Natural Health Share Tweet Pin Share Insomnia is a major concern today and there is a lot of research on how to sleep better at night. The main concern is that while adequate sleep is very important and is often advised, cases of insomnia seem to be on the increase. Medics advise that our bodies need at least 8 hours of quality sleep every night but this seems out of reach in today’s ever connected world. From a colic baby that makes it hard for a parent to sleep, to too much stress, there are all kinds of reasons people have for not being able to sleep. In most, if not all the cases, people toss to and fro in bed without sleeping. They are unaware of some simple tips that can help them sleep better at night. But before we delve into that, let us look at some of the important and yet often ignored causes of insomnia: A weak immune system A shrunken brain Stress and depression High level of anxiety Risk of cancer and other health worries Risk of accidents, trauma, weakened memory Weakened functions of your body organs Enhanced body inflammation Kidney problem Heart diseases Behavioral issues, especially in small kids Infertility Reduced generation of the nerve cells While these factors affect your normal sleep cycle, other factors are directly related with your good night’s sleep in complete. These include: Increased memory level Increased production and generation of HGH Enhanced bodily energy A strong and well-functioning mmune system A reduction in the factors that cause body illnesses Restrained process to ageing Enhanced cognitive functions Reduced occurrences of accidents Reduced chances of cancer or other diseases In addition, there are some steps that you can take to help you sleep better at night without relying on sleeping pills. The following are 11 practical tips to help you sleep better: How to Get Better Sleep at Night Naturally Getting To Bed by 10 pm Consistently Turn Off The Lights Snacking Right Keeping Cool Ignore Stimulating Activities Just Before Sleep Do Light Exercise (any chance you get) Say No to Caffeine Herbal Tea Is Good Say No to Alcohol Maintain A Healthy Diet Stay Near The Ground Getting To Bed by 10 pm Consistently You know the adage that goes, early to bed and early to rise, makes someone healthy and wealthy and wise. Sleeping early gives you enough time to sleep and helps you wake up in the morning feeling revitalized. Turn Off The Lights The darker it is, the better you sleep. You should always turn off all the lights before going to bed. Melatonin is also generated better when the lights are out. You can use Sleep masks or blackout curtains to help. Snacking Right Eating healthy snacks like nuts will help you sleep better. However, you should avoid eating sugary and junk food. Keeping Cool A cool body temperature is a must if you are to have a good night sleep. Turn on the air conditioner if you have to so that the temperatures will get cooler. Your body is usually at a lower body temperature during sleep and when the temperature matches that of the room, you will sleep better. Ignore Stimulating Activities Just Before Sleep Certain hormones are paramount for a good night sleep. Watching TV or doing exercises right before bed can negatively affect the quality of your sleep. Do Exercise (at other times but not before bed) Slot out some time for exercise during the course of the day. Exercise helps release hormones which will help you sleep better. Say No to Caffeine Caffeine products interfere with your sleep cycle so you might want to avoid them altogether. Herbal Tea Is Good If you want to sleep well, try taking some herbal tea just before you go to bed. The hot tea raises your body temperature then gradually cools it off and so allowing you to sleep better. Say No to Alcohol Alcohol tends to make you drowsy and that will affect the quality of your sleep. You are better off staying away from it if you want to sleep better. Nothing like A Healthy Diet When you eat a healthy diet, you ensure the right functioning of your organs and hormones and as we have established from the list above, better functioning hormones and organs help improve sleep the quality of your sleep. Stay near The Ground Staying closer to the ground helps improve your sleep. Use an earthing mat to help you with that. Follow the tips suggested above and you will soon be enjoying very healthy sleep patterns and that will translate to your overall physical and mental wellness.