The 6 best tips for getting a good night's sleep (and avoiding insomnia)

To lead a healthy life you have to eat well, exercise or socialize, but there is another fundamental pillar; sleep well. Today there are many people with sleep disorders, and although they sometimes try to improve it, sometimes they do not know how.

Beyond the fact that sleeping can be a real pleasure, poor quality sleep or insufficient sleep ends up taking a toll on health, in addition to being a real torture. That is why in this article we are going to see what our tips are to sleep well.

Top 6 tips for better sleep and falling asleep

Many people have such a hard time sleeping that they end up taking drugs. These can help us a lot despite having some side effects, because in the end not sleeping is surely worse.

Anyway, normally the reason why our sleep is not of quality is because we have a habit that is not suitable for sleeping. It is for this reason that we recommend you review our list of 6 tips for a good sleep before you start taking any sleeping pill.

1. Do not expose yourself too much to the light when it is late

Throughout our evolutionary history, the sun clearly marked our circadian rhythm. When it was daytime our ancestors were exposed to a lot of light, while at night the little light that entered their retinas was of very low intensity.

Today this is very different. Almost everyone lives most of the time indoors, and we use artificial lights both when it is daytime and when it is night. In addition, the use of screens is common and we are occupying more and more hours.

It is common for many people to watch television before going to sleep, but also tablets and mobile phones, which is counterproductive because our brain sees light. And our brain is programmed in the same way as our ancestors; you think it's daytime and what are you doing? stay awake when we have to go to sleep.

2. Not having dinner too late

In Spanish-speaking countries, in general, dinner is a little later than the world average. But a remarkable case is that of Spain, since the late dinner is simply exaggerated. While in Europe dinner is eaten at 6pm or 7pm, in Spain it is quietly dined at 9pm or even at 10pm.

This is a problem that is not always obvious to everyone, but one that science has helped us understand; sleeping within 2 hours after having dinner is neither easy to fall asleep nor actually healthy for the metabolism. That is why we highlight this advice to sleep well and avoid insomnia, as we are not always aware of it.

In addition, in countries like Spain many people eat a huge amount of dinner, almost as if it were a meal. While in other countries at 10 am they are already in bed having digested a light dinner, many Spaniards have not yet started eating the second course.

3. Not having the bedroom at too high a temperature

It has been scientifically proven that sleeping in a room with a high temperature also affects our quality of sleep.

We can well think of all those summer nights when it is the most difficult to sleep. In addition, once we fall asleep, it also becomes more superficial, and the next day we are more tired.

On the other hand, it is not that we have to be cold. So that our body can rest and our brain can disconnect and enter the REM phase of sleep, the bedroom has than to be at a temperature that is simply not too hot, and if it is a little cold we can cover ourselves with something.

4. Don't drink coffee in the afternoon / evening

He is the most consumed substance in the world after water and tea. In all western countries its consumption is very common, and we are no exception.

Coffee is characterized by its stimulating properties, as they help us to have less feeling of sleep and fatigue in the morning and, therefore, to feel more awake.

But surely this is going to be the best known of the tips to sleep well and avoid insomnia. Unfortunately, there are many people who, if they drink coffee in the afternoon, then cannot fall asleep, so they sleep fewer hours. And the next day they feel like they need a coffee.

As we can see, it is a fish that bites its tail and we should be able to break this vicious circle if we perceive that this substance, rather than helping us, is ruining our health.

5. Don't drink alcohol to sleep

There are many people who have found that by drinking alcohol at night they are better able to fall asleep.

This is true, well alcohol is an inhibitory substance of the central nervous system. The problem is that, although it helps us to get to sleep earlier, afterwards the sleep is not as good as it should be.

When we use alcohol as a method to fall asleep we can get to sleep earlier, but the quality of sleep is worse. In short, it is a more superficial sleep, so the person does not rest the same and can wake up more during the night.

6. Not getting a lot of exercise in the afternoon / evening

There are people who perform medium or high intensity exercise, which in principle is very good for our body, but who do it in the afternoon or at night.

It may be because they have thought that the time they most want to do it is when they leave work. Also other people who play a team sport and who simply cannot choose the schedule. Sometimes because of the schedule of a member of the group, other times it is because the playing court is only free at certain times late.

What we would advise these people is that, if they can, change the time of exercise in the morning or at noon. It has been shown that, although the body may be tired after physical activity at night, the brain is often activated and it is not easy to fall asleep.

Bibliographic references

• Ancoli-Israel, S. (1996). All I Want Is a Good Night's Sleep, St. Louis: Mosby
• Crary, J. (2013). 24/7: Late Capitalism and the Ends of Sleep, London: Verso
• Stickgold, R. and Matthew P. W (2009). The Neuroscience of Sleep, London: Academic Press.