Inadequate sleep can cause several health problems, primarily when it doesn’t get immediately addressed. Some feel like their immune systems weakens while others even develop heart diseases or even diabetes.
To achieve optimum holistic health, an average adult should get at least seven hours of sleep each night. However, Harvard Medical School says that 60% of women often fall short of their sleep requirements. Aside from insomnia, other underlying conditions may need medical attention. Many women don’t even have the time to sleep right because they have to make ends meet all the time.
Get some exercise
Getting some exercise will not only help you lose weight, but it’ll also help you sleep better at night. Experts say that doing regular physical activities can help boost melatonin production, a natural sleep hormone that your body produces. A study also discovered that postmenopausal women who exercised at least three hours each week find it easier to fall asleep. Becoming fit may even help reduce night sweats even when they menopause, too. It’s highly advisable to do their workout in the morning to help with their circadian rhythm.
Related to how women can get a good night’s sleep: Thriving in Your 40s: Beauty and Health Changes to Make
Reduce exposure to blue light
Although exposure to natural light can have its benefits to your health, nighttime light exposure can affect your circadian rhythm, disrupting your body clock by tricking your brain into thinking that it’s daytime. To prevent this from happening, Healthline says to reduce nighttime blue light exposure before going to bed. Since all screens in every gadget produce blue light, turning it off should do the trick. If it’s not possible, you can always install an app to black the blue light or tweak your daytime settings from your gadget to activate it.
Avoid alcohol and caffeine
Having a snack before going to bed is okay, but chocolate and wine shouldn’t is highly unadvisable. That’s because chocolate has caffeine, which experts consider a stimulant. Coincidentally, alcohol also has the same effect on people. Although most think that drinking alcohol makes them sleepy, it acts as a stimulant. Thus, disrupting a person’s sleeping pattern. It would help if you also stayed away from acidic or spicy foods before going to bed.
Learn to distress yourself
Your worries can do more than affect your emotional well-being. It can affect your sleeping habits, too. Keep in mind that Stress is a stimulus. So, it tends to activate your hormones, which is responsible for your fight-or-fly response. Thus, affecting your sleep. So, try to learn a few relaxation techniques to help distress yourself. You can try doing a few deep breathing exercises to reduce your anxiety. You can also try to discover other relaxation techniques that might work better for you.
Conclusion: How Women Can Get a Good Night’s Sleep
Always remember that sleep is crucial to your health and well-being. That’s why you need to ensure that you get an adequate amount of sleep each day. If you’ve already tried to change your lifestyle, but none of them is working, then you can always consult your doctor about it. Tell your doctor about your medical history, especially the medications that you’re taking. Your doctor may prescribe you some sleeping medicines if necessary.