5 Habits That Actually Improved My Sleep Quality
You’ll be surprised how well these work
For a long time I’ve always struggled with getting enough quality sleep every night.
I would wake up groggy every morning, feeling like I was hit by a car — and could never wake up early. You probably guessed I’m not a morning person until I discovered my daily habits were contributing to my sleep. I slept at different times every night. That all changed the moment I incorporated these simple daily habits.
The quality of my sleep slowly got better — at first, I was able to sleep peacefully, then wake up earlier and had enough time in the morning to write.
I was mind-blown. Here’s what I learned.
Use the bedroom for sleep and sex only
Is your bedroom designed to promote good sleep? The ideal sleeping environment is a dark, cool, and quiet. Don’t make your room a multi-purpose room. Eliminate TVs, laptops, electronics, and clutter. These simple ways to improve the choice architecture of your room—so that sleep is easier and distraction is harder.
When you go to the bedroom, go there to sleep.
Avoid caffeine
I used to be a big coffee drinker—until I realised that it negatively affects your sleep. If you're having trouble falling asleep, eliminate caffeine from your diet as I did, it’s a quick win.
If you can’t go without your morning cup of coffee, then a good rule of thumb is to keep in mind is “No coffee afternoon.”
This gives caffeine enough time to wear off before bedtime.
Exercise
Most people don’t realise but exercise actually improves the quality of your sleep. When it comes to sleep, exercise will make it easier for your brain and body to power down at night. The role of exercise only becomes more important with age.
But here’s the thing—avoid exercising two or three hours before bedtime as the mental and physical stimulation can leave your nervous system feeling wired and make it difficult to calm at night.
Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise each day or daily walks for sun exposure.
Temperature
Most people sleep best in a cool room. The idea range is usually between 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit (18 to 21 degrees Celsius).
Sound
A quiet space is key for good sleep. If peace and quiet are hard to come by—try controlling the bedroom noise by creating “white noise” with a fan.
Or, use earplugs.
The bottom line
Cumulate sleeping debt is a barrier between you and optimal performance. If you want to know how to sleep better, the answer is simple but remarkably underrated in our productive-obsessed culture: get more sleep.
If you wake up at the same time each day, then your sleep duration is basically determined by when you go to bed.
Stay mindful,
Pach Deng