Troubled Sleepers – How to Get Better Sleep at Night
Sleeping directly affects your mental and physical health. If you end up with low-quality sleep cycles, it takes a toll on your mood, productivity, and weight. Many of us struggle to get a good night’s rest, which prevents us from getting the most out of our waking hours. Fortunately, you can control the quality of your sleep through your daily habits and lifestyle choices.
How to develop healthy sleep-wake cycles
Contrary to popular belief, most poor sleeping conditions don’t happen spontaneously. What you do during the day can affect how comfortable you can fall asleep and how deep your sleep will be. Through healthy daytime habits, you can avoid having difficulties when you’re ready to rest up for tomorrow.
If you want to get a good night’s rest, here are three things you should try out:
1. Set the mood in your sleeping quarters
Your sleeping environment plays a vital role in how easily you can fall and stay asleep. For example, strong exposure to light can make it challenging to get a good night’s rest. Your brain secretes more melatonin to regulate your sleep-wake cycle in dark environments. These hormones tell your body to fall asleep faster in the dark and stay awake in the morning. Besides sleeping environments, variables such as lifestyle habits can also affect the production of this hormone.
2. Sleep at the right hours
Your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle, or circadian rhythm, dictates what time you’ll fall asleep and wake up within the day. Interruptions to this rhythm, such as late-night overtime or emergency early morning meetings, can disrupt your body’s routine. You can confuse your internal clock by not following a consistent schedule.
Try scheduling your sleep throughout the week instead of sporadically having early or late bedtimes. Additionally, you should set an alarm in the morning to help you match a specific wake-up time. Doing these precautions can prevent you from tossing in bed or experiencing jet lag-like symptoms in the morning. If you have to take morning or afternoon naps, limit it to 15 to 20 minutes at most to avoid confusing your body’s circadian rhythm.
3. Get some exercise during the day
Regular exercise is an excellent way to get a deeper and more restorative sleep state. It reduces the occurrence of insomnia and sleep apnea, which allows you to get more rest at night. The higher the intensity of your workout, the better your sleep benefits will be. However, you don’t always need a full hour in the gym to get your blood pumping. Going for a light jog during the day is the bare minimum to improve your sleeping quality at night.
Fitness routines speed up your metabolism and stimulate your hormones, which is why it works best in waking you up in the morning and afternoons. If you work out too close to your bedtime, you may develop sleeping difficulties instead. If you want to workout in the evening, you can do low-impact exercises such as yoga or stretching. These exercises calm and relax your body to get ready for rest.
Conclusion
Tossing and turning at night can have adverse effects not just to your mental and emotional state but also on your physiology. The lack of rest can weaken your immune system, promote harmful weight loss and gain, and reduce your energy throughout the day. Sleeping is just as important as being productive in the day. Committing to healthy morning habits, such as routine exercises and proper sleeping schedules, will prepare your mind and body for a good night’s rest.
One of the best ways to maintain a healthy sleeping schedule is by engaging your body with fitness routines. We are a personal training studio in Wellesley that provides training services tailor-fit to your body’s needs. Book a consultation with us today to get started on living a healthier lifestyle!
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I love working out with Chad! I have been working out with him for the past year and a half and have had the best results compared with other trainers. Chad’s dedication to his clients, humor, warmth and expertise are a winning combination. I look forward to our sessions and always leave feeling stronger, more flexible and energetic. I highly recommend Chad.
I have been working with Chad (the trainer) for almost three years now and have gone through an amazing transformation! He bonds greatly with his clients and is a very qualified trainer. He tailors workouts to individual clients and has helped me perform better as an equestrian and achieve my physique goals. If you are looking for a great one-on-one trainer, I would highly recommend.
When I started going to the fit factor I went in thinking I had a pretty good knowledge of weight lifting and exercise without having much to improve. I was so wrong! Chad was incredible and really took the time to explain and show proper technique as well as a variety of different exercises that I had never done before. I now have much more confidence in my form and have a really great and well rounded routine. Additionally, Chad catered to my personal goals and really listened to what I wanted to accomplish. I cannot recommend The fit factor and Chad enough!
I have been weight lifting for over five years but have never had dedicated instruction from a trainer. Chad was able to notice where my form was failing and correct it immediately. He also guided me towards effective exercises so that I could keep achieving my goals and moving up. After a couple of months of working with him I was able to see some great results. Chad knows his stuff!
Chad has been great with not only the types of specialized workouts each session but also with checking in after the sessions. He has a real passion for seeing people make big health changes; which makes it fun. Would highly recommend!
I went to Chad looking to get back in shape and lose weight, which had crept up from working long hours. Chad was super patient and non-judgmental. We started at a level where I would see results but not get so sore or so disappointed at what I could not do it. He focused on what I could do if I pushed myself hard and taught me that step/skill building was an integral part of the process. We also talked about nutrition and self-care. As other reviews have mentioned, he cares about his clients beyond the appointment time, and wants them to make positive change to their lives that will stick. I lost 30+ pounds and I am in the best shape of my life. I have been able to maintain this for 2 years. He taught me how to create a sustainable workout plan. Even during the pandemic I was able to maintain my weight and my fitness level thanks for his frequent check-ins and the solid fitness base we created through his work and fitness mentorship. I highly recommend him!
I started with Chad in August 2020, my first semester of college was cancelled and i needed something active to do. At that point I was a small underweight kid looking to gain muscle and gain weight. I went to Chad 3 times a week until late January 2021. Those 5 months were great, I really enjoyed going to chad and it was the highlight of my week and something I would look forward to going to 3 times every week. Throughout this time Chad has perfected my form on workouts and had a great and unique workout for me everytime. I went in weighing 125 pounds at 5’10 and now I weigh 150 pounds after the five months. Not only did Chad give workouts but he also gave me a diet for me to follow so I could maximize my time with him. He really personalizes workouts for each person. Currently i’m in the best shape of my life and am super confident in my body. GO TO FIT-FACTOR!!