Five ways to establish healthy evening routines and get better sleep

Getting enough sleep is probably one of the most important habits we could get into. Not only is it satisfying, but it is vital to leading a healthy lifestyle.

A good night’s rest is essential for weight loss, memory retention, cardiac health, and healthy skin.

Under the current (pandemic) circumstances, getting into a sleep routine is probably one of the hardest things to maintain right now. Whether you’re dealing with anxiety, financial stress, getting sucked into the social media rabbit hole, or an endless to-do list – it’s a lot.

According to research, elevated levels of the stress hormone Cortisol can cause poor sleep quality, which can lead to a number of health complications.

As we head into more COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, we thought we’d share five ways to establish a healthy evening routine to allow you to get the perfect night’s rest.

1. Hydrate

Drinking a healthy amount of water on a daily basis has many health benefits. It helps keep your heart healthy, improve your skin and many more life-changing benefits. A lack of water consumption leads to dehydration – known to decrease your mood levels and promote stress in men and women.

Read more: 4 Ways to help you stay healthy this winter (ecr.co.za)

2. Caffeine-Free

Did you know that caffeine has a half-life of around five hours? Yeah, neither did we. If you have a cup of coffee at 3 pm it is likely to still be in your system at 8 pm. It is easy to brew another pot of java when we’re feeling that afternoon slump kick in – but try not to give in to its charming smell and taste. If you can, rather choose some herbal tea, an energising snack, or a glass of water.

3. Stretch

Get those stretches in. Vigorous exercise will help boost your energy levels and your mood, so it is best to avoid this at night. Try a light exercise like yoga or just engage in some stretches. Why? Stretching activates your parasympathetic nervous system which in turn triggers relaxation.

4. Screen time

This is probably one of the hardest ones to achieve because our world seems to revolve around digital technology these days. Blue light – the light emitted from electronic devices – suppresses the production of our sleep hormone melatonin. Artificial light has the ability to shift our circadian rhythms, keeping us up longer even after we’ve logged off. The best thing to do is turn off all your electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime.

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5. Gratitude and reflection

Take a few minutes before bed for a little introspection. Mindfulness is a powerful tool that will help you have control over your mind. Being mindful of the good in our lives has a positive impact on our mood and will put your mind at ease before bedtime. Some people have a gratitude journal in which they scribble down about three things they are grateful for.

Many of us have grown up in a time where it’s considered cool to sleep less and work more, but the long term effects of this lifestyle are detrimental to our health, mood, mental state, and - ironically - the ability to perform at the highest level in our jobs.

You can read more tips by clicking here.

Read more: Top five things that make South Africans happy (ecr.co.za)

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