Tips for Better Sleep (Pt. 2)

A good night of sleep is essential for maintaining your health and overall well-being. That’s why as your online health store, we’re committed to doing what we can to help you get the sleep that you deserve. Sleep is essential to muscle recovery, weight loss, reduced stress, a healthy immune system, and a sharp mind. In general, it’s one of, if not the most, important aspect of a healthy body and a healthy mind. No matter how well your eating habits are or how often you work out, your body needs its rest in order to reset and recover each night. Health and fitness mean nothing without a good night’s rest every night.

There are many supplements that can support a good night’s sleep — the most popular being melatonin. If you haven’t yet, check out Tips for Better Sleep (Pt. 1) and then read today’s blog — Tips for Better Sleep (Pt. 2) — and shop our selection of melatonin and other supplements that can help you sleep better tonight.

Cut Down on Long Naps or Naps in General

As mentioned in part one of our tips for better sleep blog, our bodies have a natural time-keeping system called our circadian rhythm. It affects our brains, bodies, and hormones by helping us stay awake and telling our bodies when it’s time to go to sleep. When we nap during the day, it confuses our circadian rhythm. It will either make us sleepier during the day because our body thinks we should be sleeping, or it makes it harder to fall asleep at night because we’ve already slept a few hours earlier in the day.

Of course, if you’re a regular daytime napper and you have no problem sleeping, by all means, keep napping. However, if you struggle to sleep at night, push through that afternoon exhaustion so that you can save your best sleep for the nighttime. As mentioned in the last blog, the more consistent you are about your sleeping schedule, the better you will be able to sleep at night. Avoiding those long naps and going to bed at a consistent time every night will help your body adjust to its natural clock.

Avoid Alcohol

Alcohol can induce drowsiness and make you think that it helps you sleep, but it actually disrupts your body’s natural production of melatonin and therefore causes sleeping troubles throughout the night. Maybe you’ve noticed that those few glasses of wine after dinner help you fall asleep quickly, but you often wake up multiple times throughout the night with a dry mouth and find it difficult to fall back asleep. Avoiding alcoholic beverages before you go to bed will help your body produce its own natural sleep aids and help you fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night.

Create a Relaxed Sleeping Space

Creating an environment that induces relaxation is essential to getting a good night of sleep. You wouldn’t normally fall asleep sitting at the kitchen table with a loud TV in the background, right? Make sure your bedroom is a calming space. Use cool colors such as blue or green when decorating, avoid a lot of artificial lights, and keep loud noises to a minimum. This means no TVs, loud music, or bright clocks. Creating this environment will relax your mind and your body as you wind down at the end of the day and get ready for bed.

Wear Pajamas

This may seem like an obvious answer, but at our online health store, we want to stress that having a particular set of pajamas can play an important role in preparing your body for sleeping. These don’t necessarily have to be your typical matching shorts-and-shirt set, but if you wear leggings or gym shorts and a t-shirt to bed at night, don’t wear that same t-shirt and bottoms during the day. Set them aside so that your body gets used to them as your “sleeping clothes.” These pajamas should only be worn when you’re sleeping,as just another way to get ready for bed and start the winding down process. When you wake up in the morning, it’s just as important to change out of your pajamas shortly after getting up. It’s all about consistency, and letting your mind and body know that when you put your pajamas on, it’s time to get ready to sleep.

Other Supplements to Try

While melatonin may be the most popular sleep aid that you can find, there are many other options to support a good night of sleep. There are certain essential oils such as lavender and valerian root, as well as multiple teas that are caffeine-free and help your body relax at the end of a long day. At The Online Drugstore, we can’t stress enough the importance of sleep, and it’s why we offer so many supplements to help. Be sure to shop our entire selection of sleep aids today.

More from Your Online Health Store

For some people, sleeping can be a tricky thing to get right. And when you struggle to sleep, it can feel like you’re going just a little bit crazy. Take these tips from your online health store into consideration next time you’re having a spell of insomnia. We’re here to promote healthy living, and sleep may just be the most important piece of the puzzle. In the meantime, be sure to shop our sleep aid supplements as just one thing you can do to get a better night’s rest.