One in three adults report some sort of insomnia and around half of those say it disrupts their functioning during the day.
It only gets worse in summer. substantially disrupt sleep quality — studies show that even short heatwaves lasting one or two days can reduce sleep duration by more than an hour each night.
Heat reduces sleep quality and duration by interfering with the body’s natural cooling process, which is crucial for initiating and maintaining sleep.
That’s why keeping your bedroom cool during the day with shades and fans That, and having a dark and quiet environment to sleep in.
But what other tips are there for getting to sleep on hot nights?
Exercise during the day
There is robust scientific evidence that exercise improves sleep quality and duration, particularly for those with sleep disorders.
On average, adults who exercise for at least 30 minutes a day sleep an average of 15 minutes longer than those who do not.
Unsurprisingly, daily exercise tires the body out. But how does it help with sleep? Studies show physical activity can better sleep in a variety of ways.
It increases the production of melatonin, a that regulates sleep-wake cycles. This helps you fall asleep more quickly.
Exercise also reduces stress, which is a common factor which makes falling and staying asleep more difficult.
That’s why exercise is recommended as one of several treatments for people with sleep disorders. Studies have shown that moderate-intensity aerobic exercise improves sleep among patients with insomnia.
Avoid evening coffee
You still have half of the caffeine in your system 6-8 hours after you consume it. That’s why drinking coffee in the afternoon or evening can reduce the duration of sleep by around 45 minutes, according to one meta-analysis.
To avoid reductions in total sleep time, the researchers of that analysis recommended consuming coffee no later than 8.8 hours before bedtime.
Reduce screen time before bed
Another big culprit of sleep disturbances is .
One study found an hour of screen use in bed increases your risk of insomnia by 59% and lowers sleep duration by an .
The study is part of growing evidence showing that phone or laptop use before bed negative affects sleep habits.
There’s a common belief blue light emitted from screens tricks the body into thinking it’s time to wake up. But this isn’t quite right. Glasses or apps that block blue light on your phone or laptop don’t necessarily improve sleep — what’s more effective is turning down the brightness or reducing screen time.
And even better than that is to reduce screen time before bed. Instead, try reading a book. Studies show reading in bed does improve sleep quality.
Deep breathing works
Some people recommend the “4-7-8” breathing method, based on ancient yogic breathing exercises developed by Andrew Weil, a US-based ‘celebrity doctor’, as an effective technique.
This requires you to place the tip of your tongue against the ridge behind your upper teeth, exhale completely, then inhale through your nose for four counts. Then hold your breath for seven counts and exhale slowly through the mouth for eight counts.
Advocates say this breathing method can calm a person down in just a few cycles, helping bring about sleep quicker, especially when .
But does the evidence really say it works? A small number of low-quality studies do suggest positive effects like improved heart rate and blood pressure regulation, and reduced anxiety.
However, there is little scientific research to back this up, or verify its long-term benefits. In particular, claims that the technique is a “natural tranquilizer for the ,” as Weil suggests, are unverified.
Nevertheless, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence that the 4-7-8 breathing method helps people fall asleep. And there’s likely no harm, aside from a little light headedness, so it may be worth a try.
Edited by: Matthew Ward Agius
The post Trouble sleeping? Here’s how to fall asleep quickly appeared first on Deutsche Welle.
