Getting Your Precious 8 Hours at Night

Falling asleep like any other daily activity can be difficult at times; at least it was for me. I told myself every exhausting morning that the next night would be better, but unfortunately, it never was. From new mattresses and pillows, to new pajamas; I was just about to give up and accept the fact that I was simply a night owl. Then one decided to take a peek into a store called Sleep to Live. It was high tech and extravagant, and it led me to my peaceful 8 hours.

When I stepped in one of their employees led me to their "special" mattress. The bed analyzed my sleeping patterns, my body type, and a couple of other tests here and there. Out of their printer came a foldable brochure about which pillow and mattress you should buy of theirs. On the back though were various sleeping tips, and from then on I realized there was no need for personalized mattresses and memory foam pillows. It's all about the environment and behavior. This means, the conditions of your room and the things you do up until sleeping. In this article I wanted to share the best ones with you.

One of the easiest things you can do to help your sleep is set your thermostat to 68-72F. When you first wake up in the morning you're cold, because your body's still half asleep. As your core heats up, your body wakes up. That's why a cool body temperature is key when trying to fall asleep. So pets that love to cuddle could also be what are causing you sleep issues. Their bodies radiate heat, so if you feel uncomfortable don't be afraid to scoot away slightly or politely push them off your bed. Another good but obvious tip I read was about loud sounds and how they keep you wide awake. Low amounts of ambient sounds like water running in a creek or crickets chirping should be able to block them out and at the same time help you go to sleep. Closing the door is also always a good idea; it will mask stray noises and create a darker sleeping environment.

Speaking of a darker sleeping environment, you body naturally has what is called a biological clock and it's set automatically to fall asleep at sunset and wake at sunrise. Since that's not always the most convenient time to sleep and wake, so again closing your door is advisable. Sleep to Live and many other online stores like Amazon and eBay sell sunrise clocks that simulate sunrise and sunset to help you set back you biological clock.

The environment though is not the only part of falling asleep. Like I said before, your behavior before sleeping also affects sleeping patterns. For example, exercising 3-4 hours prior to bedtime raise your core temperature and again will prevent sleep, while a warm shower right before will help your body wind down. Eating protein late in the afternoon could be another reason for your sleep deprived night. It helps to refrain from caffeine after 5 pm. Last but certainly not least, Melatonin pills have been known to help jet lag. This means taking one of these 30 minutes prior to bedtime will have you sleeping like an angel. Only take one of these if you have at least 8 hours to devote to sleep, otherwise waking up in the morning will be even worse.