For many parents, getting a good night’s sleep may be a thing of the past. But there are ways to make achieving it easier. Start by scrapping these 4 daily habits!
1. Exercising before bed
Though it’s natural to assume that physical activity will relax or tire out your muscles, it apparently has the opposite effect. During exercise, your heart rate shoots up, and adrenaline pumps up your body, making it more difficult to calm your body down.
What you can try to do instead is to stretch before bed and upon waking. At night, stretching before turning in relaxes your muscles, and it boosts your energy in the morning.
2. Checking your phone and other gadgets before sleeping
Most of us are guilty of this! We’ve all engaged in aimless scrolling on our phones as we wait to feel sleepy. But checking social media or playing games is a timesuck that doesn’t relax your brain. The lights emitted from your gadget’s screen are apparently act as a melatonin suppressant. The hormone melatonin regulates our sleep pattern. According to experts, you should turn off all electronic devices 30 minutes to an hour before hitting the sack.
photo: dreamstime
3. Taking a hot shower
Even if a hot bath or shower relaxes your muscles and relieves tension, it doesn’t necessarily help you have an easier time falling asleep. During bedtime, our body needs to be at a perfect temperature to facilitate relaxation and sleep. After your hot bath, you can try rinsing off with cooler water to help you fall asleep better.
4. Not having a constant bedtime
Bedtimes aren’t just for your little ones! Even mommies and daddies need to stick to a sleep schedule, in order to establish a healthy pattern. Oversleeping one night to make up for getting just a few hours of sleep the night before can do more harm than good. You’ll sleep much better if there is consistency in your sleep routine because you’re training your body to fall asleep at a constant time each night.
We hope this makes it easier for those parents reading this who have trouble sleeping! Did you kick any habits in order to address your sleep issues? Let us know in the comments below!
READ: New study: Babies sleeping alone by THIS age sleep for longer
Be sure to check out theAsianparent Community for more insightful stories, questions, and answers from parents and experts alike. If you have any insights, questions or comments regarding the topic, please share them in our Comment box below. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Google+ to stay up-to-date on the latest from theAsianparent.com Philippines!