We all know that sleep is important if you want to stay healthy, but so many of us struggle to get a good night’s sleep every night. There are a lot of reasons why people struggle with lack of sleep, like stress, diet, screentime, or a bad mattress. There are a lot of ways to sleep better, but one of the most important things is getting on a good schedule, as suggested by our guest post partner.
How To Reset Your Circadian Rhythm And Improve Your Sleep Pattern
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If you do not have a consistent sleep schedule, it’s tough to get a good night’s sleep every night. However, many people are already on a bad schedule because they go to bed too late or get up too late, and it’s tough to get into a better habit.
Your circadian rhythm, or internal sleep clock, governs when you feel tired and when you wake up. If you want to improve your sleep schedule, you need to completely reset your internal sleep clock and start all over again. These are some of the best ways to reset your circadian rhythm and get into a better routine.
Adjust Lighting
One of the best ways to change your circadian rhythm is to adjust the light in your home. Light signals to your brain what time of day it is, so when it starts to get dark, your brain naturally releases sleep hormones. However, our internal clock is often interrupted because we are exposed to so much artificial light. If you have bright lights on right up until you go to bed, you will not feel that tired and you won’t be able to sleep. It’s best to use very dim lights for at least a few hours before you go to sleep and you will find it a lot easier to control the time that you fall asleep.
You need to be particularly careful with the blue light from phone and laptop screens because these have the biggest impact on your circadian rhythm. If you want to maintain a consistent sleep pattern, you need to stop using screens for a few hours before bed.
Change Your Mealtimes
The time of day that you eat has a big impact as well because you will begin feeling tired when you start to run out of energy from your last meal. So, if you want to start going to sleep earlier and getting up earlier, you should shift your mealtimes and stop eating so late. If you want to go to bed later without getting hungry and feeling tired prematurely, just eat your last meal later on in the evening.
Try Lucid Dreaming
Lucid dreaming is an alternative method for adjusting your circadian rhythms, but it can work very effectively. When you have lucid dreams, it means that you are in full control of the dreamworld and you can direct the dream as you like. People do this for a number of reasons, like understanding their subconscious, facing their fears within dreams, and sometimes just so they can enjoy adventures in their dreams. However, lucid dreaming can actually be a very effective way to reset your circadian rhythm because you have complete control over the dream and you can wake up when you like. It takes a lot of practice before you have that level of control over your dreaming, but if you are finding it hard to improve your sleep schedule in other ways, it may be worth considering.
Change Your Exercise Routine
You may have heard that exercise is good for improving sleep patterns because it increases feelings of tiredness, but if you want to change your circadian rhythms, you need to think carefully about when you exercise. If you are trying to go to bed later on, exercising in the morning isn’t the best idea because it makes you tired early. However, if you exercise later in the afternoon, you can push your normal bedtime back a few hours.
Make The Change Gradual
Often, people struggle to change their circadian rhythm because they try to do it too quickly. They attempt to shift their bedtime forward by an hour and then find that they’re not tired at all. But you’ll be a lot more successful if you make the change gradual. Start out by moving your bedtime by 10 to 15 minutes each day and build it up until your sleep schedule is closer to where you want it to be.
Using these simple methods to change your circadian rhythm will make it a lot easier to get into a good sleep schedule.
Your Mattress Should Fit with How You Sleep
Mattresses play an important role in improving sleep quality and aligning circadian rhythms. Different sleeping positions require differing degrees of support and firmness in order to achieve spinal alignment and ensure comfort. Side sleepers might prefer softer mattresses with ample cushioning for their shoulders and hips, so look for the best mattress for side sleepers. On the other hand, back sleepers might prefer medium-firm mattresses which support their spine’s natural curvature. Stomach sleepers require firmer mattresses to prevent sinking and reduce strain on their neck and lower back. Finding one tailored specifically to your sleeping style will not only enhance sleep quality but also help ensure a more consistent rest schedule.