Alaska Sleep Education Center

6 Natural Ways To Promote a Deeper Sleep

Sleep is a necessity for human life. Without it, it’s impossible to function in society. Unfortunately, this activity can be arduous for people to achieve. Some keep waking up too soon while others can’t fall asleep at all. Curing this issue is often daunting, especially since there are many unsafe treatments available. So, here are six natural ways that you can promote a deeper sleep.
 
Use Helpful Sleep Materials
If you’re having trouble sleeping, the simplest explanation may be your bedding materials. You might have an uncomfortable old mattress or sheets that trap heat. It’s hard to relax your mind when you can’t relax your muscles. Be sure to assess your current bed and make any necessary changes. The resulting deep sleep may cause habits like drooling while sleeping, but having better bedding makes the cleanup process easier as well.
 
Exercise
It may seem counterintuitive, but exercise has proven to be an effective sleep promoter. In the most basic terms, physical activity can be exhausting for the body, thus making you more prone to tiredness. It also serves to focus the mind and lessen anxiety, which often helps those whose insomnia stems from stress. If you exercise daily, preferably earlier so you’re less energized at night, you’re more likely to fall asleep.
 
Read a Book
Reading a book, and not one on your phone, is an excellent way to promote tiredness. Consuming literature takes brain power. Using your brain late at night is likely to exacerbate your tiredness. People also tend to read in comfortable areas that relax the muscles. Lastly, the process of reading is an effective way to distract yourself. Any thought processes that make it difficult to sleep can be deterred by fantasy lands or sprawling romances.
 
Get Sunlight
Even if you’re not an outdoors person, it’s important to get some sunlight every day. Your body’s wakefulness relies on an inner clock. This clock is informed by sunlight, which is why you may feel more tired when you’re away from windows. The more sunlight you get each day, the better informed this time-keeping is. If you’ve gotten little to no sun all day, your body may get confused and negate making you tired at night.
 
Avoid Electronics
While it may be tempting to use your phone before bed, even to simply send a reply or check your status, it can be incredibly detrimental to your sleep process. The content of your phone’s apps is prone to igniting strong emotions. You may become invested in a show or online discussion and be unable to break away. Phones also let off a blue light, which causes your melatonin production to be delayed. Melatonin is a hormone that promotes sleep, so ensuring its unblocked creation is essential.
 
Stay Chilly
You may long to be bundled up in your bed, particularly in the winter, but this isn’t conducive to a good night’s rest. The human body decreases its temperature during sleep, so a hotter climate may overheat you. You may fall asleep and wake up soon afterwards from excess heat. While you shouldn’t encourage hypothermia in your household, try to make each bedroom a bit colder at night.
Even though falling asleep is viewed as a relaxing process, it has the potential to induce extreme anxiety. Lying in bed while waiting for sleep to come can be highly unpleasant. Fortunately, there are ways to cure this issue without resorting to unhealthy pills. It may take consistent and effortful work, but the payoff tends to be worth the struggle. Achieving a good night’s sleep may be the key to tomorrow’s success.
If your sleep issue has become a chronic one, call Alaska Sleep Clinic today @ 907-420-0540.  Improve your sleep.  Improve your life.
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Alaska Sleep Clinic's Blog

Our weekly updated blog aims to provide you with answers and information to all of your sleeping questions.

Brent Fisher, MBA, FACHE, FACMPE
President and Chief Executive Officer

“Alaska Sleep Clinic has a history of providing the most comprehensive sleep medicine services in the state of Alaska. Its potential has only begun. I am here to take these high-quality, comprehensive services to all Alaskans.”

Experience

Brent Fisher has held leadership positions spanning a wide variety of complex and start-up organizations: manufacturing (pharmaceutical & medical device), software development, hospitals (academic and community), medical groups, consulting, hospice, military, engineered devices, engineered plastics, and private equity.

Publications and Organizations

His writings have been published in various magazines, trade journals, and medical journals, including the Physician Executive Journal, Healthcare Executive, Modern Healthcare, Group Practice Journal, New England Journal of Medicine, and Journal of Healthcare Management (Best Article Award).

He has served on the Board of Directors of professional associations, civic organizations, and businesses.

Hobbies and Activities

Brent enjoys being with his family, serving in the community, hiking, camping, fishing, and hunting.