Dreamland one way

Sleeping for some is like hitting the pillow and leaving for dreamland, for others tossing and turning into the wee hours. Are you a difficult sleeper? Then these tips may be of some use to you and yes, alcohol also has a role.

You are tired and get into your nice bed. You look forward to sleeping through the night and waking up refreshed. That is not given to everyone. That is why the tips below can help you with a restful night.

-At least one hour of moderate to intensive exercise every day

-Fresh and varied food

-No coffee after dinner

-More than two hours between the last meal and going to bed

-No laptop or phone in the last hour of the day

-Dimming lights after dinner

-Bedroom temperature at about 17 degrees

-Keep the bedroom dark

-Read with e-reader on soft lighting

-Go to bed at the same time every day and get up around the same time. Also on weekends.

Make a list and write off the day

Because your head can be full of everything you still need or want to do, it can help to make a list of goals and wishes for the next day before going to bed. It is also satisfying to look back on the day and write down what made you happy.

No alcohol before bedtime

Also not drinking alcohol before going to bed can be added to the aforementioned list. Alcohol and sleep is a bad combination. It disrupts your sleep and you wake up less rested. Here you can read how and what.

That drink just before going to bed is relaxing, cozy and even helps you fall asleep faster. All benefits. But now it comes: that drink helps at the start of your night, but breaks you up during the night. Alcohol really messes up your sleep cycle.

The Sleep Cycle

The sleep cycle works like this: sleep consists of dream sleep (REM sleep) and regular, deep sleep (NREM sleep). During the night, our body goes through the cycle several times a night. Your body starts with NREM sleep, then moves on to REM sleep and back to NREM sleep. A sleep cycle lasts about 90 minutes. Drinking alcohol before going to sleep increases deep sleep and decreases the amount of dream sleep.

Wrong order

In addition, drinking alcohol has an effect on the order of your sleep cycle. Alcohol causes the first deep sleep (REM sleep) to be brought to the fore. This means that you dream earlier and the brain has to process all the information and impressions of that day faster. The second part of the night, REM sleep takes place much later, overloading the brain. Because the deep sleep does not take place proportionally, sleeping problems occur. Such as sleepwalking, talking in your sleep and sleep apnea. In addition, there is an increased risk of intense dreams or nightmares.