“Enjoy the honey-heavy dew of slumber.
Thou hast no figures, nor no fantasies,
Which busy care draws in the brains of men;
Therefore thou sleep’st so sound. ”
– Shakespeare
In Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Brutus refers to his pal Lucious in the above lines of the monologue – how he can enjoy a deep, sound sleep with no worries to keep him awake at night.
Fast forward to this day, we all wish to catch some good shut-eye, just like Lucious.
Alas! There are many of us, who have trouble falling asleep and to our chagrin, have registered ourselves as “insomniacs”.
Well, seldom do we realize that a good bedtime routine is a precursor to sound sleep. Unless we keep ourselves glued to a pre-fixed schedule, we are destined to fail each time. Sleep deprivation is a critical issue and can bring along in its trail a string of physical and mental illnesses. Also, all those who resort to sleeping pills do more harm than good.
The worst part, in this case, is how we have only matured into bad sleepers since childhood. You can only take a cue from your children –how they would have a bite, take a shower, tuck along with their favorite doll, and read stories before bedtime–now, that’s a routine!
From reading books to decluttering your room, sleeping on a latex mattress, and much more, this post discusses some of the best ways to beat stress before bedtime and sleep well.
Choose Your Mattress Right
A good night’s sleep owes a lot to the kind of mattress you use in your bed.
While you can always choose from a handful of options, a latex mattress is seemingly the best choice. Made from natural rubber extracts, it is extremely durable and hypo-allergic.
Sleeping on a latex mattress instantly gives you a “sink in” sensation, much akin to memory foam. However, they bounce right back to shape without trying too hard and can be used for several years.
Declutter Your Bedroom
A study conducted in 2015 concluded people sleeping in decluttered spaces do way better than people who tend to sleep in an unorganized room.
The focus area remains the shelves and other spaces near your bed, where you can arrange your array of books or maybe put the lampshade in the right place and make some room for a small Buddha figurine.
The Essence Of Reading
Some people prefer reading before bedtime, while others like to carry a book to bed. Either way, it seems to work well.
Nevertheless, you might want to refrain from reading on your bed as it can sabotage the purpose sometimes. Also, these days, you have Kindle and other gadgets where you can read books – they might not be a good choice to carry to bed. After all, they are electronic devices and the light it emits can keep you awake for long.
Instead, invest in light reading, like a magazine maybe. As you flip past the pages and feel your eyes are becoming heavy and the words aren’t making any sense, put it aside and go to sleep.
Give Breathing A Chance
Breathing exercises are known to bring down anxiety, reduce stress levels, and normalize blood pressure.
As we progress through the day, our breathing patterns also change. Thus, at night, when we practice focused breathing, it triggers natural slumber.
There are several combinations of focused breathing and a simple Google search or looking up in YouTube can give you plenty of options.
What’s Better Than Music?
Music is the language to reach all hearts alike. It’s more like a therapy that can help you unwind and relax before bedtime.
While there are no specific recommendations as to what type of music works best for sleep, light sounds are preferred at night. You might as well give nature sounds a try– the sound of rain or sea waves seems to work for some people.
Consider A Warm Shower
When it comes to bedtime, our body temperature has a rather significant role to play. A warm shower is known to induce good sleep for both adults as well as children.
If you are sleeping on a latex mattress, this is even more important as it will help to regulate the right body temperature and boost your natural cooling sensation.
Maintain The Right Room Temperature
Body temperature is known to fluctuate every hour–when on the higher side, it keeps us alert, and when low makes us feel the same. Hence, you must maintain the right room temperature during bedtime– the recommended range being anywhere between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit.
Try Some Light Stretching
Stretching is an indispensable component of a healthy regime in the morning. However, low-impact stretching can also be an important part of your bedtime routine to relax your body.
Just ensure you are not overdoing things–like if you are sweating a lot, you might want to stop right here and keep it light.
Wrap up
Truth be told, there’s no single formula that works to impart a good night’s sleep. However, basics like choosing a latex mattress or listening to music and a warm shower may push things for good.
Above all, it all boils down to one's preference for doing things before bedtime and try and stick to it for a month at least to fall into a schedule.
