you have negative thoughts in your mind.

Many studies conducted by researchers worldwide also suggest that going to bed angry is very likely to disrupt sleep.

Forgiveness is a far more energy-efficient option. It releases us from the drain of holding a grudge, setting us free to love and laugh again.

And the most important thing is that, by reconciling with the person you have fought with, your relationship will only grow more.

So, for the sake of your sleep and your relations, Don’t go to bed angry.

You can do this by following the below tips:

• Burst your EGO

Most fights end up being very ugly because people are JUST NOT READY TO LET GO.

You need to understand that the person you are fighting with is someone you love and adore.
So, just ask for forgiveness even if it is your fault and even if it makes you feel “small”.

• TALK it OUT

Any couples therapy will tell you to talk to your spouse more often.
And this is true in all relationships!

Talking to the person you have fought with will resolve any misunderstandings that must have arisen during the fight.

It also helps in communicating your feelings and eventually your argument will die down.

• Take DEEP BREATHS and FORGIVE!

Forgiving the opposite person is not only important for him but also important for you.

It is going to give you peace of mind and most importantly it is going to give you a good night’s sleep.

And in case (which is unlikely), none of the above tips work, just ask yourself these 2 questions:

‘IS this WORTH fighting for?’

‘IS this going to MATTER after 5 years?’

If your answer to both the above questions is in the negative, you should DEFINITELY FORGET ABOUT THE FIGHT.

So that is it from me.

I hope this article has helped you sleep better.

Still having trouble sleeping?

Email me at [email protected] and I will help you.

Thank you so much for visiting my blog.

All the best for all your ventures.

Have a nice day and an awesome life. And……

Happy Reading ?