What if you could get more out of each night's sleep?

Many people have trouble simply getting enough sleep from night to night. And even if they turn in early, quite a few toss and turn all night instead of getting deep sleep.

No matter how much time you spend sleeping, though, it's possible to get your best night’s sleep every evening. Check out the following tips and see what a difference good sleep can make in your life! 

Consistent Sleep Schedule

We'll let you in on a little secret: one of the biggest tricks to good sleep is setting your body's clock to resting and waking up at certain times. But it's important that you stick to a consistent schedule.

If you are going to bed at different times and waking up at different times throughout the week, your internal clock gets really confused. And because of that, your sleep is likely to be very fitful.

Remember, everyone has a different sleep schedule. You may go to bed earlier or even later than most of your peers, but it doesn't matter so long as you are getting enough rest.

How do you know if your body is resting enough? You should be able to wake up naturally without needing an alarm.

Avoid Sleeping in

This next tip goes hand in hand with the first tip: as fun as it can be, you should avoid sleeping in on the weekends. 

Sleeping in is usually a reaction to not getting enough sleep throughout the week. People blame their alarm clock for poor sleep and relish the opportunity to sleep in without a noisy interruption. 

However, sleeping in disrupts your body's internal clock. And like we said, if you're truly getting a good night's sleep each night, you won't even need the annoying alarm clock to wake up.

Get More Light During the Day

Believe it or not, light plays a major role in the quality of your sleep. There are certain kinds of light you should avoid at night. During the day, though, your body needs to soak up some bright light. 

Sunlight and other bright light is tied to your body's circadian rhythm. Generally speaking, we are programmed to be wakeful in the light and sleepy in the dark.

But if you're not getting enough light during the day, you may be sending your body mixed signals. Someone working from home, for instance, can easily get sleepy in the middle of the day if they don't open up the windows and get enough light. 

Sunlight is the best light to help you sleep. But even additional artificial light throughout the day can help you sleep at night. 

Relaxing Rituals

What do you do before you go to bed? One rookie mistake that plenty of people make is to try to go directly to bed before relaxing first.  

To get the most out of your sleep, you should regularly do some kind of relaxing ritual. For some people, this might be reading a few chapters of a book. For others, this might mean relaxing in a warm bath.

These rituals help to disconnect you from your busy day, effectively winding your mind and body down so that you are ready for rest. Such rituals also help to remove anxiety and stress, leading to a better night of sleep.

Turn off the TV Ahead of Time

When we said "bedtime rituals," some of you may have been thinking about watching a TV show or a movie. But doing so might actually hurt your chance of a good night's sleep.

First off, the TV serves as a source of light that may suppress the melatonin in your body. This causes your body to think it's time to stay awake instead of turn in for the night.

Second, many TV shows and movies (such as dramas, thrillers, and even comedies) are very stimulating. And if you end up excited by the programming, it becomes that much more difficult to go to sleep.

Daily Exercise

Exercise is probably the last thing you think of when you think of sleep. However, exercising during the day is one of the best ways to sleep better at night.

It's actually a really simple cause and effect: if you exercise during the day, you're likelier to get a more restful night of sleep. And exercising more vigorously can lead to even deeper sleep.

Now, the benefits of exercise may not come to you right away. It could be months before you experience the full benefits. However, this provides a nice incentive for sticking with a regular exercise routine! 

Try to stop exercising at least 3 hours before bedtime, though. Otherwise, factors such as your increased heart rate may keep you from getting to sleep.

Block Blue Light

You know that bright light at night can keep you from getting a solid evening of sleep. However, if you regularly look at your phone or computer at night, it's impossible to avoid bright light altogether. 

In that case, your best solution is to wear special glasses that block blue light. That's the kind of light emitted by electronic devices, and this light can wreak a lot of havoc on your sleep schedule. With the right glasses, you can view these screens without suffering negative effects. 

If you don't want to wear blue light glasses, consider installing apps on your smartphone and computer to block blue light directly at its source. 

A Dark and Quiet Bedroom

Our last suggestion is really simple: to get a perfect night of sleep, you need to create the perfect sleep environment. 

If you block external light from creeping into the bedroom, you'll sleep better. It's also good to have a bedroom free of noisy distractions such as TVs and other electronic devices.

Finally, you'll want to have a bed with a supportive mattress and comfortable pillows. When your bed is more comfortable, sleep always comes more naturally.

Your Best Night’s Sleep: (Re)Making the Bed

Now you know how to get your best night’s sleep. But do you know who can give your bed the makeover it deserves?

We specialize in mattresses, bedding, furniture, and much more. To experience the difference that quality sleep can make, come browse our bedding selection today.