In honor of World Sleep Day, experts share tips to improve sleep quality, including sticking to a sleep schedule, unplugging from screens before bedtime, keeping the bedroom cool, exercising regularly (but not too close to bedtime), considering a magnesium supplement, and trying sleep accessories and apps. These strategies can help regulate circadian rhythms, improve melatonin production, and promote relaxation, ultimately enhancing overall well-being and mood.
A sleep writer shares seven tips for better sleep in 2024, including eating dinner earlier, creating a relaxing bedroom environment, investing in a mattress topper, wearing an eye mask, swapping phone time for reading, taking warm baths, and journaling worries before bed. These personal strategies are aimed at improving sleep quality, which is crucial for cognitive function and long-term health. The writer emphasizes the importance of sleep hygiene and the role of a conducive sleep environment in achieving restful sleep.
To improve sleep in the New Year, experts suggest nine steps: catching up on sleep during weekends, focusing on sleep regularity rather than duration, using sleep tracking wisely, acknowledging the link between sleep and mental health, adjusting to seasonal sleep changes, avoiding checking the time during night wake-ups, choosing the right mattress, managing bedroom lighting, and trying the WWII-era military sleep method. These steps address various factors that can affect sleep quality, from the physical environment to psychological strategies, aiming to reduce risks associated with sleep deprivation such as obesity, heart disease, and mental health issues.
To improve sleep quality in 2024, experts recommend establishing a consistent sleep schedule, avoiding alcohol and caffeine, keeping the bedroom cool and dark, and reserving the bed for sleep and sex only. If awake for more than 20-30 minutes, it's advised to get up rather than stay in bed, to prevent the bed from becoming associated with wakefulness. For persistent sleep issues, professional sleep training or consulting a sleep specialist may be necessary.