4 Changes to Consider If You are Unable to Sleep

Poor sleep quality can have a significant impact on your health. People dealing with sleep deprivation often experience memory issues, mood changes, lowered sex drive and poor coordination. Over time, not getting enough sleep could lead to more serious health conditions, including weight gain, weakened immunity, high blood pressure and increased risk of heart disease. If you aren't sleeping well, it's something you need to address as soon as possible. Here are a few changes to consider to get better sleep every night.

Create a Cozy Bedroom

Do a little work in your bedroom to make it more inviting when it's time to hit the sack. Install dimmers to darken the room while you wind down for bedtime. Add room darkening shades, a white noise machine or a fan if those things will help you fall and stay asleep.

Stick to a Schedule

Make sure you go to bed at a reasonable time to get up in the morning without being sleep-deprived. If you have to wake up at 6 a.m., for example, go to bed by 10 p.m. every night. Sticking to that schedule every day will help train your body to fall asleep faster and wake up feeling more rested each day. The trick is to keep your schedule even on the weekends when it's tempting to sleep in.

Get More Exercise

If you're not currently exercising on a regular basis, more physical activity could be just what you need to get better sleep at night. Whether you exercise in the morning, on your lunch hour or after work is up to you. The only rule is to make sure you're done exercising at least three hours before your bedtime, so your body has time to wind down after vigorous activity.

Change Your Bedding

Even if you're doing everything right when it comes to proper sleep habits, the wrong bedding could cause sleep problems for you. The biggest issue with bedding is temperature; if you're too warm or too cold, you're more likely to wake up during the night, sleep restlessly or experience night sweats. Switch to temperature-regulating bedding to reduce the risk of having your sleep disturbed due to temperature issues.

Try these tips to enjoy better sleep each night and improve your overall health.