Six Ways to Help You Sleep Better | Men’s Health

If there’s one thing that men seem to foolishly take pride in, it’s not sleeping enough. Missing a night’s sleep is almost as much a badge of honor for some guys as the work they were supposed to be doing with their night. Sure, some guys are grinding away at work at night and miss a few hours or shuteye and others are just pushing their limits for a Netflix marathon. But others aren’t sleeping because they can’t.

“Getting enough sleep improves your health, strengthens your immune system, improves your mood and boosts productivity; chronic poor sleep is linked to poor health, mood disorders and low productivity,” said Kristen Knutson, National Sleep Foundation Poll Fellow, “Improving sleep in various demographics could make a positive impact on public health.” With that in mind, it may be wise to consider hypnotherapy or sleep therapy for a lasting solution to this problem. In the meantime, there are some simple tricks you can use tonight to have a better chance at resting so you can face tomorrow with a clear mind and get some help to target the root of the problem.

Here are six of the top solutions you can try tonight without a prescription or anything invasive.

Lavender
This purple perennial’s scent has long been associated with reducing anxiety and relaxing the body. Many studies have linked lavender with a decrease in blood pressure and skin temperature. There are also studies reporting students with higher daytime energy than those who’d inhaled a placebo.

Oil and scent patches can provide an easy way to get a smooth scent before bed. Of course, you could actually place lavender on your pillow before bed to allow the scent to mix into your pillow before hitting the hay.

Yoga And Meditation
A typical workout can build your energy and make you feel ready to jump up and get going, but a yoga workout is much more chilled usually ending with a calm, still position and dim lights making you feel like you’re ready to shut down. You can also provide yourself with a similar experience by meditating before bed.

If you want to do it all at home, incorporating yoga stretches followed by meditation is an excellent route. Stretching before bed is great for your muscles as you’ve worked them all day and following this with a peaceful mind can put you at ease to have a lovely slumber.

White Noise Or Nature Sounds
Many people talk about wanting to fall asleep to the sound of rain or the crash of the ocean’s waves. If that’s too much, a little white noise might do the trick to at least keep your ears on a consistent sound rather than abnormal sounds that are likely to wake you. These days you don’t even need a noise machine—get an app for it!

Keep A Routine
Our bodies have natural circadian rhythms and, in truth, we are creatures of habit. Creating a schedule for your sleep is what your body craves. It wants to know when it’s time to get up and when it’s time to cut the lights. If you create a regulated bedtime, at least for the work days, your body will thank you.

A Small Tryptophan Snack
Tryptophan is an amino acid that causes sleepiness so try eating a tryptophan-rich snack before bed. Consider combining it with some carbohydrates as they help tryptophan enter the brain.

Also remember to keep it small because you don’t want to be eating heavy before bed as it will make your digestion rumble while you sleep. Some good tryptophan-rich foods are peanuts, canned tuna, pistachios, cheddar cheese and sunflower seeds.

Use Earplugs And Wear An Eye Mask
It doesn’t sound special, but environmental factors can affect your sleep. If your room isn’t completely dark, your eyes detect any light and it sends a signal to your brain that it’s not sleepy time. An eye mask can deter this from happening.

Additionally, random sounds throughout the night could be waking you up. If you hear someone get up to use the bathroom, if an ambulance whizzes down the street outside or if the kitchen is close by and you hear the ice maker popping out ice cubes, you could experience interrupted sleep. Avoid being awaken by these noises with earplugs.