21 proven tips to improve sleep

Sleep is an absolutely essential process that unfortunately in today's hectic times we often put it on the back burner and don't give it any importance. But it is absolutely essential for all aspects of life. It is not so much the length of sleep that is crucial, but its quality.

And that's why we have prepared today's article, in which sleep is the most important thing. and give you 21 top tips on how to improve yours.

If you prefer video, you can watch it here:

What are the different stages of sleep?

There are two phases during sleep that you've probably heard about several times. These are REM and NREM, which are fundamentally different, but both indispensable for a good night's sleep. So let's take a look at these two phases at the very beginning of this article.

1. NREM phase

This is based on the English words non-rapid eye movement, which could be loosely translated as the slow eye movement phase. The hallmarks of this phase are general calmness, greater relaxation and, last but not least, as much brain activity as possible. The NREM phase accounts for up to 80% of total sleep and is divided into 4 sub-stages based on the depth of sleep the body achieves:

Stage 1

This stage is very short and is de facto only the transition between wakefulness and sleep. It lasts only a few minutes and is characterised by skeletal muscle activity, after which the organism moves into the second stage of sleep.

Stage 2

If you have a smartwatch and monitor your sleep regularly, you will have noticed the division between light and deep sleep. And the second NREM stage just corresponds to light sleep, which should ideally make up about 50% of your NREM sleep.

Stage 3

Stage 3 already corresponds to deep sleep, which is a more efficient stage of sleep in which it is very difficult to wake a person up. Like the first stage, the third stage does not last very long, this deep sleep stage also lasts only a few minutes.

Stage 4

After a few minutes spent in the third stage, the body enters the fourth stage, which is the deepest, strongest and most effective form of sleep. It stays in it for about 30 minutes.

2. REM phase

While eye movements do not occur during the NREM stage, they are already quite common in the REM stage. The heart rate in this stage of sleep is at about the same level as when awake. Muscle tension is not as pronounced and the brain's need for oxygen increases. In the REM stage of sleep, most dreams are dreamt, which is why some believeThis stage is not considered sleep, but a state between wakefulness and sleep itself (called paradoxical sleep).

The bogeyman called sleep deprivation

Sleep deprivation is a severe sleep deprivation that negatively affects thinking and attention. And while most of you probably feel that you are not in danger of anything like this, let's illustrate the whole situation with an example.

Let's say you feel fine on eight hours of sleep, but you can afford (quaworkload, responsibilities, dealing with correspondence just before bedtime, etc.) only 7 hours. In this case, you will accumulate a whole night's sleep over the course of a week. And of course, your body already knows this. Not to mention that if you don't feel well and rested, your overall productivity the next day drops as well. So you'll have an hour to spare, but that doesn't necessarily mean you'll get more work done. Plus, you're risking your health, which is quite a high price to pay.

Since few people pay as much attention to sleep these days as we should, we've put together our 21 tips for getting the most out of sleep and never wake up sleepy and tired again. So let's take one tip at a time and break it down in more detail.

1. Limit alcohol

Alcohol, especially in our country, is a very popular thing and even helps some people fall asleep. Although it can actually help with falling asleep, this is its only benefit and after that it is only detrimental to sleep. First of all, the problem is that, according to the scientific publications alcohol interferes with the REM phase of sleep and therefore affects not only recovery but also memory and learning if drunk before falling asleep for a long time.

Secondly, the problem is that it dehydrates and therefore stimulates the kidneys to work even when they should be resting. Occasionally and in small amounts, alcohol can't hurt, of course, but I would definitely avoid regular consumption.

2. Don't use stimulants

If you're an active athlete, you're no stranger to pre-workout supplements. And if you don't play sports, at the very least, you'll be indulging in coffee several times a day. And both of these beverages have a stimulant content that will disrupt the quality of your sleep in a similar way to alcohol. In the case of caffeine specifically, the reason is simple, it reduces the production of melatonin, a hormone essential for falling asleep.

3. Bet on herbs

There are a number of different herbal remedies that can help you with falling asleep and the quality of your sleep. In our experience, some of the best ones include valerian, lemon balm and rotating hops. If you have the opportunity to grow and dry the herbs yourself, you can choose the bedtime tea option. If you live in the city, however, it's no problem to find supplements with extracts from these plants.

4. Get up and go to sleep regularly

The key to quality sleep is stereotyping. So even if it's the weekend, you should go to bed at the same time as on a normal working day. If you completely disrupt your circadian rhythm on weekends, it will result in poor sleep quality and you'll wake up tired the following week.

Similarly, it's not a good idea to sleep in the previous day on weekends either. In short, set yourself a regular sleep schedule and try to keep to it at all times.

5. Meditate before bed

Most people picture an ultra-flexible athlete in a lotus flower when it comes to meditationbut by meditation we can mean any movement or activity that calms you in some way. For some people, this might be walking through a city at night, while others will seek out reading a book before bed, for example. The possibilities are endless and it's up to you what you choose. But the important thing is not to stress yourself out, don't worry about work, school or other stress factors and just concentrate on sleep.

6. Get enough sleep

If you wake up sleepy in the morning, what else can we advise you to do but sleep more. As a rule, there are two ways to prolong your sleep. But since the scenario where you get up later is unrealistic for most people, I would definitely prefer to go to bed earlier. Of course, going to bed before midnight is ideal, but there is no right and best time. You simply have to find a time when you are comfortable falling asleep and not waking up sleepy in the middle of the night.

7. Limit ambient light and noise

You should sleep in a room in which you are disturbed by absolutely no source of light or noise. If there is a street lamp outside your apartment, invest in blinds. Try to remove any electronic devices from the room that could also disturb you with their lights on during the night. Listening to loud music on headphones just before you are about to go to sleep is also not a good option. Such a situation is somewhat stressful for the body and you may not be able to fall asleep.

8. Limit blue light before bedtime

Even if we're looking for complexities in this, the human body works in a pretty simple way. Evolutionarily, we are wired so that as soon as it gets dark, the body starts producing more melatonin and we start to feel like sleeping. Blue light, that is, the light emitted by electronic devices, is perceived by our body in a similar way to the blue sky. And because of this, it reduces melatonin production (what's the use of melatonin during the day, right?) and you can't fall asleep. So, at least two hours before bedtime, we recommend putting your phone away and slowly preparing for sleep by reading a book, for example. If using electronics is necessary, we recommend that you at least set a yellow filter, or better yet, use a special glassesthat remove the blue light.

9. Avoid sleeping during the day

Many people can't imagine their day without an afternoon "nap."The problem is that sleeping during the day limits the body's metabolic processes (as it does in the evening), and you mayyou may wake up feeling refreshed, but the rest of the day you're sluggish and may have a harder time digesting food. And to make matters worse, you may have trouble falling asleep in the evening. A 20-minute break is perfectly fine, but I certainly wouldn't sleep longer during the day. A better alternative is, for example, reading or taking an afternoon walk, which is also very relaxing.

10. Avoid exercise before sleep

Exercise, or any sport in general, is a great pastime in which to unwind and reduce your overall stress level. And this can be extremely important for quality sleep. If you come home tired from a football game, for example, you'll certainly have no problem falling asleep. However, it is definitely advisable to avoid more strenuous sporting activity before going to bed, as this could impair the quality of your sleep. Walking is fine, but more intense activities are definitely recommended at least three hours after going to bed.

11. Don't forget to air out before bed

Aside from the fact that ventilation is essential for removing moisture from the room, it has many other benefits. First and foremost, it exchanges exhaled carbon dioxide for oxygen, which makes you feel more comfortable.not only makes it easier to breathe, but also improves your concentration on the activity you're doing. Ventilation goes hand in hand with maintaining the right temperature, which we'll look at in a moment.

12. Keep the room at the ideal temperature

If you want to improve deep sleep, the right temperature in the room is one of the most important criteria. Unfortunately, even in this case there is no universal answer defining the right temperature, but generally a temperature between 16-20°C is recommended. If your room is overheated, you will sweat excessively at night, you may wake up thirsty and ultimately have a very poor night's sleep. If your room is excessively cold, you'll find it harder to get up in the morning and also risk catching a cold. It's interesting to note, for example, that a colder environment means you have tothe body exerts more energy to warm itself, and as a result burns more calories.

13. Try proven supplements

Nowadays, there are dozens of different supplements that promise completely unrealistic effects, but only helponly a small number of them are actually effective and can help you with both falling asleep and the quality of your sleep. We would like to mention magnesium and zinc in the form of bisglycinate, because it is theof binding to glycine, these supplements can be very effective in helping you fall asleep. If you are interested in these two micronutrients, be sure to check out our separate articlewhere we discuss them in detail. However, the herbal extracts already mentioned, l-theanine and possibly the very popular melatonin, but I wouldn't overdo it.

14. Try essential oils

Essential oils are natural substances with a really wide range of effects. It is probably clear to each of you that they affect the psyche and emotions, as they make your bedroom smell great. But in addition, they also have a lot of health effects as they can be fungicidal, antiviral and antimicrobial. What's more, you can choose from a plethora of variants, so even the most demanding of you will find something to suit your taste. For essential oils, I can recommend a diffuser that works cold. The other option, however, are aroma lamps that use tea lights.

15. Limit drinking liquids before bedtime

This paragraph brings us to a topic we brought up a few lines earlier in our article today. If you drink large amounts of fluids before bed, you will be woken up at night by the need to go to the toilet. But having to get up several times a night isn't the only negative impact of fluids. In fact, your kidneys are forced to work even during your sleep, making it harder for you to recover. Ultimately, drinking before bed will affect your readiness for the next day even if you are not forced to get up during the night.

16. Monitor your sleep

If you want to continually improve your sleep, it's a good idea to monitor it and see where your deficiencies are. There are several different devices you can use to do this, but in our experience the best ones are Oura Ringwhich is very reliable and accurate, but unfortunately its price is quite high. In terms of value for money, reliable smartwatches that have this feature are definitely the best. We can recommend especially Garmin or Apple watch, which have really solid monitoring.

17. Create your own routine

Is every day different and don't you have a specific routine even before sleep? This too can be a reason why you are depriving yourself of maximum quality sleep. You don't have to invent any complexities, just take a hot shower and take a book to bed. Your body will then have linked these two actions to falling asleep, which will ensure that you never have a problem with it again.

18. Find your ideal sleeping position

There are millions of different positions you can sleep in. The key is, of course, to find the one that makes you fall asleep best. Unfortunately, a large number of positions can negatively affect your spine, which can result in pain in specific areas of your back.If this is the case, it is advisable to either change the position or use various aids that to get your limbs in the right position in relation to your spine, or change your mattress. But if your back doesn't hurt, there's certainly no reason to change the position you feel best in.

19. Try velvet beans

Velvet beans are an absolutely miraculous adaptogen that we've had such positive experiences with that we have to mention them in a separate paragraph. Velvet beans contain a relatively high amount of l-dopa, which is a sort of precursor to dopamine. At the same time, they affect the adrenal system, thus ensuring hormonal balance and also helping to manage everyday stress. You can try velvet beans either whole or in powder or extract form.

20. Test how you react to food before bedtime

Eating before going to bed is a very debated issue. While the older generations will argue that you will definitely gain weight, the younger ones know thatthat this is not the case and that weight gain is determined by calorie surplus rather than the timing of meals. But whether or not to eat before bed is a very individual matter. While some people will not fall asleep with a full belly, for others a good portion of carbohydrates before bed can help with falling asleep and the quality of sleep. A kind of compromise between these two poles is micellar caseins, which are great for filling the stomach but not filling it up. If you don't know which one to choose, we recommend checking out our ranking of the best nighttime proteins. Either way, you need to try what works better for you and stick with that.

21. Increase your time in the sun

If you increase your exposure to the sun during the summer days, not only will you pick up more vitaminsD, which your body is able to store until winter, but you'll get more rest and sleep much better. If you're used to spending most of your time indoors, you should definitely rethink that and start spending more time outdoors.This will not only improve the quality of your sleep, but also your overall health.

Well that's it for this article, we hope you enjoyed it and will use some of our tips. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments, we'll be happy to answer.