We’ve all been there: tossing and turning to fall asleep at night just to hit the snooze button six times when morning rolls around. It’s a common issue that many of us struggle with. But regardless of how common this is, it’s not ideal for our health, happiness, or productivity.
Maximize your sleep potential and improve your sleep quality with Kelowna’s Majestic Mattress tips for creating more effective bedtime and morning routines.
Bedtime Routines
Creating and maintaining bedtime routines is an essential step to enhancing your sleep quality. Setting up a regular time that you go to bed every night will help regulate your sleep. For the ultimate night’s rest, add daily exercises into your day, do something relaxing before bed, and prepare for the next day ahead.
Set-up a Regular Bedtime Hour
Consistently going to bed at the same time will help you fall asleep, and allow you to wake up feeling fully rested.
If you have sleep issues such as taking more than 10 minutes to fall asleep, waking up tired, or feeling exhausted throughout the day, try sticking to a regular bedtime to improve upon these areas.
That being said, it takes time to implement the routine. The most effective method is lining your sleep up with your internal circadian biological clock. So, if you’re in bed and can’t sleep, get out of bed and try or repeat one of the following ideas.
Daily Exercise
Exercising on a daily basis will help tire your body out. Exercise several hours before bed to give your body time to wind down from any vigorous exercise that increases your heart and blood flow for the best results.
Exercise tends to boost your metabolism as well, so exercising before dinner or in the afternoon will be the most beneficial to a quality night’s rest.
Organize and Prepare Before Bed
Prepare your breakfast, pack your lunch, choose your outfit, and prioritize tasks for tomorrow. Writing out your daily to-do list before you go to sleep will reduce the stress, worrying, and restless tossing and turning. Plus, knowing what needs to be accomplished in the morning helps you wake up more prepared and energized.
Relaxing Bedroom Practices
There are a number of things you can do to unwind and clear your head before bed. And some will be more effective for you than for others. If you’ve got a lot on your mind or you’re feeling anxious, it’ll lower your sleep quality. So, take your mind off the worries of the day by trying these relaxing activities before you go to sleep:
- Practice yoga
- Meditate
- Read
- Reflect on your day
- Review daily goals
- Write or journal
- Wind down from electronics and bright lights.
Comfortable Bedroom Space
Adjust your sleep environment so that it’s comfortable and calm. Dim the lights, clear the clutter, adjust the temperature, and ensure you have the right mattress, pillows, sheets, blankets and duvets. The wrong mattress can make falling asleep difficult. Read The Best Mattress for Your Sleeping Position to find which mattress is best suited for you based on your sleeping position.
The right pillows also impact your sleep. Pillows that are too soft or too firm will disrupt your sleep, so consider our pillow selection for a variety of sizes and firmness.
Morning Routines
Once you’ve created regular bedtime routines, the next step is creating healthy morning habits. Some of these routines include waking up to light, scheduling your wake-up time, and either stretching or exercising in the morning.
Wake up to Light in Your Bedroom
Regardless of how well you sleep, you’re not going to bounce out of bed with endless energy. It takes time for the body and mind to fully wake up, so waking up gradually to light is an excellent way to smoothly transition from sleep to wake.
Being woken up by an alarm sound can be jarring and disruptive, but waking up to a natural and gradual light will increase your alertness. There are several light apps and light alarms designed to gradually wake up that you can test out.
Tune into your Internal Clock
Our internal circadian biological clock influences when we are sleepy and alert. Tuning into our individual internal clock will help maximize our productivity and improve our sleep quality. Wake up according to that, as best as you can.
Stretch or Exercise in the Morning
Light exercise or just stretching in morning increases blood flow to the brain and throughout the body. Good blood flow improves your concentration and sharpens your senses. Stretching is also a great way to tap into greater amounts of energy. Studies suggest that a good morning stretch will help maintain better energy amounts throughout the entire day.
Similarly, exercising first thing in the morning increases blood flow, improves your focus and gives you an excellent boost to start the day.
Visit Majestic Mattress today, or call us at 250-860-4453 in Kelowna or 250-769-2237 in West Kelowna. Our dedicated team will help you achieve the best sleep possible.