The importance of sleep cannot be overstated. You suffer greater risk for just about everything when you’re not getting enough sleep, and it becomes especially important as you get older. Looking to improve your sleep routine?
Here are seven bedtime habits of people who are on top of things in their 60s.
Avoid Heavy Meals Before Bed
When your body is still actively digesting food, it can be a lot harder to fall and stay asleep. Digestion takes a lot of energy, and when you’re using a lot of energy, you’re sure not relaxing. And if you’re not relaxing…
Get Screens Out Of Your Face
Blue light is a menace. It’s bad for our eyes and brains but it also messes up the amount of melatonin your body produces. Melatonin is what regulates your sleep, and if it’s battling against a brain that’s overstimulated from consuming lots of content right before bed, you’re in trouble.
Think About Tomorrow
Successful people generally aren’t caught off guard by their own plans, so in the interest of being as prepared as possible, it’s good to think about what’s coming for the next day.
Even taking a minute to think it over without much other action can be great for your mental health. That way, the next morning, you feel ready. Studies have found that making a to-do list for things to tackle the next day can also help you fall asleep faster.
Resist the Urge to Nap
Did you take a nap today? If you’re not feeling tired by the time you’d like to go to sleep, that might be why. Resist the urge of a midday nap if you can, and save all that good stuff up for the night.
Keep a Consistent Schedule
Your body loves schedules. If you tell it when to settle down each night, it will love that too, and begin to do it on its own. Give your body what it wants, the thing every child dreads: A bedtime.
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Only Use Your Bedroom For Sleeping
You can train your brain to get a better night’s sleep by only using your bedroom for one thing: sleeping. Even if you’re avoiding screens at night, watching TV in your bedroom at any point may be harmful. If you can get your brain to recognize that the only thing that happens in this room is sleep, it’ll start to settle in better every night. Get that TV out of your room.
Invest in Sleep
You’ve probably heard the cliché phrase about how you spend a third of your life sleeping. Well, you’ve heard it because it’s true. There are so few things as worthwhile to spend your money on as your sleep. Get a comfortable mattress that works for you. Get good pillows. This is money spent on helping you live longer. It’s worth it.
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