{"id":41793,"date":"2015-07-30T11:15:27","date_gmt":"2015-07-30T15:15:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=41793"},"modified":"2016-07-14T16:07:31","modified_gmt":"2016-07-14T20:07:31","slug":"how-to-sleep-better-hacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/lifestyle\/how-to-sleep-better-hacks\/","title":{"rendered":"9 Ways to Finally Get a Good Night’s Sleep"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"9<\/a>
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Getting some five-star sleep<\/a> does way more than make you feel rested the next morning \u2014 it\u2019s got a slew of health benefits, too. “Your ability to concentrate, make decisions, exercise and handle stress, just to name a few activities, is dependent in part on your sleep quality,” says Natalie Dautovich, PhD, Environmental Scholar for the National Sleep Foundation<\/a>. But when it comes to getting a solid night\u2019s rest, actually being able to fall asleep is just the tip of the iceberg. “The beginning stages of sleep are physically restorative, but most of your mental repair happens later in the night,” says Michael Breus<\/a>, PhD, a board-certified expert in clinical sleep disorders. Here\u2019s how to make every minute count \u2014 and maximize your snooze potential.<\/p>\n

How to Sleep Better, Starting Now<\/h3>\n

1. Work Out \u2014 and Work Out Often
\n<\/strong>“Exercise is the easiest way to sleep better,” says Dr. Breus. Although doctors aren’t exactly sure why workouts help you snooze, they believe it comes down to two factors. First, since exercise physically tires you out, your body will look to refuel itself with deep rest post-sweat session. And second, because working out releases feel-good endorphins which reduce stress, you\u2019ll also sleep better \u2014 and worry free. (As if you needed another benefit from crushing it on the treadmill<\/a> anyway.)<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>15 Gadgets for a Better Night’s Sleep<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a02.\u00a0<\/strong>Freshen Up Your Bed
\n<\/strong>You know how you change your sheets every week? That same line of thinking should be applied to your entire bed. You should be changing your pillow every 18 months or so, according to Dr. Breus. “You have an eight-pound head on top of your pillow all night long. The pillow’s structural integrity will diminish over time,” he explains. He recommends spending between $40 and $60 on a pillow. While that may seem expensive, Breus justifies the cost as a worthwhile investment in your health. As for your mattress, kick it to the curb every seven years. “The best mattress for [an individual varies], but over the years, your body will have different support needs. You have to figure out what you need from a mattress perspective as time goes on,” says Dr. Breus.<\/p>\n

\u00a03.\u00a0<\/strong>Pump Up the Volume
\n<\/strong>Of a noise machine, that is. “Unfamiliar sounds can rouse you from the deeper, restorative stages of sleep,\u201d says Dr. Dautovich. \u201cYou can camouflage noise through the use of a sound conditioner.\u201d. But thanks to ever-evolving technology, you don\u2019t even need to go out and buy one: Websites like My Noise<\/a> offer tons of options, such as white noise and rain falling on a tent, to soothe and keep you sleeping.<\/p>\n

4. Nix That Nap (Sorry!)
\n<\/strong>Lazy Sundays \u2014 or even brief respites in your daily schedule \u2014 shouldn’t automatically call for mid-afternoon naps. “You need to be active and avoid or limit napping during the day in order to increase the drive to sleep later on,” says Dr. Dautovich. But if you can’t completely wean yourself off naps, try these tips<\/a> for making sure they’re quick recharging sessions that don’t spiral out of control.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>The 5 Most Common Sleep Issues (and How to Find Relief)<\/a><\/p>\n

5.\u00a0<\/strong>Set a Consistent Schedule
\n<\/strong>Going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day helps regulate your circadian rhythms, including ones responsible for when you get tired as well as when you wake up. ,”We cycle through different stages of sleep multiple times [throught the night],” says Dr. Dautovich. “If you’re awakening during the end of a sleep cycle, during the lighter stages of sleep, it’ll be easier to wake up without feeling groggy.” When you have a sleep schedule, your body learns to predict that timing and prepare to wake up during a lighter stage of sleep. Just keep away from the snooze button, which can confuse your circadian rhythm and leave you feeling even more tired, says Dr. Dautovich.<\/p>\n

6. Put a Cork in It
\n<\/strong>It’s tempting to unwind after a long day with a bottle of vino, but wrap it up (and use a cute stopper to cork it) after one (OK, maybe two) glasses. Having too much alcohol<\/a> in your system is akin to a bouncer in front of Club Good Sleep who keeps you from entering deeper sleep cycles, says Dr. Breus. It reduces REM<\/a> (rapid eye movement) sleep, according to a 2013 study in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, <\/em>which is far from ideal. REM sleep<\/a> is when you dream as your brain works on memory and other cognitive functions \u2014 pretty important stuff.<\/p>\n

7. Cool Things Down
\n<\/strong>Whether you’re a fan of steamy summer temps or you\u2019re more of a cold-weather creature, stick with sleeping in a cool room to maximize your snooze time. “Your body temperature drops as you fall asleep,\u201d says Dr. Dautovich. \u201cWe suggest keeping your bedroom between 60 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit to mimic that.”. As a bonus, a 2014 study in Diabetes <\/em>shows sleeping in a room that’s 66 degrees can help increase your levels of metabolism-revving brown fat<\/a>.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>The Hidden Ways Sleep Deprivation Can Lead to Weight Gain<\/a><\/p>\n

8. Enter the Darkroom
\n<\/strong>“Light can stop the production of melatonin and have a big effect on both your ability to fall and stay asleep,” says Dr. Breus. Melatonin<\/a> is a hormone that aids in regulating your circadian rhythms, helping you fall \u2014 and then keeping you \u2014 asleep. In addition to not looking at your phone or computer screens for at least an hour before bed, consider swapping your bulbs for these from LightingScience. “They don’t emit as much blue light, which seems to stop melatonin production,” says Dr. Breus, who uses them in his own house as well.<\/p>\n

9. Skip the Afternoon Coffee Run
\n<\/strong>You probably never sip coffee<\/a> right before bed (and if you do, we hope it\u2019s decaf!), but mainlining a PM cup of joe can practically have the same effect. “Caffeine can stay in your system for eight to 10 hours. If you want to get a good night’s rest, one of my biggest recommendations would be to stop drinking coffee by around 2:00 p.m.,” says Dr. Breus. Instead, try a natural energy bar<\/a> with wholesome ingredients to help you power through that afternoon slump.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Forget counting sheep \u2014 these expert-approved tips will change your entire sleep game so you can sleep better, asap.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":41834,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,13],"tags":[58,280,341,349],"class_list":["post-41793","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","category-sleep","tag-hacks","tag-sleep","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2sports-medicine"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41793","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/62"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41793"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41793\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41834"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41793"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41793"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41793"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}