Improve OVerall Health With Dr. Kidd's Lifestyle Hacks

Making Dr. Kidd's Simple Lifestyle Changes Can Have Huge Impact on Your Sleep Quality and Overall Health.

Listen to more than just music.  There are alternatives if you don’t want to listen to your favorite playlist at bedtime. Ambient sounds and white or pink noise are other types of audio you can choose from. Pink noise can be something like listening to the sound of a gentle rain falling, while white noise masks other sounds that may disturb or keep you awake. The point is, regardless of its music or another form of audio, these things can help make sleep time a better experience.

Relaxation techniques.
Gentle stretches or a massage may be one deal changing aspect you incorporate into your nightly routine. When our bodies relax, our brains can, too. Deep breathing exercises and progressive muscle relaxation help you by allowing you to focus on what your body is doing and off of any stressful thoughts you may have been experiencing throughout the day. Leave the stress outside of your bedroom door because a good night’s sleep may depend on it.

Read a good book.
You don’t have to be a book lover to try this tip out. Grab a good book and climb into bed. Avoiding thrilling plots and page-turners may be a helpful thing to remember. You want to read to sleep, not stay awake to read. And remember: the paperback is best. No reading e-books as that blue light will keep you awake and defeat the purpose altogether.

Create a quick to-do list. There’s nothing worse than laying down at night only to stay awake plagued with all the thoughts on what has to be done the next day. Quickly writing down what needs to be accomplished tomorrow may help alleviate some of that anticipation.

Journaling  .For some people, getting their thoughts out on paper is key to becoming relaxed enough in order to sleep. Taking a few minutes to scratch a pen or pencil across a journal’s page can do wonders, allowing those thoughts to escape and leave you be during the time you should be sleeping.

Transform your bedroom for sleep.  Part of your nightly routine should be geared towards making your bedroom a place you want to fall asleep in and an environment that makes you want to stay asleep. Remember: cool, dark, and quiet. You may find that setting your thermostat somewhere between “60 and 71 degrees” is the most comfortable temperature to sleep in, recommended Dr. Tomkinson.  Keeping it dark with things like blackout curtains or making sure the hallway light isn’t on and making its way inside your room under your bedroom door may just do the trick. Making sure it’s quiet and reducing the chances that you won’t be disturbed by some unnecessary noise can also play a big part. Also, removing clutter beforehand, having a favorite and relaxing scent via an aromatherapy dispenser, and making sure no electronics are in your bedroom are just a few other things you can try as well.

Avoid alcohol or caffeine.  A lot of us may be tempted to unwind with things like a good beer or a hot cup of our favorite coffee, but drinking either will backfire when it comes to being relaxed enough to fall asleep. So as much as it may sound like a refreshing way to de-stress, avoiding both alcohol and caffeine is a smart move for good rest.

Make sure you’re comfortable.  Tossing and turning can stem from being uncomfortable. Your bed is supposed to be a haven, a place to fall into a deep sleep and rejuvenate. If you’re not comfortable, you’re likely going to struggle to fall and stay asleep. Make sure you’re comfy.  

A lack of sleep can have serious consequences on our overall health. Not getting enough rest can not only make you feel groggy and moody, “persistent insomnia can contribute to health issues such as obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes,” Dr. Tomkinson emphasized. 

The right bedtime routine for you plays a significant role in experiencing the difference between a restful night’s sleep and one spent tossing and turning and waking up the next morning still exhausted. By incorporating any of these simple steps into your nightly routine and sticking with them until they become a healthy habit, getting a good night’s sleep doesn’t have to be an exhausting experience for you.