How To Train Your Brain To Sleep Better!

Challenges like depression anxiety or relational problems are common in our lives. And one of the most common associated problems that they have is difficulty sleeping. This shows up as either having a hard time falling asleep, staying asleep or just feeling tired all the time. Getting enough quality sleep can make your brain function much better. And you’ll be better at solving problems and feel more self-control. In this article, we’re gonna talk about how to train your brain to sleep better. And it’s called sleep hygiene.

Sleep Hygiene

So sleep is essential for good mental health. Lack of sleep can actually cause mental illness. Research is showing that one of the most effective ways to treat depression is by helping people improve their quality. And the quantity of their sleep. One study of people with depression found that after resolving their insomnia 87% of them experienced major improvements in their depression. Their depression symptoms disappeared after eight weeks of good sleep.

How do we improve our ability to get sleep?

Train Your Brain to Sleep Better

If you’ve ever tried to get a toddler to fall asleep you know how important it is to stick to a routine. Adults aren’t too different. We can’t force ourselves to sleep but we can train our brain to know when to sleep. So, start by creating a wind-down routine before bedtime that the brain associates with sleep. To do this, you want to keep a consistent schedule whenever possible. So try to go to bed and wake up around the same time each day. Dim the lights cool the temperature and decrease your stimulation. So for example, do quiet activities like reading a book or taking a bath. Because this help triggers calm. Don’t watch TV or exercise right before bed.

Here are few science-backed up ways to sleep better:

1. Set a Routine for Sleep

2. Limit Your Screen Time

3. Turn Your Phone’s Brightness Down

If you must use your phone or tablet before bed check to see if it has a night shift setting. This will shift your screen colours toward the red and yellow range. And also turn your screen brightness down as low as possible. And use the night setting for reading and this makes it so your text appears as white letters on a black background. Also, put your phone on do not disturb mode while you’re sleeping. And don’t check your work emails right before bed. Or read anything that could be stressful like the news or even your Facebook feed. Another thing you want to do is take a look at your caffeine use.

4. Avoid Coffee before Bed

You’ll have better sleep you’ll have, better energy. And be more focused and you’ll most likely be waking up less at night and you’ll find it easier to fall asleep. Within one week most people say I feel better off caffeine than on caffeine. They report better energy better mood and better sleep.

5. Avoid Fatty Foods before Sleeping

Another thing to think about is to avoid rich heavy or fatty foods before bedtime. Anything that might cause heartburn or indigestion can interfere with sleep. But so can hunger. So you could try a snack like a banana and peanut butter before bed. A warm glass of milk before bed has also been shown in clinical studies to be as effective as many sleep medications. But a lot of people just don’t like the idea of drinking warm milk, you may want to try it.

6. Exercise during the Day

7. Use Your Bed Only For Sleeping!

If you’re having a very hard time falling asleep or falling back asleep try getting up get out of bed and do something really boring like listening to a boring audiobook, or the old documentary. Don’t do anything too stimulating.