Sleep & Health
How to Go To Bed Early?
There are actually benefits to getting up early? Waking up early means you have more time in the day. More time to finish your to-do list. More time to be productive for the day ahead. More time to not rush and stress over not having enough time. Sounds good so far?
Throw in a sunrise, a great brew of coffee, and a delicious breakfast I am sure you will totally get why I am a morning person.
Then why are there so many night owls out there? We completely understand not everyone wants to wake up early. Most night owls will tell you waking up early is horrible. The morning daze that comes with a lack of sleep. But the night people will keep telling you that they cannot change this. The number of tasks and chores that racks up to it is very difficult to lay down a phone. Some even say they have insomnia, without it being clinically proven. So how can we correct our biological clock if I want to be a morning person again?
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CONTENTS
- What are the Advantages of Going To Bed Early?
- Common Causes of Sleeplessness Despite Fatigue
- Conclusion
What are the Advantages of Going To Bed Early?
Most of us choose to sacrifice sleep time to contribute to our work and unfinished tasks. A pandemic where everyday individuals ignore that good sleep is actually important. There doesn’t seem to be enough time in the day, considering how our occupations monopolize our time. So why should I make time for sleep and how does it benefit me? Let's consider some of the benefits of quality sleep.
1.Healthier Heart Rate and Blood Pressure
Believe it or not, developing the habit of going to bed early is beneficial for your heart rate and blood pressure. In the US, high blood pressure appears to be on the rise. It is estimated that one in every three American adults, or 75 million people, suffer from it. Sleep could enhance or even save your life because excessive blood pressure raises the risk of heart disease and stroke. Don't let bad sleep be at the heart of the problem.
2.Positive Mind
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The key to happiness might be to go to bed early. Going to bed early increases your likelihood of waking up early and allows you to enjoy more daylight the next day (particularly in the winter). For gloomy mornings, you can even spend money on a sunlight simulator.
Serotonin is released more frequently by the brain when exposed to sunlight. This hormone improves mood and promotes relaxation.
3.Enhanced Immune System
Research shows the connection between immunological function and sleep. Those who sleep for fewer hours each night and are insomniacs are more likely to have a weakened immune system than those who get the recommended seven to eight hours. While you sleep at night, your cells reproduce and repair themselves, which can strengthen your immune system and help you fight disease. It’s essential to get 7-8 hours of sleep each night to maintain a strong immune system.
4.Maintain a Healthy Weight
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Insufficient sleep can affect the secretion of cortisol which regulates your body’s appetite, in addition, your body’s capacity to control blood sugar levels is affected to some extent. This implies that the less sleep you get, the greater your chance of gaining weight or developing conditions like type 2 diabetes.
Moreover, chronic sleep deprivation can impact your metabolism, your calories are hard to burn.
How to Self-Train to Go To Bed Early
There are lots of benefits to going to bed and getting up early, but is it possible for a natural night owl to change his or her biological clock right away?
A study by Elise Facer - Childs, a researcher at the Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health at Monash University in Australia, found that through a series of behavioral interventions, “extreme night owls” can change their biological clocks within three weeks.
“I was a perennial night owl,” writes New York Times writer Henry Guinness, “and now it seems to be the result of a series of bad sleep habits that have nothing to do with my biological clock. What can night owls who want to enjoy early bed and early rise do?
1.Eradicate Any Excuses
“I should go to bed but I haven’t finished my video.” “It doesn’t matter if I sleep five minutes later.” “I can sleep but after the last chapter.” The excuses of staying up abound and you still continue staying up with clear conscience.
Therefore, knowing how to extinguish these excuses, you are already on the half of the battle.
2.Take Your Time
Haste makes waste. If you are used to sleeping at 1 or 2 a.m, it will be very difficult to go to bed at nine or ten o’clock at night suddenly, you’ll just lie in bed tossing and turning, wondering why you still cannot fall asleep. Over time, you develop an aversion to going to bed and then revert to the vicious cycle of going to bed at 2 a.m.
Dr. Elise Facer-Childs a psychology researcher at Monash University suggested that adjusting your sleep habits should be done gradually. Instead of changing your sleep schedule upside down at once, night owls can go to bed half an hour earlier each week and slowly adjust to the ideal bedtime.
3.Reduce Bedtime Stimulation
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Most of us hardly get any personal time. Considering long days at work and the commitments in life, the period close to bedtime is probably one of the many periods of my time that most people will have to unwind. Naturally, most people would check their messages, social media, the news, or even a bit of entertainment through games or video content. Sounds great, right? However unbeknownst these actions could cause sleep latency or delay you from falling asleep.
What should be avoided before bed?
- Blue light devices. Putting your electronics away 1 to 2 hours before bed is a rule of thumb. Blue light can affect your sleep cycle and sleep latency, which makes it difficult to fall asleep. Also, your brain needs to process the external information you take in online, and it can impact your sleep quality.
- Intense exercises. Soft exercises such as yoga and pilates can calm your breathing, and soothe your mind, while intense sports like ball games and running can speed up your heartbeat. Arrange your exercise in the daytime. Any workout three to four hours before bed can negatively affect your sleep.
4.Bath Dichotomy
This is a technique that involves using showering to split up your evening time. For most of us, the biggest obstacle to getting an early night's rest is our phone. We found thousands of excuses, "Let me finish watching this video first." "This chapter is so interesting, I'll just read a little more"... This series of actions is like a never-ending loop. How to stop using the phone before bed? Just don't start! Take a shower at a point in time and never use your phone afterward, make sure to finish any tasks that require your phone before showering, such as setting an alarm.
The most important part of this technique is scheduling your showering time. According to a study published in the Journal of Sleep Medicine Reviews, taking a shower 1-2 hours before bedtime can speed up the time it takes to fall asleep by an average of 10 minutes. According to a study published in the Journal of Sleep Medicine Reviews, taking a shower 1-2 hours before bedtime can speed up the time it takes to fall asleep by an average of 10 minutes. Showering or bathing can help relax our bodies, increase blood circulation, and raise our body temperature. So it's best to schedule your shower or bathing time 1-2 hours before you go to bed.
5.Easy-to-Follow Sleep Hygiene Tips
Sleep hygiene is not about using disinfectants or copious cleaning products during sleep. The term refers to the approaches and techniques intended to increase your sleep quality and quantity. Exercising good sleep practices can help you get to bed faster.
- Have a hot bath. Bathing in lukewarm water before bedtime can relax you. Also, this has also been proven to lower your core body temperature, which can make it easier for your to fall asleep and improve your sleep quality.
- No light exposure. Light exposure can be more disturbing than it looks like. Compare to people who sleep in a dimly lit environment, people who expose to light - increase nighttime heart rate and the next morning insulin resistance.
- Maintain a cool temperature in your room. The ideal temperature for sleeping should be at 60-67°F (16-19°C) or you will toss and turn because of overheated. Fans and AC sets can help you to regulate room temperature.
- Meditation. Numerous health advantages come from the practice of quiet, focused attention. Practicing meditation right before bed may help you stop a bee in your bonnet.
- Reading or journaling. Compared to browsing social apps or watching a TV show, reading on paper and journaling before bed is easier to calm us down and induce sleepiness. If your anxiety and stress come from the to-do list for the next day, try writing it down, which may hasten your ability to drift off to sleep.
- Find a comfortable mattress. A good mattress does bring a positive difference. No matter your sleep position, your height, weight, and so on, an ideal mattress can serve you the best support and cushion, keeping you from tossing and turning due to discomfort.
6.Creating a Comfortable Environment.
This may seem like a bit of a no-brainer, but in actual something people ignore constantly. For a good night's rest, the environment that you will be resting in plays an important role in sleep quality. Make sure the room is dark without any sources of ambient light. Make sure that the temperature is at an ideal temperature, which is around 60-67°F (16-19°C). Make sure there are no noises that can abruptly disturb your sleep. Last and not least get a mattress that fits how you sleep. The sum of all these elements coupled with sleep hygiene is important and can help you go to bed earlier.
Conclusion
Our biological clock is directly related to the alternation of day and night in nature. If you force yourself to stay up until the early hours of the morning to sleep, the length of sleep can be shortened, more likely to affect the quality of sleep, and negatively impact your health. Make sure to sleep as early as possible, but don't force yourself. Takes the points in this article to heart and practices going to bed earlier over a manageable period. It's a great habit to have and definitely positive to your long-term health.