When was the last time you fell asleep without any hitch? It seems like many of us need to make a special effort just to have a good night’s sleep. As people age, sleeping well becomes difficult, which may be attributed to various changes in sleeping patterns. Nonetheless, our body needs to rest adequately in order for us to stay healthy, alert, and vibrant.
We listed three easy sleep hacks to help you achieve a restful night’s sleep:
1. Listen to music. In the olden days, mothers sing gentle, soothing lullabies to their younglings at bedtime. Well, this long-forgotten practice is proven to be effective not just for babies but for grown-ups as well, according to a recent study. Researchers found that adults who listen to relaxing music before bedtime can greatly increase the quality of sleep. Professor Jim Horne of the Sleep Research Centre at Loughborough University explains, "If anyone is a bit agitated before they go to bed, then anything that can help calm them down and relax is a good thing.”
2. Drink milk to sleep well. The age-old wisdom of drinking a warm glass of milk at bedtime may induce sleep, thanks to tryptophan, an amino acid known to have sedating effects. However, a study conducted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology argued that drinking milk has little to do with inducing sleep because ingesting food rich in protein, like milk, can impede tryptophan from affecting the brain. Instead, they opine that eating carb-rich foods will promote the production of insulin which, in turn, helps the tryptophan to easily enter the brain. Scientists conclude that the habit of drinking milk before sleeping has a psychological effect, similar to a security blanket.
3. Take a warm bath. Soaking in a tub for 20 or 30 minutes before going to bed can help you feel relaxed. According to a study from the New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, our body’s normal temperature declines in the evening two hours before we sleep. So, soaking in warm water triggers a natural spike in our body’s temperature, then helps you feel relaxed after cooling down. Professor Joyce Walsleben of the New York University School of Medicine suggests, "If you raise your temperature a degree or two with a bath, the steeper drop at bedtime is more likely to put you in a deep sleep."
