Tips for getting a good night’s sleep

MANY people believe that to get quality sleep means longer sleeping hours. In short, quantity sleep is equal to quality sleep.

Nevertheless, we can still get a night of quality sleep and wake up fresh and energetic without having to sleep seven to nine hours a day, or we can feel tired even after many hours of sleep.

It all depends on our lifestyle. How we manage our worries, what we eat daily, our time management, physical activities and the environment all matter, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Exercise has been proven to provide better sleep at night as it can speed up the metabolism of the body, elevate body temperature, and stimulate good hormones, such as cortisol, which help the body to respond to stress.

However, remember to avoid doing it close to your bedtime as it will interfere with your sleep.

Avoid eating heavy meals after 7pm. Carbohydrates and fats take a longer time to digest than other food.

Sleeping with a full stomach can interrupt our sleep due to the energy produced from the food, which makes us feel fresh and difficult to sleep.

We should eat only fruits, vegetables, walnuts or healthy food as a late-night snack.

For time management, be sure to organise your schedule wisely. Despite holding many responsibilities, we should not neglect our rights and needs as human beings.

The night is created by God for human beings to rest.

Manage your negative feelings and worries well when facing adversity.

Failure to manage anxiety is the main factor behind poor quality sleep because anxiety leads to overthinking, and overthinking makes it difficult to sleep well.

It is also important to be in a good environment, which will influence our lifestyle to be better and healthier.

Lastly, strengthen your heart and spirit to change the way you live while practising all the above tips to enjoy quality sleep every day, and to live a quality life.

NUR AISYAH ROSLAN International Islamic University Malaysia