By Mackenzie Kelly
How you feel in the course of your waking hours greatly depends on how well you slept the night before. A sound, restful sleep will influence energy levels, proper hormonal responses and brain function. Surprisingly, the cure to your sleeping difficulties may not be found within the sleep at all. What you do during the day has a strong influence on how you will sleep during the night. While exercise has been found to play a very crucial role in enhancing sleep, there are a lot more sleep hacking tips that will help you optimize your nightly rest so you remain emotionally balanced, mentally sharp, full of energy and productive.
Embrace Physical Activity
Most people spend a better part of their day motionless; working on their computer or watching TV. Research indicates that people who are physically active and fit are more likely to have quality sleep more often. You should exercise at least 60 minutes a day in order to create a noticeable impact on the quality of your sleep. Get out and get that heart pumping by swimming, cycling and walking.
As great as exercise is, you should be wary of activity done just before bedtime or late into the evening. Higher degrees of physical activity are known to temporarily arouse the nervous system and can cause sleep disturbances. If this happens late in the evening, you might have difficulties sustaining comfortable sleep. Exhausting yourself physically before collapsing into bed is not a recommended strategy.
The relationship between sleep and exercise is symbiotic. While exercise provides great contributions towards sleep, effective and enjoyable exercise greatly depends on sufficient sleep and rest. If you are aiming for muscle growth for instance, you have to focus on enough sleep to allow your muscles to recover and repair the tissues and cells.
Eat a Balanced Diet
Food and sleep are not mutually exclusive. Maintaining a healthy diet and weight has a significant impact on your night-time sleep. Heavy individuals have a greater risk of snoring during their sleep, which consequently increases the chances of sleep apnea.
Eat your main meal a sufficient amount of time before bed so heavy digestion is not taking place. This can be disruptive to falling asleep. It may be a good idea to eat a protein/fat mini-snack before bed, such as almond butter, so your brain has some good fuel during rest. Avoid or curb your intake of caffeine many hours prior to sleep. This is based on your personal make-up, but caffeine affects some individuals in very powerful ways. This can include chocolate, and chocolate derivatives and coffee.
Invest in your Bed and make a Routine
It is silly to spend more money on your flat screen TV when your bed is not properly supporting your sleep posture. A bed is one of the things in your house that will give back value for your investment. Personal preferences play a crucial role in the kind of bedding that you buy, but it should be at least comfortable and supportive. Your bedroom should be a haven so that you can slip into a beautiful sleep on command.
Lastly, a bedtime routine is very crucial. Ensure that you get up and sleep roughly around the same time everyday. This can be difficult, but it helps to condition your body to naturally rest at a particular time. Taking a nap during the day may also be beneficial, but not late into the evening.
*Mackenzie Kelly is a fitness model, personal trainer and fitness coach. In her free time, she writes about health and fitness to educate others. Her personal blog about health and fitness can be found at: www.mkellyfitness.com.
