1. Make Your Bedroom Pitch Black

 

Our brain associate darkness with night, and light with day. Being in a bright room filled with screens decreases melatonin production and makes your body believe it’s daytime.

 

2. Make Your Bedroom Quiet

 

Sounds can also decrease your sleep quality and wake you up. Get earplugs if you don’t have control over your environment.

 

3. Sleep in the Perfect Temperature

 

The ideal sleep temperature is about 65-70°F (18-21 °C).

 

4. Block Blue Light

 

The blue light from devices like phones, TVs and computers decrease melatonin production. The best thing would be to not use devices 3 hours before bedtime, but we all know that’s not going to happen. Fortunately, tech can help us by removing most blue light from the screen. Here’s the free programs for all devices and platforms:

 

To maximize the benefits, buy a pair of blue blocking glasses. They're good for blocking blue light coming from lamps and devices where these apps aren't available. You'll look dorky, but they can increase sleep quality by 50%.

 

5. Be Smart About What You Eat and Drink

 

What you consume can affect your sleep significantly. Here’s some suggestions on what to eat to get a great night’s sleep:

 

Cut out caffeine 6 hours before you go to bed.

 

Stop drinking liquids 1 hour before bedtime.

 

Skip the nightcap: It can make you fall asleep faster, but decreases sleep quality.

 

6. Wind Down and Clear Your Head

 

Gratitude¹: Write down 3 things you're grateful for every morning, or before you go to sleep. It's proven to make you more relaxed, healthy and happy - and seem to increase sleep quality by 25%.

 

Meditation²: Meditation then calms you down and gives you a simple thing to focus on: your breath. Just observe yourself breathing - feel the air coming in and going through your body. Then feel it flowing out.

 

Exercise: 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous³ exercise a week can increase your sleep quality by 65%.

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