3 tricks to get your body ready for sleep

A good night's sleep helps us feel refreshed and ready for the day. Enjoying 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night helps us to lower our risk of some chronic illnesses, including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. It also helps us to feel better emotionally by boosting our mood and allowing us to manage stress more successfully.

Getting a good night's sleep starts before we crawl into bed. Here are three simple and quick strategies to help you sleep well.

Turn off the screens

Your TV, laptop and mobile phone screens emit blue light. This light tricks your body into thinking it’s still daytime and suppresses your melatonin production, a hormone that is required to make you feel sleepy. Turn off your digital screens at least one hour before you want to go to bed to help your body's melatonin production.

Cool your room down

Our bodies sleep better when the room is slightly cooler. A couple of hours before you go to bed, either open up your windows, turn down the heat or put the air conditioning on if you have a cooling system in your bedroom. This will ensure your room is at an optimal temperature for sleep (65 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit or 15.6 to 20 degrees Celsius).

Avoid stimulants and depressants

Stimulants like caffeine decrease your sleep quantity and quality by keeping your body awake and alert. If possible, avoid taking any form of stimulant several hours before your bedtime. Swap your caffeinated drinks for caffeine-free alternatives. On the other hand, depressants such as alcohol can also disrupt sleep by causing you to wake up during the night and reducing the amount of time you are in R.E.M. sleep. Rapid-Eye-Movement is the sleep cycle when we dream and is important for cognitive health.