10 Important Tips to Sleep Better During Stressful Times

It's not easy to keep good sleep hygiene during rough times, like in the middle of a pandemic. Brains are hardwired to become hypervigilant during stressful periods, making it even harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. Add to this often interrupted schedules of either working at home or going to school online, and it becomes very easy to get off track from the routine sleep habits so important to keeping good emotional and physical well-being.

Good sleep is important for times that can be quite stressing for your mental health. Here's the exploration of 10 science-based tips for creating better quality sleep and healthy routine maintenance, even in times of great uncertainty.

1. Maintain a regular sleeping schedule

Of all the factors that give a jolt to sleeping, one of the majors is to establish the same sleep schedule. Go to bed and wake up at precisely the same time, whether you go to work or school, or will be at home all day.

Your body's internal part operates on something known as a circadian rhythm, best explained as a kind of 24-hour internal clock that regulates sleep-wake cycles. By maintaining a regular sleep schedule, your body will become accustomed to sleeping and waking at the same times each day, thereby improving your general sleep quality.

Tip: Set both a wake-up and a bedtime alarm so your brain gets into the rhythm. Yes, that means weekends too.

2. Decrease Daytime Sleeping

A nap during the day might be very appealing when not having slept well at night. Still, sleeping too much or napping late in the day interferes with your ability to sleep at night. If you must nap do so for short periods of time only, 20-30 minutes and before 3 p.m.

Tip: Whenever tired, do not give in to sleeping; rather, immediately go to superlow-level activities: read or do some light stretching.

3. Be active during the day

The only best option to improve sleep is through physical activities. Exercising will help in regulating the body's natural rhythm, and such activities will help a person sleep on time every night. Exposure to sunlight can also help to maintain sleeping and waking up on time, and it improves your mood by increasing your body's melatonin level.

Tips: Spend at least 30 minutes outside in natural light daily, especially in the mornings.

4. Use your bed only for sleeping

With the working-from-home arrangement and all digital distractions around an individual, it is easy to spend time in bed browsing through TV, social media, or even working. Each of these alternatives makes it hard for the brain to connect to the bed for sleeping, that is, being in bed means falling asleep.

Bed Tip: Use your bed only for sleep—excepting intimacy. Eating in bed, working in bed, even using your phone in bed—all serve to weaken the pairing of your bed with restful sleep.

5. Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bedtime

Caffeine and alcohol will mediate and interfere with one's good-quality sleep. Since caffeine is a stimulant, it sticks in the body for several hours and therefore would be advisable to be avoided in afternoon and evening hours. Although alcohol makes one feel drowsy, it interferes with sleep cycles and also inhibits deep restorative sleep.

Tip: If you like a boost in the afternoon, try herbal teas or other decaf drinks. And don't drink alcohol close to bedtime — within three hours.

6. Time Your Workout Right

Exercise generally helps sleep, but timing is everything: vigorous aerobic exercise within a few hours of bedtime actually raises body temperature and stimulates the nervous system, making it harder to wind down and fall asleep.

Tips: Make sure the rigorous workouts are early in the day, and not late, while light stretches or yoga relaxes your muscles in the evening for sleep.

7. Bathe or take a warm water shower prior to bedtime

A very simple but highly effective remedy to improve sleep is taking a warm bath or shower a couple of hours in advance. The mechanism behind it is pretty simple: afterward, the body temperature cools down, signaling the body that it is time to sleep.

Hint: This would include making sure that bath time or shower time before bed is not stimulating, but rather relaxing.

8. Eat healthily and avoid heavy meals before sleeping

What and when you eat can have a big impact on how you sleep. This is most likely because such heavy meals near bedtime cause discomfort, indigestion, and acid reflux for sure, making sleep harder. A better alternative to heavy meals could be light evening meals with dinner at least 2-3 hours before sleep.

Snacking: Snacks should be small. Some sleep-promoting foods that might be helpful to consider at bedtime include: almonds, bananas, and warm milk.

9. Limit screen time and electronic blue light

Admittedly, all electronic devices, including phones, tablets, and televisions, emit blue light that could suppress the secretion of melatonin and make the brain think it is daytime. As such, improving sleep involves a decrease in screen exposure during the last hour or so before going to bed.

A good tip would be: turn off all electrical appliances 30-60 minutes before sleep. If their use is absolutely necessary, put a blue light filter on or wear goggles that block this particular brilliance, which minimizes interference with sleep.

10. Help develop a soothing bedtime routine

The bedtime PMA is an action that would relax you, thereby cueing your brain that it is time to shut off. Consistency will make the body link those actions to sleep when the same thing happens every night. Find out what works for you, whether it's reading a book, soft music, or just using mindfulness. Then continue to do so.

Tip: Engage in relaxing activities; develop a bedtime routine or ritual lasting 30-60 minutes; avoid stimulating activities like watching television or computer use before bedtime.

Bonus Tips for Sound Sleep

Moreover, other than the 10 tips listed above, following are some additional strategems which may help enhance an individual's sleep:

• The sleeping environment should also be quiet and dark, therefore presupposing the application of blackout curtains, earplugs, or even a white noise machine to create an ideal sleeping environment.
• Relieve stress: When thoughts are racing and it's impossible to fall asleep, try writing to relieve stress before bed. Putting your worries to paper can take them off your mind so that you can fall asleep easier.
• Don't stare at the clock: Lying in bed, staring at the clock can heighten anxiety, making it harder to fall asleep. If you feel like you've been awake for 15 minutes or more, get out of bed and do something relaxing until you feel sleepy.

The Importance of Persistence

If the pattern of your sleep is not predictable or disrupted just now, it may take some time to get a good pattern of sleep. Just be patient, and don't change the change you have made since it will be gotten by your body in due time.

Tip: If you are still experiencing issues with sleeping or if you feel that you might be suffering from a sleep disorder, such as insomnia or sleep apnea, you should seek advice from a doctor or sleep specialist.

Conclusion: Sleep Provides Both Emotional and Physical Rest

Sleep is one of the most important factors for maintaining emotional well-being, especially during stressful periods. When you’re well-rested, you’re better equipped to handle stress, make decisions, and stay focused throughout the day.

These include establishing a regular sleep schedule, occupying oneself during the day, avoiding screens before retiring to bed, and a pre-sleep routine. With these 10 sleep tips, one will be sleeping better and waking up fresh. Remember, good sleep hygiene takes time to build, but it's worth the prize.