We all know how important sleep is and a lot of us know how hard it can be to get. There are a lot of factors that can interfere with a good’s night sleep – from work, school stress, and family responsibilities to illnesses.
While you might not be able to control the factors that affect your sleep, you can adopt habits that encourage better sleep. These simple tips will enhance your sleep and be more energetic and productive during the day.
Stick to a sleeping schedule
Try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day. Choose a bedtime when you normally feel tired, so you don’t toss and turn. Limiting the difference in your sleep schedule on weeknights and weekends to no more than one hour will reinforce your body’s sleep-wake cycle.
If you don’t fall asleep within 20 minutes, leave your bedroom, and do something relaxing – read a book or listen to calming music. Then head back to bed when you start feeling tired.
Limit daytime naps
While napping is a good way to make up for lost sleep, if you have trouble falling or staying asleep at night, napping can make it worse. If you choose to nap, limit yourself to up to 30 minutes and avoid doing it late in the day.
If you work nights, you might need to nap late in the day before you go to work.
Be smart about what you eat and drink
Your daytime eating habits can affect how well you are sleeping, especially in the hours before bedtime. Don’t go to bed hungry or stuffed – your discomfort might keep you up.
Avoiding nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol before bed and exponentially enhance your sleep. Nicotine and caffeine side effects take hours to wear off and can wreak quality of sleep. Alcohol can make you feel sleepy, but it can disrupt sleep later in the night.
Improve your sleep environment
A peaceful bedtime routine sends a powerful signal to your brain that it’s time to wind down and let go of the day’s stresses. Keep your room dark, cool, and quiet. If you can’t avoid or eliminate noise, try masking it with a fan or sound machine.
Make sure your bed is comfortable. Your bed covers should leave you enough room to stretch and turn comfortably without becoming tangled. If you often wake up with a sore back or aching neck, you may need to look into getting a different mattress firmness, foam toppers, and pillows that provide more or less support.
Buying a new mattress on a tight budget can be difficult and expensive. If you need a little help purchasing essential items (like a new mattress) for your home, a no-credit needed program may be for you. Lease-to-own options like Kornerstone Credit offer a no-credit needed purchase option for mattresses. There are two main ways you can apply with no credit needed programs like Kornerstone.
- First, you can visit your local mattress store and see what lease-to-own programs they have available.
- Otherwise, you can go to Kornerstonecredit.com/find-a-store to find a local mattress store that is partnered with us. The application only takes an average of 15 seconds so it’s easy to apply. The approvals go up to $5,000 which is more than enough for most mattresses. After you’re approved, you can take your approval to one of our partner retailers and they’ll help you walk away with new a mattress that same day.