To get a good night’s sleep, a reading light and a reading material is all you need. (Source: Getty/Thinkstock)
You can exercise to your heart’s content and eat everything healthy, but if you do get a good night’s sleep, you are not doing it right. There are many benefits of sleeping on time, and clocking-in adequate hours. Among other things, getting a shut-eye allows the immune cells to do maintenance work on the brain, thereby allowing it to function correctly. So, the next time you find yourself tired after a long day of work, but unable to sleep a wink, here is what you should do: read a book.
Instead of lying awake till late in the night, and wondering why sleep is being elusive, you can catch up on some reading; a reading light and a reading material is all you need. Experts say that when you find yourself awake, your mind wandering uneasily, stressing you out about things, reading can work as a distraction. Besides, the bed is where you are supposed to relax. You cannot make it a negative space wherein you ruminate about things and lie awake.
Cutting down on caffeine consumption can help you improve your sleep. (Source: Getty/Thinkstock)
So, it does not matter what kind of reading material you are taking to bed, as long as you are not staying there worrying about something for hours on end. You can even take to bed something you have already read before, and loved. Experts say that there is only one rule: either you sleep, or you read. There is no room for negative thoughts to invade your mind space. The key is to engage in a relaxing activity. So, alternatively, you can also draw and colour, or do a puzzle, until you are drowsy.
According to science, when you make this a regular activity, you improve both the sleep pattern, as well as the quality of sleep. But, remember that if you think there is an underlying issue and that you are facing a lot of difficulty staying asleep, you can visit a therapist to understand the root of the problem.
There are a few other things you can do on your own, which include cutting down on your caffeine consumption, sleeping in the dark, making a cosy sleeping space, and avoiding daytime naps.