Knowing the best ways to sleep without medication can help you in a lot of ways, especially if you’re unable to access the medicines at that time. Some days, a lot of people find it hard to sleep at night, though most can take medications that induce sleep.
However, natural techniques such as avoiding screens before bed, reading, doing gentle exercises, or practicing mindfulness may also help. Small changes in your sleep routine may help you fall asleep faster. So, how can you sleep without medication?
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Keep The Light Off
Light exposure could influence your body’s internal clock, which regulates sleep and wakefulness. It may also help dictate the duration, timing, and quality of your sleep.
Turning off the lights and keeping the room as dark as possible when going to bed might help bring on sleep. Distractions such as light also influence the circadian rhythm, which helps the brain and body judge when it is nighttime; thus, keeping the lights off is one of the best ways to sleep.
Try Exercise
Participating in exercise is one of the best ways to sleep, as physical exercise has a positive impact on sleep quality and may be able to improve the quality or duration of sleep. However, it may be a good idea not to exercise too close to a person’s bedtime, as that may disrupt sleep.
Lower The Room Temperature
Body and bedroom temperature can also affect sleep quality and how fast you fall asleep. As you may have experienced during the summer or in hot locations, it can be very hard to get a good night’s sleep when it’s too warm.
You do not want your bedroom temperature to be too hot or cold. Maintaining a room temperature ranging from 60–67°F (15.6–19.4°C) may help keep your body temperature low and promote sleep onset.
Try Keeping A Regular Sleeping Schedule
Waking up and going to bed at the scheduled time each day is one of the best ways to sleep and could help regulate your internal clock. Going to bed at different times every night is a common habit for many people.
However, these irregular sleeping patterns could interfere with sleep because they interrupt the body’s circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm is a selection of behavioral, physical, and mental changes that follow a 24-hour cycle. A primary function of the circadian rhythm is to determine whether the body is ready for sleep or not.
Meditate
When people are stressed, they tend to have difficulty falling asleep. Meditation can help reduce anxiety, which can often disrupt sleep.
Meditation is one of the best ways to sleep, as it may positively affect the quality, efficiency, and duration of sleep as it encourages the practice of breathing patterns and body movements that could help release the accumulated stress and tension in your body.
Read more: 7 Effective Strategies for Managing Stress
Avoid Caffeine
Caffeine is a stimulant, has numerous benefits, and is consumed by 90% of the U.S. population. A single dose can enhance focus, energy, and sports performance. However, when consumed late in the day, it stimulates wakefulness and can disrupt sleep patterns.
It takes about 3–5 hours for the effects of caffeine to wear off. Consuming caffeine up to 6 hours before bed significantly worsens sleep quality. Therefore, it is best to avoid caffeine for at least 4 hours before going to bed.
Try Listening To Songs
Although this may not work for everyone, listening to relaxing music may help improve sleep onset, quality, and duration.
A person’s response to music will depend on their personal preferences. it also helps provide comfort and relaxation before bedtime, which may in turn reduce anxiety. Sometimes, music can be too stimulating and induce anxiety and sleeplessness.
Ensure A Quiet Environment
Blocking out all noise with earplugs may help you fall asleep faster. Noise can be distracting, prevent the onset of sleep, and lower the quality of sleep. It’s proven that people find it hard to fall asleep in a noisy environment.
Drink Less Alcohol
Drinking large amounts of alcohol before bed alters nighttime melatonin production, which plays a key role in your body’s circadian rhythm and can hurt sleep.
Alcohol is known to cause or increase the symptoms of sleep apnea, snoring, and disrupted sleep patterns. On the one hand, it is a sedative that induces sleepiness, but on the other hand, it can negatively affect the quality of a person’s sleep.
Avoid Sleeping During The Day
While short power naps are beneficial, long or irregular naps during the day can negatively affect your sleep, particularly those that last longer than 2 hours, which can also disrupt the circadian rhythm. Sleeping in the daytime can confuse your internal clock, meaning that you may struggle to sleep at night.
After a poor night’s sleep, it is tempting to take a long nap. However, try to avoid this, as it can adversely affect a healthy sleep cycle. If you take regular daytime naps and sleep well, you shouldn’t worry. But avoid it if it will affect you at night!
Related:
- 7 Effective Strategies for Managing Stress
- Anxiety Disorders: Cause and how to treat it.
- How To Create a Productive Morning Routine
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