Serving the Lowcountry and Coastal Empire of Georgia and South Carolina.
Friday, January 19, 2018
We’ve all been there. You’re exhausted, you’re not getting enough sleep, and you can’t seem to break the cycle of poor sleeping habits. Keeping up with a healthy sleeping routine is often one of the biggest struggles for many adults. It’s essential to your health and happiness and, yet, it often becomes the least important part of your to-dos. Or, even worse, daily habits are interrupting your sleep habits.
Not getting the proper amount of sleep has negative, long-term effects on your energy, productivity, emotional balance, and even weight. Unfortunately, getting better sleep is not as simple as just getting a full eight hours every night. There are other things you have to consider.
If you find yourself tossing and turning more often than not, don’t worry. We’ve got the inside scoop on what will make you sleep like a baby
Does waking up naturally without an alarm seem like a far-off dream to you? Well, it’s possible and here’s how: stick to your body’s natural sleep cycle. In other words, pick a time to go to bed and a time to wake up. Then, make sure to follow that schedule every day, even on the weekends. While it may be tempting to sleep in on Saturday after the long work week, doing so will affect your body in the same way that jet-lag does.
If you stick to a schedule, you’ll wake up feeling more refreshed and energized, plus you may be able to throw away your alarm clocks.
2. Relax
It’s no shocker that leftover thoughts, stress, and negative emotions from your day can make it harder to fall and stay asleep. It’s vital to spend time detaching from those things and relaxing before bedtime. If you need some tips or inspiration on how to do that, we’ve got a few here:
3. Exercise
People who exercise regularly sleep better at night and also have more energy throughout the day. While the more vigorous the exercise the better the sleep, even light exercise can cause positive changes. However, it does take time for exercise patterns to affect your quality of sleep, so remain patient and work hard at keeping up regular exercise routines.
4. Environment
Did you know that your sleep environment has a huge impact on your sleep quality? Here are a few changes you can make to your bedroom that will make you sleep even better.
5. Diet
Just as exercise benefits both your mind and your body when it comes to sleep, so does your diet.
Let's start with drinks. In general, it's good to avoid drinking liquids before bedtime, otherwise, you might wake up to use the restroom in the middle of the night. However, it's extra important to not drink caffeine, alcohol, and sugary drinks at least a few hours before bedtime.
As far as food, eat dinner on the earlier side and aim for lighter meals. Try as much as possible to eliminate sugary foods and refined carbs from your diet. All of these elements can pull you out of the deeper stages of sleep and make you feel unrested.
If you want to have more energy, feel happier, and be more productive, change your sleep habits. Click here if you’d like to schedule an appointment with SouthCoast Health to see just how your sleep patterns might be affecting your overall health.
Whether you are looking for a primary care doctor or a pediatrician, or another medical specialist, SouthCoast Health has you covered with its wide range of world-class healthcare services, available throughout the Coastal Empire and Lowcountry. Founded in 1996, SouthCoast Health has 120 physicians and medical professionals in 17 locations in Savannah, Richmond Hill, Pooler, Rincon, Baxley, Hilton Head, Hinesville, and Statesboro. SouthCoast Health offers comprehensive medical services including: Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Allergy and Asthma, Cardiology, Endocrinology, Eye Care, Imaging, Infectious Diseases, Nephrology, Neurology, Physical Therapy, Podiatry, Sleep Medicine, Surgery, Clinical Trial Research Studies, Diabetic Self-Management Training Sessions, Dietetic Counseling, Laboratory Services, Massage Therapy, Optical Shop, Pharmacy, and Urgent Care.
SouthCoast Health has 120 physicians and medical professionals in 18 locations in Savannah, Richmond Hill, Pooler, Rincon, Baxley, Hinesville, and Statesboro.
