Do you like to do intense sports at night? Is your bedroom still a mess? If you want to sleep well and maintain your health, you should consider changing your sleep habits if you want to stay well and sleep like a baby.
Stick to a schedule where you go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time, even on weekends. This helps to regulate your body’s clock and can help you fall asleep and stay asleep at night.
Rest and do not do intense exercise at night. It would be best if you got into the habit of working out after sunrise and resting after sunset because this nourishes the yang during the day and the yin at night. Doing intense sports at night can disrupt your yin, making it difficult to fall asleep.
If you have trouble sleeping, avoid naps, especially in the afternoon. Power napping may help you get through the day, but if you find that you can’t fall asleep at bedtime, eliminating even short catnaps may help.
Many people like to let an electric fan blow against their bodies at night or leave a window wide open when they sleep. The ancients said: “Avoiding the wind is like avoiding the sword.” When your body is exposed to a draft, it is most likely to get sick.
Check your room for noises or other distractions. This includes a bed partner’s sleep disruptions such as snoring. Consider using blackout curtains, eyeshades, earplugs, “white noise” machines, humidifiers, fans, and other devices.
Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillow. Make sure your mattress is comfortable and supportive. Have comfortable pillows and make the room attractive and inviting for sleep, but also make sure your room is free of allergens that might affect you and objects that might cause you to slip or fall if you have to get up during the night.
Don’t eat before going to sleep
Eating big or spicy meals can cause discomfort from indigestion that can make it hard to sleep. If you can, avoid eating large meals for two to three hours before bedtime. Try a light snack 45 minutes before bed if you’re still hungry. Also, do not drink too much water before going to bed, otherwise, you will be prone to getting up at night to use the toilet, which will affect your sleep.
Your body needs time to shift into sleep mode, so spend the last hour before bed doing a calming activity such as reading. For some people, using an electronic device such as a laptop can make it hard to fall asleep, because the particular type of light emanating from the screens of these devices activates the brain. If you have trouble sleeping, avoid electronics before bed or in the middle of the night.
If you can’t sleep, go into another room and do something relaxing until you feel tired. It is best to take work materials, computers, and televisions out of the sleeping environment. If you associate a particular activity or item with anxiety about sleeping, omit these from your bedtime routine.
If your feet are exposed to a draft while you sleep, poor blood circulation will occur. When waking up, your legs may feel stiff. So even when the weather is hot, it is best to cover your feet with a thin blanket or sheet.
Translated by Joseph Wu and edited by Helen
