Did you know that a third of Canadians are not getting enough sleep?
We all live busy lives. When it comes time to shuffle things around on the schedule, your sleep is often the first place to take a hit.
However, nothing is more frustrating than trying to be good and turning in early to finally get a good night’s sleep. You toss and turn for a few hours, looking at the clock, wide-awake. Why did you bother going to bed early? You might as well have stayed up late to watch a movie or get some work done.
Even though we’ve all been sleeping our entire lives, most of us are doing it wrong. Our sleep habits and our bedtime routines are preventing us from getting the deep rest we need.
Here are a few of them:
1. Your Mattress
Let’s start with the obvious, your mattress. We often hold onto a mattress much longer than we should. The reason is simple: mattresses are expensive to replace. Or at least they used to be.
You no longer have to squeeze as much life as you can out of your current mattress to save enough money to buy a new one. Now, you can discover the benefits of buying your mattress online for a fraction of the price that we’re used to paying at furniture shops and big-box stores.
This way, you get a far more comfortable mattress, and you can sleep better knowing it didn’t cost you a fortune.
2. Your Devices
This is such a hard habit to break. For most people, the phone or tablet is the last thing they put down before bed and the first thing they look at when they wake up.
You might find it relaxing to read on a tablet or lazily scroll through your social feed before bed, but it’s actually keeping your body awake.
There are a number of reasons that experts point to when it comes to digital devices robbing people of their sleep. However, on a physiological level, the light from the phone hurts your body’s natural melatonin levels, which keeps you awake for longer.
3. You’re Away From Home Too Much
Ever notice how tired you feel when you’re on the road a lot?
This nice big king-sized hotel bed has crisp and clean sheets. So, why can’t you wake up feeling refreshed in it?
It’s because the human body isn’t designed to sleep well when it’s not in a place is sees as “home.” In fact, only half of your brain is asleep, while the other half stands on guard to protect you from unfamiliar threats.
It’s not just that you’re travelling, active and busy. It’s that half your brain is still awake.
These are only a few reasons that you’re having trouble falling asleep or waking up feeling rested. Of course, there are always lifestyle factors that can hurt your sleep patterns.
However, you could be doing all the right things when it comes to diet or exercise, but still have trouble sleeping if you’re struggling with any of the issues we mentioned above.