In our first blog, we wrote about three tips to help you fall asleep easily when you are in bed. In this continuation, five tips will be shared. We mention the advice of some experts who have scientifically demonstrated tricks that will have you back to sleep faster.
- Dunk Your Head In Ice-Cold Water: Sounds strange but yes, you read that right. Submerge your face into a bowl of ice water; making sure the area below your eyes and above your cheekbones is wet. Hold your breath for 30 seconds before coming back up for air. This will activate your mammalian diving reflex, an involuntary human response that will automatically slow down your heart rate and encourage your body to calm itself by activating the parasympathetic nervous system. You will be left feeling relaxed and more ready for sleep.
- Reach That Big O: The reason most of us sleep deeply after sex is because oxytocin, the “love hormone,” counteracts the stress hormonesthat can keep you wide awake. Likewise, the endorphins released during sexual activity are like nature’s sedative, working in tandem to help you fall asleep and stay asleep.
- Grab A Snack: That anxious awakening you get in the middle of the night could be the result of low blood sugar, studiesshow. When your blood sugar drops significantly through the night, adrenal glands release stress hormones that trigger the body to raise blood sugar levels, and stress hormones are no friend to your sleep. The Huffington Post quoted Dr. Breus, a clinical psychologist and sleep specialist, who said: while midnight snacks might not be great for your waistline, there are healthy food options to help you fall back asleep. He suggests eating a 250-calorie snack made up of 75 percent carbs, 25 percent protein. Things like an apple with nut butter, a small bowl of non-sugar cereal or frozen Greek yogurt are good options.
- Dim Those Lights: The next time you wake in the middle of the night and head to the kitchen for a midnight snack or a glass of water, try keeping those lights as dim as possible. It is the same science that proves blue lightexposure from cell phones has a bigger impact on decreasing melatonin levels than other light wavelengths.
- Keep It Cool: Falling back asleep may be as simple as lowering the thermostat. Your core body temperaturedropsat the onset of sleep, which means that a too-warm (or too-cool) room may wake you up. The National Sleep Foundation suggests keeping the bedroom temp around 60 to 68 degrees to get you back to sleep.
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