1. Make your bedroom a place of well-being
It sounds obvious, but it’s not: To recharge your batteries at night, you should feel good. Make sure that your bedroom is neither too cool nor too warm. Around 18 degrees Celsius is ideal for a relaxed sleep. You should also not forget to ventilate regularly. Things that are useless for sleeping, such as a clothes horse, do not belong in the bedroom.
It’s better to invest in a comfortable bed and a good mattress and buy bedding that you and your skin like.
2. Banish the smartphone from the bedroom
Many of us tend to scroll through social media or read emails before we go to sleep. Problem: The blue light emitted by devices such as smartphones and tablets inhibits the production of the hormone melatonin. And this in turn is important for a restful sleep. It’s best to banish your cell phone completely from the room and use the good old alarm clock so that you don’t end up late in the morning.
3. Wear a sleep mask
Light prevents us from sleeping well. If you can’t completely darken your bedroom, perhaps because you don’t have blinds, you should use a sleeping mask.
The eyes have extra space under it and it reduces the appearance of wrinkles and pillow marks on the face. It also ensures that you don’t notice any possible light sources. Even the small strip of light that comes into your bedroom under the crack in the door is no longer a problem.
Are we not being a bit petty here? Absolutely not. Study results show that sleeping with a sleep mask can not only lead to deeper sleep, but also more energy during the day. You can look forward to better memory performance and faster reaction times.
4. Take a bath
No surprise: you sleep best when you are relaxed. So create an evening ritual that winds you down, such as taking a hot bath right before bed. Suitable bath additives – for example with essential oils of lavender or lemon balm – also ensure relaxing moments and help you get tired.
Important: Do not bathe too hot, as this stresses the body. Your bath water should be no more than 38 degrees Celsius.
5. Stay away from coffee
An evening coffee for more energy in the morning? Even if you drink a few cups of coffee during the day and hardly feel any effect on your body, it is better to avoid caffeine before going to bed. This cheers you up and stimulates your brain activity. This means it can’t relax at night, which means it lacks energy in the morning.
Instead, drink a hot tea with a calming effect. Chamomile tea, for example, can relax you.
6. Get some energy
Exercising before bed can not only stimulate the cardiovascular system, but also ensure a deeper sleep. Study results have shown that around two and a half hours of exercise per week is enough to increase the number of deep sleep phases. This allows the body to regenerate better and you have more energy in the morning.
Important: Keep enough distance between exercise and sleep. If you go straight from the gym to bed, your body can’t switch off as quickly.
7. Don’t eat too heavy
Another burger menu in the evening? It’s tasty, but anything but ideal for a restful sleep. If you eat too hearty, your body will be busy digesting the heavy food at night, using energy that you could have put to much better use the next day. It is therefore better to opt for light dishes with lots of vegetables.
Tip for cravings: A banana is filling and contains, among other things, lots of potassium, which regulates blood pressure and can therefore ensure a good night’s sleep. The individual microbiome in the intestine, which consists of around a million bacteria, should also not be underestimated. It controls physical and mental balance and the right diet can influence this.
8. Rely on nutritional supplements
The right nutritional supplements can be a booster for your well-being – and ensure good sleep and more energy. For example, take a dietary supplement with magnesium. This lowers cortisol levels and thus stress.
Basically, vitamin B6 also helps to increase serotonin levels, which is important for relaxed sleep. Melatonin can also make you more tired. As a dragee or spray, it helps you fall asleep better and be more alert in the morning.