Find your sleep ritual

10 tips for better sleep

You would like to wake up before your alarm clock in the morning? Start the day fit, full of anticipation and energy? How well we start the day is related to the previous evening. If we listen to our inner clock and want to get up with daylight in the morning, it also means getting to rest in the evening when it gets dark. This is where a sleep ritual can be helpful. An important first step is to realize when you want to get up and when you should go to bed accordingly in order to get enough sleep. According to various studies, a bedtime of 7 to 9 h is recommended for most people. Often we don't fall asleep right away when we fall into bed after an eventful day, knowing that the alarm clock will ring in 7 hrs. Here, a regular routine can help prepare us for sleep.

Caffeine affects your sleep

We make another important decision for good sleep shortly after lunch. If we drink coffee or other caffeinated beverages in the second half of the day, this can suppress melatonin production. Caffeine has a half-life of about 4 to 6 hours, so you should drink your last cup of coffee at noon (especially if you are sensitive to caffeine).

Sport has a positive effect on your sleep

A study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine suggests that a regular workout can positively affect the quality of sleep. However, an intense workout right before sleep can have the opposite effect, as your autonomic nervous system needs to calm down afterwards. It is best to schedule a hard workout for 2 h before sleep. Relaxation exercises or calmer sports can also provide more rest right before bedtime.

Meditation
In brain research, there are more and more studies on the positive effects of a regular meditation practice. Just a few minutes can help organize your thoughts. Meditation can also have a relaxing effect.

Relaxation exercises
To relax deeply before falling asleep and let go of the stress of the previous day, various techniques can be very helpful. Well-known are, among others, autogenic training and progressive muscle relaxation according to Jacobson.

Bineural beats
Our brain waves are said to be synchronized by Bineural Beats. This type of stimulation can provide deep relaxation and positively influence the time it takes to fall asleep, as well as the phases of sleep. Here, research is still in its infancy. Just try it out for yourself?

Breathing exercises
A well-known breathing exercise before falling asleep is 4-7-8 breathing. For this, you close your mouth and breathe in slowly through your nose for four beats. Then you hold the breath for seven beats and then exhale for eight beats. The breathing exercise was developed by American physician and yoga teacher Andrew Weil.

Moon Milk
Moon Milk comes from the Ayurvedic healing teachings and is traditionally prepared with Ashwagandha. By the way, this main ingredient is also called sleeping berry.

Melatonin as a food supplement
Melatonin is formed from the neurotransmitter serotonin in the pineal gland (epiphysis, glandula pinealis) in our brain and controls our sleep-wake rhythm. It is secreted in the dark to make us tired and induce sleep. A product containing melatonin can be taken for faster sleep.