Being well rested is one of the most important things the body and mind need to function properly and efficiently—and luckily, there are simple ways to improve your sleep without expensive or unrealistic means. Mikala Jordan, the sleep lab supervisor at Mercy Health in Oklahoma City, suggests making small, practical changes that can make a measurable difference.
Protect your schedule
One of the biggest things to improve sleep quality is having a schedule that you’re sticking to as much as possible. Consistency matters more than perfection, so going to bed and waking up at roughly the same time helps reset the body’s internal clock. If you’re on call and get an unexpected wake-up call, Mikala recommends going back to the normal routine as soon as possible.
Mind your lighting
Bright, cool-toned bulbs and screens in the evening signal the brain to stay alert, so avoid them if possible. Ideally, that means no TV or phone time 30-60 minutes before bed.
Create a sleep sanctuary
To improve sleep, your room should be dark and cool with a comfortable mattress and pillow. Mikala suggests some sort of white noise and only using your bedroom to sleep — which means no watching TV while you’re in your bed.
“Your circadian rhythm takes a while to reset. If you’re consistent with the changes, I’d say give it about a week before you might start to notice improvements,” Mikala says. “If you’re still experiencing a lot of sleep issues after making consistent changes, I would definitely seek additional help to make sure there’s not any underlying issues.”
Visit TheNSF.org for more tips and info about how to get better sleep.
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