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We are in a hurry all the time, weary of fatigue and anxiety and looking forward to the evening when we can relax. But perhaps the reason for the hard days is how we spend the evening. Nine rules to follow before going to bed so as not to ruin the next day.
1. Do not sort things out with a partner
It is more productive to resolve conflicts in the morning. The advice not to go to bed with a grudge may not be so wise. If you decide not to go to bed until you deal with the conflict, then you will not get enough sleep, after emotional arousal it will be difficult to fall asleep.
“Agree to disagree temporarily,” says California psychotherapist Sarah Stanicai. “Exhausted and aggressive because of anger, stress and resentment, you won’t solve anything.” It is better to calm down, lie down and rest on time, then the next morning the conversation with your partner will be productive.
2. Don’t forget to take care of your skin
Wet wipes alone are not enough. To avoid rashes, you need to wash your face. Many of us do not attach much importance to this, but in vain. Even if you do not do makeup, the skin must be cleansed of sweat, grease and other impurities. “If you are too tired or depressed to wash your face before bed, this is a bad sign. Perhaps you chronically do not get enough sleep or you become depressed, ”says Stanitsay.
By making a habit of regular skin care, you can not only look great, but also strengthen your mental health. It is enough to devote 10 minutes to this every evening. Forget about face wipes, they are bad for the skin.
3. Don’t exercise
It is better to transfer loads to the first half of the day, then they will help you sleep better at night. Some are not ready to go to the gym, even if they pay for it. If you are the kind of person who works out regularly, don’t quit, just remember that evening workouts may not have the best effect on the quality of sleep.
“Physical activity is good for health, you need to find the right time for them. Working out late can disrupt sleep by throwing off your body’s circadian rhythms, explains Leslie Fisher, creator of the healthy sleep website. — Going in for sports in the evenings, we send a signal that we want to be active in the near future. It makes it hard to sleep.”
It is best to move your sports loads in the morning, so you can improve your mood and productivity.
4. Do not smoke
Nicotine interferes with sleep. If you smoke, try not to touch cigarettes before bed. Sara Stanicai advises not to smoke for two hours before bed.
5. Don’t drink
Alcohol is bad for the quality of sleep. “Drinking will make you feel sleepy, but the sleep will be of poor quality,” says Dr. Dawn Dore-Stites, of the University of Michigan Sleep Disorders Center. According to her, alcohol affects the change in sleep phases, because of which you wake up more often and spend less time in deep sleep. To relax, drink a glass of herbal tea or warm milk.
Their visit contributes to the production of stress hormones. It would seem that there is nothing wrong with checking messages before going to bed, but this can interfere with quality sleep.
“When we access social media, there are hormonal changes in the brain,” explains North Carolina-based clinical psychologist Beatrice Tober Pryor. “It sends a signal to the adrenal glands, which begin to overproduce cortisol and adrenaline.” These “stress hormones” give you a boost of energy that you don’t need before bed. “In the long term, increased production of these hormones is bad for thinking and contributes to the development of anxiety and depression,” she says.
7. Don’t use your phone in bed
The screens of smartphones and other electronic devices emit blue light, which interferes with sleep and contributes to the development of diabetes and breast cancer. If you need another compelling reason to keep your phone out of bed, this will also help improve your intimate life. If we spend all our time staring at the screen of a smartphone instead of looking into the eyes of a loved one, this does not contribute to intimacy.
“The bed is a place to sleep and have sex. If you answer work emails while lying under the covers, then you accustom yourself to the fact that the bed is a place to work, says Gabriella Gray, a certified lifestyle coach from New York.
By replying to emails from co-workers before bed, you let them know it’s OK to bother you late at night. “You can leave a message on the answering machine in the evening, indicating the working hours, and all callers will know at what time they can expect an answer from you. That way they won’t feel like they’ve called in vain, and you’ll have time to relax.”
8. Don’t snack
While the body is digesting food, it will not be possible to fall asleep. When we decide to treat ourselves to something sweet or savory in the evening, nourishing energy is not wasted on activity, but is stored as fat. This accelerates weight gain, which threatens with serious consequences like diabetes and other chronic diseases.
Snacking before bed disrupts sleep. “The body cannot fully rest when it is busy digesting food. As a result, not only sleep is disturbed, but also the rhythm of digestion,” says Gabriella Grey. It is better to have dinner a few hours before bedtime. To avoid hunger, eat more foods rich in protein and healthy fats.
9. Don’t neglect hair care
If we like to take a shower at night, it is often too lazy to dry our hair with a hairdryer. Going to bed with a wet head creates additional problems the next morning.
“When we toss and turn in bed, wet hair rubs against the pillow, which can lead to increased hair breakage. The next morning, the hair is tousled and tangled, ”says Brandi Flores, a professional stylist and regional manager for a chain of hairdressing salons in Texas.
Hair in the morning can be collected in a bun, but do not forget to dissolve it in the evening. “If you leave your hair tied up overnight, the constant pressure causes it to break and curl,” says Flores. If you don’t want to leave them loose, braid them.
Source: Huffington Post