Do you often wake up with a headache or feeling drowsy? Do you feel restless even after sleeping long hours? It’s hard to be productive when you’re constantly fatigued. People usually experience poor sleep quality for a lot of reasons, from lifestyle choices to routine habits.

Here’s everything you need to know to improve your sleep quality:

Exercise

Research shows that exercising for at least 30 minutes each day can improve sleep for most adults. Being active releases endorphins, which relaxes the brain.

Moreover, according to the Sleep Foundation, resistance exercises and yoga can help with sleep.

Yoga improves posture, flexibility, and balance. Including yoga in your daily routine is a great way to stay active and healthy.

Resistance exercises are designed to build muscle strength. The exercises include lifting weights, using resistance bands, and doing push-ups and sit-ups.

If any of these exercises do not fit your style, try jogging, running, or any activity that keeps your blood pumping.

Nutrition

Nutrition is one of the important factors affecting your quality of sleep.The food we eat fuels not just our bodies, but also our minds.

The National Sleep Foundation suggests diets low in fiber and high in saturated fat will lead to fewer deep sleep hours.

When you consume lots of sugar, you may wake up in the middle of the night frequently.

Foods to avoid before bed:

• Fatty or high-protein foods
• Spicy foods
• Caffeine
• Alcohol

Foods to snack on before bed:

• Carbohydrates such as oatmeal
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Whole grains
• Nuts
• Low-fat proteins

Sleep Mask

Those who have trouble sleeping at night due to the interference from artificial light can benefit from sleep masks.

You may experience artificial light from a street lamp shining through your bedroom window, the headlights of cars passing by, or light shining underneath your closed bedroom door.

This eye mask from Manta Sleep is highly recommended.

The soft, breathable, and 100% blackout eye mask from Manta Sleep is designed to cover your eyes by resting around them. Ladies, you don’t have to worry about your eyelashes getting compromised.

It’s become part of my routine now to use my sleep mask every night but in the beginning, when I wasn’t quite as consistent, I started to notice how sensitive I was to the light creeping into my room in the morning. I now sleep deeper and longer using the mask. Highly recommend.

Manta Sleep’s adjustable face mask sets it apart from other eye masks. You can adjust the distance between the eyecups and the angle of the eyecups. The Manta eye mask is made from soft and durable materials. Soft foam is used in the eyecups so you will not even notice they are there. Its triple reinforced headband ensures that the headband will not slip off, making it ideal for those who toss and turn in their sleep.

Meditation

Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years. In addition to being used for spiritual beliefs, it can also be used for sleeping. 

Using Sleep Meditation for a Fuller Night’s Rest is easy. It focuses on deep breathing and quieting the mind. 

Mediation can also reduce your heart rate, decrease stress, and increase melatonin. Anxiety is often caused by sustained stress, which is the main reason for restless nights. 

Mindfulness meditation has been proven to improve sleep. Mindfulness meditation focuses on being present in the moment. Be aware of thoughts and emotions that come into your mind, then let them go.

How to meditate:

• Find a quiet spot to sit or lay down
• Close your eyes and take slow deep breaths. Inhale and exhale
• Focus on breathing and quieting the mind
• Practice before bed and do this for 3-5 minutes
• Then slowly increase the time to 15-20 minutes

The Bottom Line

An unhealthy daily routine is often the cause of sleep deprivation. Luckily for you, it is possible to fix these issues by switching a few things up. Changing just a few habits can have a huge impact on your sleep quality. Let us know if these tips helped.