5 Things You Can Achieve with a Healthy Sleep Routine

Though good-quality sleep is essential to preserving one’s physical, mental, and emotional health, sleep routines often get overlooked in favour of routines that keep people busy and productive. Too many people put off getting a good night’s sleep until this bad habit takes a toll on their bodies and minds. Knowing that, you shouldn’t wait until it’s too late to develop a better sleep regimen. Now’s a good time for you to identify what commonly gets in the way of your sleep routine, to build healthy habits around your bedtime, and to reap the benefits of good-quality sleep in your everyday life.

This article will detail the five most important benefits of a healthy sleep routine, plus some common obstructions to watch out for. Once you understand how far you can go in life with a sleep regimen that actually serves you, you’ll see visible improvements not only in your physical health, but also in your mental and social capabilities.

What Exactly Is a Healthy Sleep Routine, and What Often Gets in the Way?

The best sleep routines typically differ from person to person, as one may find certain conditions more restful and conducive to deep, uninterrupted sleep than others. But experts like those at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) agree that a healthy sleep regimen involves the following things:

• Between seven (7) and nine (9) hours of sleep every day
• Going to sleep at around the same time every night, even on the weekends
• Sleeping in an environment that’s dark, quiet, comfortable, and relaxing
• Avoidance of caffeine, alcohol, and excessively fatty or sugary foods close to bedtime

The following challenges often hinder a person’s ability to attain optimal sleep quality:

A Busy Schedule and Time Management Issues

If you’re dealing with a lot of obligations all at the same time, it will likely be difficult for you to get enough sleep. It’s a good idea to revisit how many of these you can actually take on so that they don’t deprive you of the sleep you need.

Poor Sleep Hygiene

Good sleep hygiene, or the observance of healthy sleep habits, is commonly thought to facilitate quality sleep. Conversely, bad sleep can be attributed to poor sleep hygiene.

Sleeping with uncomfortable clothes or beddings, an unsuitable room temperature, or excessive noise in the background can disrupt a good night’s sleep and leave you feeling groggy and off your game when you wake up. That’s why it’s important to create a sleep-friendly environment in your bedroom, wear sleep-conducive clothing like women's sleepwear, and adjust the brightness, temperature, and noise levels around you before you tuck in for the night.

Exposure to Screens

It may be a force of habit for you to have your phone or tablet by your bedside. But spending too much time on a gadget before bedtime can compromise your overall sleep quality. The blue light emitted by a phone or tablet screen is known to interfere with a human’s natural sleep-wake cycle, making it challenging to fall and stay asleep. Instead of spending prolonged time on your gadgets before bedtime, perhaps you can read a book or meditate.

Stress and Anxiety

Lastly, daily stressors and lingering anxiety can disrupt our natural sleeping patterns. Racing thoughts and pent-up worries can keep you awake at night and prevent you from getting good quality sleep.

Though this is, of course, easier said than done—and it won’t be possible to achieve overnight—you should work on confronting your everyday stressors and see what you can do to address them. You may also want to explore therapy or counselling or get the advice of a doctor if your problems with sleep, stress, and anxiety still persist.

The Benefits of Observing a Healthy and Consistent Sleep Routine

If establishing a healthy sleep routine hasn’t been among your priorities, then it may take time for you to get into the rhythm of one. All the same, once you’ve achieved a good sleep regimen, you can expect to enjoy the following benefits:

Improved Physical Health and Wellbeing

Quality sleep will strengthen your immune system and facilitate faster recovery from illness and injury. In the long run, a good sleep routine will also serve as excellent protection against chronic diseases like diabetes and obesity.

If your body is in peak condition from always getting a good night’s sleep, you’ll also be better equipped to lead a healthier and more active lifestyle. Exercising, lifting things around the house, and even simply moving around will be less taxing and easier to do.

Enhanced Cognitive Function

A well-rested mind will operate at its peak, enabling you to achieve higher cognitive function. Soon after you develop a healthy sleep routine, you’ll find that you’re able to focus better on your tasks and trust in your memory, information retention, and learning capabilities.

Increased Creativity and More Reliable Problem-Solving Skills

Thanks to media and popular culture, lots of people associate artistic and technical genius with extreme actions like depriving oneself of sleep. But in reality, it’s the exact opposite. Observing a healthy sleep routine is actually one of the best ways to nurture your creative potential. For one, it will strengthen your brain’s flexibility and allow you to think outside the box. Your brain will also be in a good enough place to process knowledge, draw interesting connections between ideas, and generate fresh and creative insights.

Better Emotional and Mental Health

Healthy sleep routines are also known to contribute significantly to emotional wellbeing and mental health. Restful sleep helps regulate emotions and makes it easier for someone to maintain a positive outlook. This, in turn, reduces their likelihood of experiencing mood swings and irritability.

Chronic sleep deprivation is often linked to depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders, and a good sleep routine on your part can serve as protection against these. Preserve your day-to-day mental and emotional health by ensuring you get enough shut-eye every night.

Improvements in Your Interpersonal Relationships

A better sleep routine can also impact your relationships with others in a positive way. When you’re well-rested, you’re typically more attentive and articulate in your conversations with others, and you’re better equipped to demonstrate empathy and emotional intelligence. This, of course, will lead to happier and more satisfying interactions with the important people in your life.

Some Last Tips for Establishing a Healthier Sleep Routine

To unlock the full benefits of a healthy sleep routine, here are some quick tips for establishing one of your own:

• Regulate your body’s circadian clock by going to bed and waking up at roughly the same time each day.
• Make your room more sleep-friendly by investing in quality beddings and sleepwear and adjusting the temperature, noise levels, and brightness as needed before it’s time for bed.
• Bake relaxation into your bedtime routine, for example by taking a warm shower, meditating, or listening to calming music.

You’ll be able to achieve quite a lot with a healthy sleep routine, but in order to do so, you must be able to make good sleep one of your priorities. Take the necessary steps to ensure a good night’s sleep, and you’ll have a lot to look forward to when you wake up!