Evening Habits That Make You Healthier And Happier
What we do during evenings is very important since in order to be healthy, we need to get enough sleep. Just like our morning habits make us happier and healthier, our evening habits will dictate the quality of our life. Getting a great night’s rest will help with heart health, weight loss, focus, memory, and skin health.
The problem is it is difficult to get as much sleep as we need. Sometimes it is anxiety. In other cases, we are just drawn in by our phone.
According to research, when cortisol levels are elevated, sleep quality is lower. This can only get worse and worse as time passes. If you get to wind down during evenings, stress is lowered. It is just so much easier to get a perfect night’s sleep.
To unwind during evenings, here are some simple recommendations of habits that will simply make you sleep better. Your evening routine will be come so much better and you will feel rejuvenated for the days ahead.
Stay Hydrated
Drinking water offers so many interesting health benefits you want to take advantage of. They range from keeping your heart in a healthy state to improving skin. It was proven by several studies that dehydration promotes stress and decreases mood in both women and men. And whenever stressed, there is a huge possibility you will not really sleep that well at night.
All of this means that you should not drink coffee all throughout the day and then some wine at night. The much better approach is to focus on water intake. Basically, whenever you feel thirsty, you need to drink water.
Reduce Caffeine Intake At Night
The night goes long and you desperately need some extra energy since you have to finish a project. Or you want to watch an extra episode of your favorite TV show. So you get another cup of coffee. Most of us did us but whenever you want to sleep better, the best thing you can do is to reduce how much caffeine you consume during evenings and afternoons.
Remember that the life of caffeine in your system is around 5 hours. If you drink a cup of coffee at around 4 PM, it will be in your system at around 9 PM. When you want something to drink, you might want to try a tasty herbal tea. A seltzer can also be great as an energizing option.
Make Sure You Have Healthy Meals
Eating healthy dinners is a very good idea every single day. You should enjoy a healthy, delicious meal to nourish the body, guarantee sleep success, and control blood sugar levels. This is especially the case when you suffer from diabetes.
You can keep energy levels steady at all times and prevent the appearance of crashes and spikes when your meals include protein, vegetables, and complex carbohydrates. Make sure you finish your dinner a minimum of 2 hours before you go to bed so you can digest what you consume before you go to sleep.
Be Careful With Alcohol Intake
Nightly beverages are not problematic and you can enjoy them. Actually, some health benefits appear from this favorite pastime. But, if you are very close to when it is time to sleep, you will not rest much. Drinks will make you feel tired but sleep quality is going to be drastically impacted. Your blood sugar levels will go down so you will end up with a very shallow sleep. Alternatively, you will end up waking up in the middle of the night, which is never something you want.
Also, dehydration will become a problem. When you decide that you need a drink, just try to have it earlier during the night. Then, when it is close to your bedtime, make sure you hydrate.
Stay Consistent
The sleep and wake cycle of our body is determined by the circadian rhythm. And the truth is human bodies really love consistency. As a result, it is very important to go and sleep and then wake up at around the same times every single day. This will make your body adapted to a sleeping schedule. You will basically find it so much easier to feel completely ready for bed. And you will be refreshed during mornings.
Allow yourself the time you need to properly wind down during the night. Do this before you will want to go to sleep. This is especially important as you first start to get used to a schedule.
Stay Away From Digital Screens
You surely already heard you should avoid your TV or smartphones before going to bed. This is because of digital screens suppressing melatonin production. Also, artificial light will shift the circadian rhythm of your body. You will stay up later, even if you log off.
Always shut down your electronics at least half an hour before your go to bed. This is important because you need to allow the brain to relax and you need melatonin levels to go up.
Always Plan Ahead
Make sure to plan for the following day and always tidy up during the night. This will help us feel accomplished and prepared. You will basically start to get ready for the following day ahead of time and lists are very helpful with that. They do wonders when it comes to cutting down on the stress you feel in the morning. Just keep things simple and light so you do not have to deal with too much stress before you go to bed.
Stretch
Normally, we do not think about working out before we go to bed. This is a good idea since it would only get our blood pumping and would increase energy levels. Obviously, this is not great right before going to bed. You should try to do something that is more relaxing, like some light yoga. This would have the exact opposite effect.
Keep in mind that stretching will activate your parasympathetic nervous system. This is great since relaxation will be triggered. Wind down with stretching before bed and you will love the results.
