5 Daily Habits for Deeper Sleep

Not feeling rested? Try incorporating these simple daily habits into your life to enjoy deeper sleep…

Millions of people have trouble falling asleep at night, but even if you aren’t one of them, you might feel like you never seem to get enough rest. This can happen if you suffer from conditions like sleep apnea, or other issues where you just don’t sleep deeply enough to awaken well-rested.

Sleep deficiency can interfere not only with your daily life and your work, but also with your health. (This is why those with chronic sleep apnea are known to have a shorter lifespan.) Thus, it’s important to take steps to correct your sleep deficit, and increase your hours of deep sleep each night.

Sleep medications are available, but some such medications can have unpleasant or even dangerous side effects, and while they can work in a pinch, it’s best not to develop a reliance on these drugs. However, there are a number of natural things you can do to help improve your quality of sleep and sleep more deeply.

Here are 5 daily habits to cultivate that may help achieve deeper sleep at night and have more energy during the day.

1. Stick to a Routine

Falling asleep and waking up at different times each day can negatively impact your quality of sleep. Make an effort to consistently go to bed and get up at the same time each day. There are many benefits to getting your body in a schedule and sticking to it, including enjoying a better quality of sleep.

2. Don’t Drink Caffeine After Lunch

People have varying levels of sensitivity when it comes to caffeine, but as a general rule, if you’re struggling to sleep deeply, you should avoid caffeine after lunchtime. If you’re struggling to cut out all drinks which contain caffeine, you should at a minimum stop drinking coffee once the morning is over. If you drink a lot of caffeine, wean yourself off gradually to prevent headaches and other withdrawal effects. After a while, you may find that your sleep quality is much better as a result – and you won’t feel the need for as much caffeine to get through the day.

3. Do something relaxing before bed

Rather than working, watching TV, or staying busy right up until you go to bed, give yourself at least an hour before you fall asleep to relax and do something enjoyable. This could be a hot bath with your favorite essential oils, a good book or a massage from your partner. Add this to your routine whenever you can, and you’ll find yourself relaxing more sleeping more deeply throughout the night.

4. Get More Exercise

Exercising after work or at some other point during the day can help you sleep a lot better when it comes to bedtime. Exercise not only helps you to remain healthy, flexible and avoid many health problems, but it can help you to fall asleep faster, and sleep better and deeper. However, it’s not recommended to exercise right before you go to bed, as this can make it more difficult to wind down.

5. Listen to Quiet Music

While having your electronics by your side isn’t a great idea for getting good sleep, many people report that soft and relaxing music can help them to fall asleep and stay asleep for longer. You can experiment with this, using classical music and relaxing meditation music, to find something which works for you.