(ARA) – Living a healthy lifestyle encompasses a plethora of things – it goes well beyond diet and exercise. Working to alleviate stress and getting enough sleep are two major factors to a healthier you.
These five simple lifestyle tips can help improve your overall health and well-being throughout each day.
Establish everyday healthy habits: Diet and exercise are essential for a good night sleep. Regular exercise in the morning or during the day, for just 30 minutes, will help you fall into a deeper sleep and wake up with more energy. Avoiding caffeine, nicotine or other stimulants will increase your quality of sleep as well. Also, staying away from heavy, fatty foods at dinnertime will promote a healthier digestive system. By eating at least two hours before bed, your body will be able to digest food more easily, which will help to keep you from tossing and turning.
Just relax: After a long day, it is crucial to get some rest and relaxation to stay healthy. Reducing stress is important for mental stability and ultimately being a happier, healthier person. Performing daily relaxing rituals, like yoga or mediation, will help calm your mind and body from a stressful, busy day. If you don’t have the time to spend stretching out in a yoga pose, try reading a book, catching up with your family around the living room, or sipping chamomile tea before bed. Making small changes like these are bound to keep you more relaxed, with plenty of peace of mind and primed for a restful night of sleep.
Tossing and turning?: If you are having trouble relaxing and falling into a deep sleep, try logging a sleep diary for one week and list the time you went to bed, fell asleep, any night-time awakening, and the time you wake up. Calculate your average hours of sleep and look for patterns throughout the week. By observing what your body is telling you, you can make adjustments to get a deeper rest. Sleep is how the body rejuvenates so it is essential that you get at least eight hours per night. If you are regularly getting more than eight hours of sleep a day and still feel tired, you should consider seeing a physician to determine what your body is trying to say. Keep in mind that staying on a regular sleep schedule will keep you feeling more energized in the morning.
Set the mood: The quality of sleep is as just as important as the number of hours you are sleeping. Without the proper sleep environment, your body becomes more vulnerable to diseases and your immune function decreases. Making simple changes to your sleep environment will help you sleep better; try avoiding bright lights, TV, texting, loud music and computers. Leave your busy day at the bedroom door and reserve your bed for sleep and downtime only, that way your body will prepare itself for sleep mode once your head hits the pillow.
Catch some zzz’s: One way to ensure you maximize the sleep you are getting is to determine whether you need a new mattress. If you are waking up with body aches and pains or even some types of unwanted allergies, a new mattress may be the solution to your problems. The new Embody by Sealy mattress is tailored to provide simplicity from the inside out without any extra layers to ensure a better night’s sleep. The line provides a choice of clean, breathable products for a healthy sleep environment. In fact, the new Embody by Sealy incorporates Polartec Body Climate fabrics. The Polartec fabric allows air to circulate in and around the mattress to help regulate temperature all night long and wick away moisture to ensure a dry, healthy sleep.
For more information on how to get a simple, healthy rest visit www.facebook.com/EmbodyBySealy.
