The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke states that most adults need 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night, as sleep repairs the neurons in the brain that are active all day long. Sleep also improves daytime concentration; drowsiness causes at least 100,000 car accidents each year. Many people can't get a deep enough quality of sleep because they are stressed out about their career, relationships or family situations. Luckily, it's possible to get better sleep just by changing a few things that you can control like diet and activity level.
Get Your Exercise
Exercise throughout the day can help you to sleep more deeply and peacefully at night. According to the Mayo Clinic, getting regular physical activity, such as 30 minutes of jogging, walking or participating in aerobics class each day can actually help you to fall asleep more quickly and improve the quality of your sleep. The Mayo Clinic recommends exercising in the morning or during the day, since exercising at night can increase your energy levels, make you more alert and make it harder for you to fall asleep.
Stick to a Schedule
If you get up in the morning and go to bed at night around the same time every day, it will be easier for you to fall asleep at night, according to the Mayo Clinic. It is important to stick to a regular sleeping schedule as much as possible, even on the weekends, because when you change this schedule, you throw off your body's internal clock, making it harder to fall asleep at night, or harder to stay awake in the day. It's helpful to have an alarm in wake you in the morning and maybe even an alarm that reminds you to go to bed at night.
Avoid Stimulants
One of the major reasons adults have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep is the overuse of stimulants. Drinks that contain caffeine, such as coffee, tea and sodas can keep them up at night. According to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, you should not drink any beverage containing caffeine after noon. Nicotine and alcohol are two other substances that the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics recommends avoiding when it gets closer to bedtime. Avoiding stimulants will help you to stay asleep longer without waking up at night so that you have a better quality of sleep.
Set Up the Bedroom for Your Needs
The Mayo Clinic recommends setting up your bedroom to be as relaxing as possible so that it is easy for you to fall asleep without any distractions once you lie down for bed. For people who are easily distracted, the bedroom should generally be cool, quiet and dark. If you need to, using things like eye pillows, extra blankets and ear plugs may help you to sleep more deeply. Some people, on the other hand, need a little bit of distraction to help them fall asleep. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke actually recommends reading a book or watching the television in bed if your mind is racing when trying to fall asleep. Different things work for different people so it's a good idea to try a little of everything to see what works best for you.
