5 Ways To Improve Your Sleep Without Melatonin

More and more people are having trouble getting a good night’s rest. People are turning to those sleep elixirs that we see at the convenience store registers (in bottles similar to 5 Hour Energy) and sleeping pills. Believe it or not, I know a doctor who drinks Nyquil every night so that she can get to sleep. This is a huge problem and the consequences can be very serious. Look at the lengths that Michael Jackson went to get some sleep. It ended up costing him his life.Everyone is looking for instant gratification. “I take this pill and magically I lose weight or sleep like a baby.” There are no magic pills. This is a myth. Everything that is worthwhile needs to be worked at. Your health is no different. There are better ways to improve sleep quality without taking a “magic pill”. Below we will talk about 5 simple steps that, if incorporated into your lifestyle, can dramatically improve your quality and quantity of sleep.

1. Sleep in total darkness. Turn off all of the lights when it is time to go to bed. Cover the glow from alarm clocks and anything else in your room that will emit light and remove night lights. The pineal gland, which makes melatonin and seratonin, is very sensitive. Even the tiniest bit of light will disrupt your body’s natural melatonin production.
2. Turn down the thermostat. The latest research shows that your body will fall asleep easier and stay asleep in cooler temperatures. Try between 60 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Take a warm shower before bed. Your body temperature will be raised during the shower or bath and will drop upon exiting. This drop in body temperature will signal your body that is it time for bed.
4. Avoid caffeine after 4pm. Some people have trouble metabolizing caffeine and will feel the effects of a late afternoon/early evening coffee or tea when it is bedtime. Even if you do not have this problem, the after effects of evening caffeine will disrupt your sleep.
5. Do not watch television, read from a computer/iPad, or do anything on your Smartphone within 2 hours of bedtime. The light emitted from all of these electronic devices will disrupt the function of your pineal gland and your melatonin production. Furthermore, these activities are too stimulating for the brain and will prevent you from falling asleep.