Struggling to achieve restful sleep can feel like a never-ending battle, leaving you groggy and drained the next day. The pursuit of a good night’s sleep is a universal quest, and while it might seem elusive, it’s entirely within reach. Restful sleep isn’t just a luxury; it’s a necessity for our physical and mental well-being. Discovering the right habits and routines can make a world of difference. Let’s explore four essential health tips that can pave the way to a restful night’s sleep and revitalize your days.

You may know how essential it is that your body gets a good night’s sleep every day, but if you are one to have more restless nights than is usual, this can be a difficult goal to achieve. To help you sleep soundly at night, consider giving these four health tips a try.

Keep Your sleep-Wake Cycle in Sync

It is essential to get in sync with your circadian rhythm, the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle, in order to sleep better. When you follow a regular sleep-wake schedule, your body becomes more energized and revitalized as compared to sleeping for the same number of hours at different schedules each day.

To do this, try to set a time to sleep and get up every single day. Doing so will set up your internal clock and make sleeping much easier. Fight the temptation to sleep in on weekends as it will only make your jetlag-like symptoms worse. To compensate for a late night, you can take a nap during the day instead of sleeping in.

Avoid Light Exposure When You Sleep

Melatonin, the hormone that helps in regulating one’s circadian rhythm, naturally occurs when it’s dark. This is the reason people are sleepier when there’s less light and more aware when it’s bright.

During the day, make sure to expose yourself to sunlight as much as possible. Having your coffee outside or letting natural light in through your window should be able to perk you up in the morning and give you a good rest at night.

Meanwhile, nighttime should be spent with as less light as possible. This does not only mean turning off the lights in your bedroom but also avoiding bright screens and monitors at least one to two hours before bedtime. For the sake of a good night’s sleep, it sure won’t hurt to part with your smartphones for a few hours a day.

Get Regular Exercise

Exercising regularly does not only prevent heart disease, it also promotes quality sleep at night. The more vigorous your routines are, the more powerful your sleep benefits become. Even a 10-minute walk a day can significantly improve one’s sleep quality.

Whatever exercise suits you, it is important to perform such activities in the morning or the afternoon. A physical activity done too close to bed may just interfere with your sleep. Make sure that all vigorous workouts are completed at least three hours before bedtime. However, low-impact exercises like yoga in the evening should help promote a more fulfilling sleep.

Try the 4-7-8 Breathing Technique

If you are aiming to fall asleep faster at night, you may consider doing breathing exercises, such as the 4-7-8 method. This relaxing technique increases the amount of oxygen that goes to the bloodstream and releases more carbon dioxide from the lungs.

The principle of this technique is to inhale through the nose up to the count of four, holding your breath up to the count of seven, and exhaling through the mouth with a whooshing sound up to the count of eight. Repeat the cycle for a total of four breaths, and you may find yourself hitting the sack in no time.

Don’t wait until sleep deprivation gets the better of you. Start becoming the best version of yourself through proper sleep and a healthier lifestyle.