We have all had days when you hear the sound of your alarm, you open your eyes, and then you snuggle back into your blanket and sleep a few more minutes. But because you’ve got important things to do or a place to go to, so you get up wash your mouth and face, and then you grab your first cup of coffee to compensate for the lack of recovery from the night. What comes after are hours of operating in automatic mode just to get through the morning before you actually feel fully awake. I have listed some tips on how to have quality sleep at night and regain your energy.
We all have passed through and know how this scenario feels, a lack of sleep doesn’t only come with short-term sacrifices. In the long run, sleep deprivation harms your health and productivity. Some people develop serious headaches due to lack of sleep or a very short sleeping time.
According to Shawn Stevenson, the quality of sleep you have affects your mental, emotional, or physical performance. Sleeping is an active process especially at night because when sleeping at night, your brain processes everything your eyes saw, your ears heard, and learned throughout the day. Also, your immune system gets strengthened, your metabolism gets regulated, and your damaged cells are being repaired when you sleep.
For the above reason, it is adviced to get high-quality sleep so as to boost your entire day’s output and ultimately increases the quality of your life.
Having a great day starts with a quality night sleep. The majority of people we see are chronically sleep-deprived or suffering from low-quality sleep.
Apart from a balanced diet and exercise, sleep is the ultimate key to creating a great mental and physical balance. Research has shown that a lack of sleep leads to less creativity, more stress, and underperformance throughout the day. This lack of rest leads to millions of people not living up to their full potential because they are always tired.
In this part of the world we live in, lots of young people are trapped in a hustle mentality, thinking they would accomplish more if they cut down on their sleep, but the reality is the contrary, If you have a quality sleep, by the time you will wake up, you will be energised and be able to accomplish lots of things.
If you minimize your sleep time just to have more hours to work, it will backfire sooner or later. Yet, also lots of sleep will barely lead to an energized body and a clear mind. Instead, it’s the quality of your sleep that impacts your recovery.
Being awake is a state of using energy, sleeping is anabolic, it builds us up and fuels us with the needed energy to get through the next day.
Shawn Stevenson said, “You will work better, be more efficient and productive, and get more stuff done when you’re properly rested.”
A few uncomplicated habits can lead to improved recovery and more energy throughout your days.
Understand Sleep Patterns And Build Routines
Even though we have heard successful people and books talk about waking up early, getting up at 5a.m, it is not the holy grail to a successful and enegertic filled day.
To some people, mornings are the only time they can focus on side projects or their personal growth. Yet, when you wake up and when you go to bed, don’t matter as much as you might think. The only thing that matters in terms of productivity is how you spend the hours in between.
Rather than focusing on when to wake up, aim to maximize your energy and make the most of your time awake. The human body love routines, which is why going to bed and waking up at the same time greatly affects your recovery.
Abnormalities might happen every now and then, but sticking to regular sleep patterns and going to bed at the same time will help you to fall asleep faster and wake up more refreshed and energised.
How To Have Quality Sleep At Night And Regain Your Energy
1. Understand Sleep Phases
We pass through five different stages of sleep. These different stages of light and deep sleep is called sleep cycles, and each stage has different characteristics.
Stage 1 & 2: These are the light sleep phases. During these stages, the body temperature, and blood pressure drop, and you slowly fall asleep. Stage 1 is a transition phase between being awake and sleeping and only makes up to 5% of each night. During this time, you wake up easily.
Meanwhile, stage 2 is accountable for up to 55% of your sleep time. That is when our brain activity slows down, and waking up becomes harder.
Stage 3 & 4: These stages are considered as deep sleep. Your brain activity drops to a minimum, and recovery processes are high. Therefore, these stages are the most important for getting the ultimate rest and recovery.
Stage 5: The last stage is known as REM (Rapid Eye Movement) phase. During this phase, your eyes move, you dream, and your brain activity is very high.
After completing these five stages, a new sleep cycle starts. Each cycle lasts for about 90 minutes, which means these cycles repeat four to six times per night.
Four such sleep cycles would lead to six hours of sleep while six cycles account for nine hours.
Okay, but why does that matter?
Well, understanding sleep cycles matters because when you wake up influences your energy levels. Waking up in the middle of a deep sleep stage will make you feel worse, tired or even with headache, but waking up during a light sleep period will lead to an energized morning.
2. Let The Sun Touch Your Skin
Studies show that getting more sunlight throughout the day can help to sleep better at night. We have a built-in 24-hour clock, the so-called “circadian timing system” inside our bodies that helps us to regulate day and night time.
Sunlight signals alertness to our brain and triggers the production of daytime hormones, which are responsible for regulating our biological clock. Thus, too little light during the day and excessive light exposure (e.g., through screens) at night influence the quality of your sleep negatively.
So get your body out and soak up some sunlight early in the morning. This will help to regulate your inner clock and differentiate between daytime and nighttime more easily.
You can, for instance, get to work a little earlier and walk the last mile, take your breaks outside or at least close to a window, or implement a short walk as your new morning routine.
3. Avoid Blue Light
The artificial blue light emitted by our screens has a negative influence on our sleep patterns as it harms the production of melatonin, a hormone that helps us to fall asleep with ease and sleep well.
Due to the exposure to artificial lighting, our bodies can barely differentiate between day and night. Thus, falling asleep is more difficult after staring at our screens late at night.
Engaging with your devices late at night keeps our brains alert and harms the quality of your rest. And even though watching your favorite movie or typing a few messages might not seem like a big deal, it is.
Browsing through the web is keeping your brain active while all you need after a busy day is to disconnect and unwind. Avoid screens at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
Instead, practice activities that help you calm down, such as reading, stretching exercises, meditation, or any other calming hobby.
4. Darken Your Bedroom
Dimming the lights of your bedroom will also improve the quality of your sleep.
If exposed to too much bright light, your body doesn’t know if it’s day or night. Thus, sleeping becomes harder, and the quality of the rest drops. Sleeping in an utterly dark room, however, will help you to fall asleep faster and wake up fully recovered.
Read Also:12 Healthy Habits Your Body Needs
5. Minimize Noise
In addition to reduced bedroom light, also minimize noises in your bedroom. If you have any digital devices in your bedroom, unplug them and ensure silence during the night.
If avoiding noises isn’t possible, get used to earplugs: Just like sleeping masks, these are cheap and effective, plus, you can take them wherever you go, which makes high-quality sleep during travels easier.
6. Stay Cool
Similar to light and sounds, our body temperature has a significant influence on the quality of our sleep.
When we go to bed, our body temperature usually drops so that we can fall asleep easier. If the temperature in the bedroom, however, is too high, falling asleep becomes challenging.
According to studies, the ideal room temperature for high-quality sleep is around 65 degrees Fahrenheit or 20 degrees Celsius.
However, in addition to the temperature of your bedroom, you should be cool too, meaning you should let go of all negativity and tension in your mind and body.
We all face negative experiences throughout our days. Even if you are an unbroken optimist, you’ll come across annoying people. And it can be hard to control our emotions throughout the day. Yet, at the latest, before going to bed, let go of all the negativity you faced during the day.
Also, don’t wear thick clothing for sleep. Instead, let your skin breathe.Activities such as meditation or journaling can help you to let go of negative experiences and focus on the positive, even if you had a tough day.
7. Sleep At The Right Hours
One of the least known “sleep hacks” is the fact that our bodies recover most by sleeping between 10 PM and 2 AM. Sleeping during this time will amplify the quality of your rest and help you feel more energized in the morning.
According to Shawn Stevenson, that’s based on the fact that we are part of nature. We are simply designed to sleep when it gets dark.
8. Avoid Excessive Exercising
Heavy exercising before bedtime isn’t favorable because it boosts your metabolism, pumps your heart rate, and makes it difficult to calm down right before bedtime.
While an excessive workout in the evening might harm the quality of your sleep, a massage, and some stretching can be priceless.
Stretching, yoga and massaging your body with a foam roller will not only improve the quality of your sleep, but also help to calm down, and let go of tension.
Particularly if you have an office job and spend most of your days sitting, your body will thank you for releasing muscle tightness at the end of your day.
Besides the benefits of typical stretching exercises, a foam roller helps ease muscle pain, increase flexibility and blood flow, and help you relax.
9. Avoid Big Meals and Caffeine Before Bedtime
Eating late can lead to inflammation and impairments in blood sugar regulation. Thus, whenever possible, avoid eating late at night.
However, if you should need to eat close to bedtime, make sure to consume protein-rich foods instead of carb-loaded, fatty meals.
In addition, avoid caffeinated drinks in the afternoon so that your body can get rid of the caffeine until bedtime. Overconsumption of caffeine often leads to sleep problems.
Instead of a late-night snack, you can drink herbal teas that help to sleep better. Tea like chamomile tea, lavender tea is known for its antidepressant qualities and reduces stress and anxiety.
Always have some high-protein snacks at home in case you get hungry and want to eat something close to bedtime.
What To Avoid:
- Avoid or reduce blue lights that are emitted by screens.
- Avoid excessive exercising shortly before bedtime, choose yoga or stretching instead.
- Avoid big meals for at least two hours before bedtime.
- Avoid caffeine in the (late) afternoon.
- Avoid waking up in the middle of a sleep cycle and being ripped off of a deep sleep phase.
What To Do:
- Understand your sleep patterns and build a consistent sleep schedule.
- Get some sunlight early in the morning.
- Darken your room and minimize all noises.
- Cool down the temperature in your bedroom.
- Calm your mind and let go of negativity, for example, through meditation, reading, or journaling.
- Get to bed within a few hours of it getting dark outside.
Take your time to experiment with different rituals until you find one that fits your needs and helps you to live a happier, more joyful life.
Choose one or two new routines and try different combinations until you find a pattern that helps you maximize your wellbeing and performance throughout your days.
Read Also:9 Healthy Food To Eat At Night
Conclusion
Sleep is very important for energy and growth. Without quality sleep, you will walk like a zombie by day break. How to have quality sleep at night and regain your energy is by sleeping on time, do not eat heavy food, do very light exercise or yoga and by day break, you will feel energetic and active.
