There are days when I can fully operate off of 4-6 hours of sleep and then there are nights where I feel like 8 hours of sleep is still not enough. Until recently, I noticed that my eyes had this annoying burning sensation and it was uncomfortable to say the least. As a blogger and freelance writer, I'm constantly looking at my desktop, laptop and phone screens to get my work done. In addition to my eyes burning slightly, I also noticed headaches and restless nights where I didn't get much sleep. After I solved the eye burning sensations by simply turning down the brightness on my phone, I was able to return to getting a good night sleep, after doing the following:
Go to bed at the same time every night
This includes the weekends as well. Going to bed at the same time every night helps your body establish a routine and prompts you to get in the habit of getting the proper rest that you need. There are multiple benefits of going to bed at the same time daily: your body wakes up easier, less insomnia, you're alert and focused. For some people, this is a difficult habit to create for themselves so embark on this change slowly if needed. Start off by going to bed 15 minutes earlier for a couple of weeks, then move it up to 30 minutes earlier and so forth. If you're able to jump right in and go to bed one hour immediately, kudos to you.
Shut off all of your devices
As I mentioned above, turn the brightness down on your devices and turn them off. I love scrolling on Instagram like anyone else at night before I go to bed but I have been diligently turning my phone face down at night before I go to bed. If my phone lights up in the dark while I'm preparing my body for sleep, I'll jump up and check it, knowing it's an Instagram notification. My sanity won't allow me to turn my phone completely off because I'm that person that's like, "What if something happens to my family or children in the middle of the night?" So I just turn the phone face down to eliminate that distraction.
Don't eat or drink before you go to bed
Not only do we gain weight when we eat and go straight to bed, but doing this does not help us enjoy a good night's rest. Cut back on the eating heavy meals, caffeine and even water at minimum, one hour before bed to avoid those frequent night trips to the bathroom. For those of us who enjoy alcoholic beverages, this goes without saying as well. According to WebMD, "A new review of 27 studies shows that alcohol does not improve sleep quality. According to the findings, alcohol does allow healthy people to fall asleep quicker and sleep more deeply for a while, but it reduces rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. And the more you drink before bed, the more pronounced these effects." There goes my philosophy of "Red wine makes me sleep better lol."
It is very important to get a good night's rest to be your best self the next day. Being sluggish, not alert, obtaining ailments from scrolling on the internet or social media all night is not healthy for you or your body. It is suggested to have between 6-8 hours of sleep to fully function and eliminating your distractions will help you get and keep, a good night's rest, every day.
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