Building a Nighttime Routine for Restful Sleep

Quality sleep presents a variety of benefits to your health. Poor sleep adversely affects your quality of life, birthed the reason for creating a nighttime routine for restful sleep.

According to Nutt et al. (2022), failing to get quality sleep can lead to sleep disorders such as insomnia, which results in depression. One of the reasons people are unable to get quality sleep nowadays is due to the inflated cost of living and the “hustle culture,” which is highly misinterpreted and drives people to the extreme of neglecting their health in the pursuit of extra cash. We shall delve into sleep, factors affecting it, and how you can build a nighttime routine to get some restful sleep.

What Causes Sleep?

The pineal gland plays a pivotal role in facilitating sleep in the brain. The pineal gland is stimulated and secretes the melatonin hormone in the brain's two hemispheres. Melatonin “tricks” the brain into retiring to sleep during the night. Furthermore, the melatonin hormone is maintained by the circadian rhythm.

Sleep disorders can be detrimental to one’s health since they interfere with melatonin secretion. To mitigate this, take prescribed melatonin supplements to improve melatonin secretion. McFadden et al. (2021) commented that cannabinoid oil contains chemical compounds such as terpenes which play a vital role in treating sleep, anxiety, and mood disorders.

How Important Is Sleep?

Onton et al. (2016) suggested that during deep sleep, high amplitude brain waves with a low-frequency help restore body cells and consolidate memories.

According to Schlarb et al. (2017), poor sleep reduces learning efficiency in the human brain, increases weight and stress hormones, and increases disease risk. During deep sleep, brain waves are drastically slowed down, and this repairs damaged cells, reinvents the immune system, removes toxic substances, and relaxes bodily muscles.

Building a Better Nighttime Routine for Restful Sleep

Minimize Blue Light Exposure in the Evening

Research has had qualms on the essence of artificial blue light. Tosini et al. (2016) established that exposure to blue light could damage body cells. Furthermore, blue light incorrectly triggers the secretion of melatonin, disrupting the circadian rhythm that keeps the secretion of melatonin in check.

Switch off devices such as phones, laptops, and televisions 2 hours before bedtime. These devices emit a high spectrum of blue light, and continuous unregulated exposure to them may impair your efficiency and damage your eyes. Wear glasses that block off blue light.

Maximize Your Exposure to Bright Light during the Day

Walking or basking in the sun for a minimum of 2 hours per day improves your sleep quality. Furthermore, stress is reduced while your bones are strengthened. The time taken to fall asleep is significantly reduced by 84%.

Consider Trying Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is the process of spraying essential oils such as lavender oil in your room. Aromatherapy creates a relaxing and soothing aura that releases the tension in your muscles and helps your body and mind relax. Add 7 drops of your preferred essential oil into a spray bottle and fill it with cold water. Spray into the air right before bedtime.

Maintain A Cool and Dark Environment in Your Bedroom

Building a meaningful nighttime routine also involves keeping your room dark and cool. Having a dark room triggers the secretion of melatonin, which facilitates deep, peaceful sleep. Furthermore, consider opening your windows for a while to allow cool air properly ventilate the room. Wear light pajamas during the summer, and purchase enough quality bedding to keep you warm during extremely cold temperatures.

Consider Using CBD Oil

CBD oil contains essential chemical compounds such as terpenes and flavonoids. Terpenes assist in treating mood, anxiety, and sleep disorders such as insomnia. Flavonoids prevent oxidative damage that may attack your cells and cause diseases. Whether or not CBD oil is legal, it was made federally legal in 2018 after Congress passed the Farm Bill. However, every state has laws and regulations concerning the use of CBD oil. Be sure to check them out before resorting to CBD oil to avoid legal consequences.

Reduce the Intake of Fluids Right before Bedtime

Nocturia is a medical condition characterized by excess urination at night. To ensure that the kidney conducts its homeostatic processes efficiently, avoiding drinking fluids 1-2 hours before bedtime is advisable.

Breathe Before You Sleep

Always relax and clear your mind before going to sleep. Breathe deeply and heavily, ensuring that your chest plexus is properly filled with air before breathing. Reflect on the day’s events, whether uplifting or downright discouraging. Reaffirm that the next day would be better, a new day to try again. Have a relaxing massage and listen to chill music. Visualize, meditate and think positively.

Take a Relaxing Shower

About 2-3 hours before bedtime, remember to take a relaxing shower. This shower is precisely helping you ease the tension in your muscles and relax the body. Placing your feet in warm water for about half an hour can also substitute taking a shower, although not exquisitely.

Create a Sensible Sleep and Wake Pattern

Melatonin, which triggers the brain to fall asleep at night, functions on a precise loop that goes hand in hand with the sunrise and the sunset. Sleep early and consistently to make the body adapt to the set pattern of sleep. Furthermore, avoid taking short naps during the day as this may adversely affect melatonin secretion.

The Bottom Line

Building a nighttime routine for restful sleep is important in helping the body relax its muscles and reduce stress. It is important to add this schedule to your daily regimen, as it helps maintain efficient brain function, properly remove toxic substances from the body, and repair damaged cells. Moreover, always purchase high-quality essential oils and CBD products to minimize potential health risks. Create a routine that will be followed consistently so that the body might get used to the program.

References

Mcfadden, B. R., & Malone, T. (2021). Homegrown Perceptions About The Medical Use And Potential Abuse Of CBD And THC. Addictive Behaviors, 115, 106799.

Nutt, D., Wilson, S., & Paterson, L. (2022). Sleep Disorders As Core Symptoms Of Depression. Dialogues In Clinical Neuroscience.

Onton, J. A., Kang, D. Y., & Coleman, T. P. (2016). The Whole-Night Sleep EEG From 2-Channel Mobile Recording Device Visualizes Distinct Deep Sleep Stages With Differential Electrodermal Activity. Frontiers In Human Neuroscience, 10, 605.

Schlarb, A. A., Friedrich, A., & Claßen, M. (2017). Sleep Problems In University Students–An Intervention. Neuropsychiatric Disease And Treatment, 13, 1989.

Tosini, G., Ferguson, I., & Tsubota, K. (2016). Effects Of Blue Light On The Circadian System And Eye Physiology. Molecular Vision, 22, 61.