Hack That Can Help You Sleep Well Tonight

A person looking at phone at night
worrying and searching how can he sleep well tonight

How can I sleep well tonight?
That’s the most searched thing.
In fact, in 2023, How can I fall asleep faster garnered over 215,000 global searches each month. So this topic is serious.

However, this post won’t be another one that tells you to do this and that and guarantees you good sleep, nah nah.
We won’t do that.
We would rather learn the science that can help you sleep better.

So here are a few hacks that can help you sleep well tonight:

Take a warm shower/bath

Before bed, like 1–2 hours prior, take a hot water shower or a bath.
That will open up your blood vessels, and large blood vessels will flow towards your hands and feet (allowing heat to escape).
The body cools down by expanding blood vessels.
Also, it relaxes muscles and reduces stress.

When your body naturally tries to cool down, your circadian rhythm will tell your body it’s time to sleep.
Cortisol also goes down at this time, causing a calming effect.

However, quite opposite to it, cold water raises the body temperature because your body wants to heat it up, and that can affect sleep.

Make sure you keep the temperature ideal for the bath/shower.

Keep the temperature ideal to sleep well tonight

Many studies suggest that the temperature of the room should be kept between 65–68°F or 18–20°C.

Our body is constantly using energy to keep itself cool. That preserved energy could be sent to the brain and cognitive health.
Warmer temperatures will demand more energy for thermoregulation, and less will be given to the brain.

Too cold or too hot temperatures will disturb sleep as well, as they can restrict the oxygen flow to the brain.

So, use AC or a thermostat to maintain the temperature.
However, this temperature may vary for different ages, so make sure you keep the ideal temperature accordingly.

Limit blue light

I’m sure you must have read that this blue light disrupts sleep.
If not, then let me tell you, blue light in fact disturbs our sleep.
It’s like during the day, when the sun is up, you feel awake; at that time, melatonin is low, which means no sleep.
At night, without light, melatonin starts increasing and helps you sleep.

I’ve written more about morning mindfulness routine, which will tell you more about cortisol & melatonin

However, these days, blue light coming out of phones, tablets, computers, and TVs mimics the same thing and makes it difficult for you to sleep.
Even LED lights in your home could stop you from sleeping well.

There is ongoing research that says red light at night can help you sleep better. It doesn’t interfere with your sleep quality the way blue or white light may.
However, we still need more research on such light therapy, and you should consult a doctor before considering that.

Eat and follow relaxing rituals

Large and spicy meals can cause indigestion and heartburn.
It takes a lot of energy to digest that, and that can make you restless.
Eating too close to bedtime or sleeping immediately after a meal can disrupt sleep.
Alcohol, smoking, and wrong combinations are a few disrupters.

There’s no typical science behind it, heavy meals are hard to digest.
You can read more about them by clicking here.

According to Ayurveda, warm milk with a pinch of nutmeg and ashwagandha can help you feel calmer at night.
Research suggests ashwagandha improves the quality of sleep.

Other than that, you can have Chamomile tea, Passion flower tea, Brahmi, Shankhpushpi, & Lemon balm are a few more options you can try for better sleep.

Use soothing sounds

White noise is used by many people for better sleep.
There are machines that create white noise that mask other noises and help with sleeping in a noisy environment.
Or you can also try calming sounds like birds or nature for peaceful effects.

Make sure the sound is not sudden and loud.
The other day, I fell asleep while listening to a podcast, so you can try something like that as well.

Conclusion

I’ve shared some legit, science-backed hacks that can make sure you sleep well tonight.

Things like bath water at night, the ideal temperature, and herbs that can help you sleep well.
However, I don’t guarantee that these will work; that’s a bold claim, and I’m not making it.

If you have chronic insomnia and can’t sleep even after trying everything, see a doctor ASAP.

I’ll see you next week !!