How to Fall Asleep Faster

by Elizabeth / Wednesday, 21 November 2018 / Published in Sleeping Tips

Stop Eating: 2.5 Hours Before Bed

Eating before bed makes you fat. Nutritionists across the board think we should stop eating at least 3 hours prior to bedtime. But, Laura points out that children have no issue and can eat just before bed. She says: “Many children eat dinner and go to bed immediately, but I’ve never seen this negatively impact their sleep.” Eating a lot of food will increase blood flow to your digestive tract. Then, the stomach secretes extra gastric acid, making the intestinal muscles work harder. This will stimulate your metabolism at a point when it should be slowing down. Experts recommend stopping eating 2 or 3 hours before bed. Helene points out that large dinner late at night interfere with sleep, but a light snack at bedtime might be necessary for some people.

Stop Eating Worst Foods Like Sugar & Spicy Before Sleep

Eating before bedtime will affect your ability to fall asleep as well as quality, depending on when you partake. All experts advise stopping eating spicy, sugar, and caffeinated foods.

Avoid meat, chocolate, heavy foods
Avoid spicy food, alcohol, caffeine, foods that are difficult to digest
Avoid anything with caffeine (chocolate, tea coffee, coke).
Avoid anything with high sugar foods which can cause a surge in blood sugar.
Avoid anything with high protein foods such as meat or cheese.
Avoid spice and caffeinated
Avoid heavy, fatty foods like steak dinner.

Stop Drinking Coffee: 6.5 Hours Before Bed

Caffeine is a major stimulant found in coffee. It is said that coffee is the most popular drug in the world. How many hours before bed should we stop drinking coffee? Different sleep experts have different opinions. Shannon says: “For adults, usually 6 hours. But people who are really sensitive to caffeine should stop drinking coffee after 12 pm.” Both Inell and Jordan think we should stop it after lunch. Jeen says: “We should stop drinking coffee after lunch (8 hrs).” The majority of them recommend stopping drinking at least 8 hours before bed. Generally, the exact average was 6:40 before bed.

The Most Common Causes Of Sleep Deprivation

Sleep deprivation is the condition of not getting enough sleep. No matter what your job entails, sleep deprivation can be a catastrophe. Sleep deprivation can cause weight loss or gain, fatigue, achiness irritability, severe cognitive impairment, headaches, and possibly hallucinations, depending on the level. Sleep deprivation can be caused by a variety of conditions including, improper sleep environment, poor sleep habits & bedtime routine, pain, anxiety, busy life, social/work/family pressures, shift work, sleep apnea, insomnia, etc. In a word, stress, worrying and anxiety are the 3 common reasons for sleep deprivation. The mental aspect causes the root of sleep deprivation although external factors do have a role. A stressful day is unavoidable. But, you can try creating time and space between stressful events and sleep.

Can A Full Moon Affect One’s Sleep?

Andrea, Laura, and Hannah think the answer is yes, and they find that babies suddenly wake up on a full moon much more. Niamh says: “My head says no, but I know lots of people who feel this way.” Scientifically speaking, although many experts were quick to qualify that information by offering anecdotal information, few of the experts wished to state unequivocally that a full moon can affect sleep. According to scientific research, a full moon should not affect sleep. However, it seems that a full moon certainly does disrupt sleep from both patients and continued anecdotal evidence.

Can Bedding Material Affect One’s Sleep? (Cotton, Satin & Silk)

Of course, the answer is positive. Bea says: “Cotton can keep us cooler, which can help us sleep better.” Kathryn points out that the more comfortable and cool your bed can be, the better your chances of sleeping well. The type of bedding can definitely affect your sleep. Try any soft and comfortable sheets to enjoy a good night sleep. Try satin sheets as they give off a silk-like soft and smooth feel. The best choice is silk because it not only allows air to travel through, but also makes you feel warm in winter and feel cool in summer. Breathability is the biggest factor for having the right bedding to sleep. It is recommended to choose cotton sheets and silk sheets.

Wearing Socks To Bed: Depends On The Person & Temperature

Some experts reported patients prefer socks as it keeps them warm. They find socks keep the blood circulating. Bea points out that wearing socks makes it easier for people to fall asleep because blood is better circulated this way. Conversely, some reported that patients often feel hot if they wear socks to sleep. Kathryn says: “People who sleep poorly report feeling hotter. Socks would make you more likely to get hot and have disturbed sleep.” This, however, really came down to personal preference.

Pre-bedtime Activities & Sleep Disruption

Bea thinks yoga is okay and aerobic is probably higher on the list than logging into an email. While, Jordan says: “How pre-bedtime activities disrupt our ability to fall asleep depends on the person.” Hannah points out that reading/watching newspaper/TV/Email depends on content and stress levels. According to a survey, we get some interesting results. Cigarettes are ranked as more disruptive than alcohol. Compared with the potential caffeine and sugars found in alcohol, experts judge the nicotine content of to be more damaging. Email and Facebook (social media) score as more disruptive than exercise, alcohol, and TV.