Is it difficult for you to fall asleep in night? Do you feel it difficult to go into phase of sleep? You probably have increased sleep latency.
Table of Contents
What is sleep latency?
Sleep latency the time which to take to fall asleep after going to bed and want to fall asleep. This period if increased, you may feel annoyed as you want to sleep but you cannot.
Following is the guide about good sleeping habit. These tips will help you decrease sleep latency.
Same time everyday
Wake up at the same time everyday. Many people have an increased sleep latency period, that is they cannot sleep daily at the same time. They take too long to sleep. Daily time you wake up should be fixed. It will take 2-3 days for you to adjust but soon you will find your sleep latency decreases.
Worry
Do not think about future plans in bed. Many people have a habit of thinking about future plans when they go to sleep. You should avoid this when you go to bed. You should rather make a plan in the morning time. When you are fresh after you are awake you should decide what you are going to do today. Make small daily av\chievable goals rather than getting worried with unrealistic goals.
Regular
Keep your bedtime regular. Go to bed at fix time and wake up regularly at fix time. Your daily sleeping schedule should be regular and it shouldn’t be changed too frequently. You should Follow your sleep wake cycle routinely. Do not sleep too much on holiday rather spend extra time in physical activities on holiday.
Stop tobacco and smoking
Avoid smoking and tobacco. Smoking and tobacco contains nicotine. Nicotine is a chemical that goes to your brain and it acts as a stimulant. It alters your sleep wake cycle. Apart from sleeplessness you may get diseases like anxiety and depression with such addictions. It fastly pushes you to diabetes type 2. Additionally if you are already diabetic and hypertensive you are more likely to get complications like stroke, heart attack and blindness with these habits.
Alcohol
Moderate alcohol intake. If you are drinking too much you may get disturbed sleep. Drinking alcohol initially stimulates and then depresses your brain activity. It alters your sleep wake cycle. You should not drink more than a limit.
Reduce caffeine intake
Avoid having excessive tea and coffee. Tea and coffee contain caffeine which acts on the brain and it acts like a stimulant. Those who drink tea and coffee excessively may feel difficulty falling asleep or maintaining sleep at night. Your sleep may be disturbed if you drink coffee or tea in the evening or night. You should avoid excess intake of coffee and tea.
Stop browsing
Avoid using mobile, laptops and tablet screens before sleep. Mobile, laptops and tablets have a backlight screen that emits light. This light, especially blue one, has the capacity to alter your sleep wake cycle. You will feel difficult falling asleep if you have this habit.
Read
Read a good book before sleep. Reading a good book before sleep can be a good alternative to the screens. It will make you sleep and will reduce sleep latency time.
Music
Don’t listen to loud music before sleeping, calm and soothing music is good. Listening to loud exciting music before sleep is a big distraction to your sleep.
Exercise
Daily exercise. Exercise daily is a good strategy to regularize your sleep wake cycle. You should wake up in the morning and do outdoor activities like a walk or jogging helps you to regularize your sleep cycle.
Lose weight
Try to lose weight. Obese people have more chances of disturbed sleep. Obese people have problems like obstructive sleep apnoea and their sleep is disturbed in the night.
Get treated
Get treated if you have asthma and allergic rhinitis. If you have chronic problems like asthma and allergic rhinitis they may get induced in the night and affect your sleep. If you have these conditions they should be well managed and under control. Getting difficulty in breathing at night is a bad indicator suggesting you need better asthma management.
Environment
Sleep in a comfortable and calm, dark place. You should sleep in a comfortable and dark place so that your sleep is nott disturbed at night.
Warm milk
A glass of warm milk before sleep. Milk contains tryptophan that is natural amino acid, a natural sleeping pill. If you like milk you should drink it before sleeping. It helps you inducing your sleep and decreasing latency of your sleep.
Mosquito nets
Use mosquito nets for sleep. If you stay in an area where mosquitoes are found and they are likely to disturb you at night you should use mosquito repellents or mosquito nets.
Avoid spicy food
Avoid spicy food at night. If you are prone to hyperacidity and it disturbs your sleep in night you should eat let spicy food in night.
Water
Stay hydrated throughout the day. Take adequate water. Do not drink too much water before sleep. It may disturb your sleep.
Medications
Do not abuse medications and stay away from addiction. Take medical help you need advice. Self medications may make you addicted and disturb your sleep.
Psychiatric disorders
If you have psychiatric illness like anxiety, depression and others you should seek professional advice from a psychiatrist.