Sleep Hacks That Will Have You Snoozin’ Like a Pro

The average person will spend nearly a third of their life sleeping, making it a significant part of our lives, yet we still manage to always feel tired during the middle of the day. If you’re sick of the mid-day slump and want to kickstart your sleeping habits, then these sleep hacks are just the thing for you.

Photo by Christopher Jolly on Unsplash

Wake up at the same time

I know most of us use the weekend to catch up on sweet, sweet sleep, but this habit can be damaging to our internal clocks or circadian rhythm. When we ignore our circadian rhythm during the weekends, it can cause us to fall into a new cycle of not being able to fall asleep, which will only continue the feeling of not getting enough rest. Try getting up at the same time during the weekends for a couple weeks, and you’ll quickly notice feeling more rested.

Reduce your need for sleep

Sleeping less and having more energy may sound totally implausible, but it can be done! One way to do this is to get some vigorous exercise 4-6 hours before going to bed. This will allow your body to come down from its endorphin high, leaving you nice and tired while simultaneously reducing the need for your overall sleep. Another way to reduce your need for sleep is to gradually set your alarm by 20-30 minute increments over the course of three weeks. After the third week, you should be able to cut your sleeping by 60 to 90 minutes.

Try using a white noise machine or soundscapes

White noise consists of soothing sound waves that have been shown to be highly effective in helping lull people to sleep. The white noise can drown out any sound from your external environment, masking them with a singular noise that is easy to fixate on and help you fall asleep. Other soundscapes can include relaxing noises like the waves of the ocean, rainfall, or a forest walk.

Put down the caffeine and alcohol

Consuming any caffeine 4-6 hours before bed can severely impact your ability to fall asleep, so try to save get your caffeine fix in the morning and afternoon. As for alcohol, it can help you fall asleep faster but diminishes your REM sleep, which is crucial to have if you want to feel rested when you wake up.

Sleep on a quality mattress

We spend nearly a third of our lives sleeping, so why not do it comfortably? Sleeping on a low-quality mattress can cause a whole mess of problems, including back pain, allergies, inadequate support. One thing to consider is that the idea of a “good” mattress is completely subjective to your preferences. Be sure to find one that you enjoy sleeping on, and make sure you have quality sheets to match!

Track your sleep

Sleep trackers are increasingly common nowadays and can be a powerful tool to use to gain a deeper understanding of your sleeping patterns. Sleep trackers track your movement throughout the night, and some will even keep tabs on your heart rate, skin temperature, and breathing. Sort of creepy, but this data provides insight into just how well you’re sleeping and what can be done to improve it.