After a day’s work, you’d want to sleep without much effort. But certain factors can make sleeping on time quite difficult. If you go to sleep and wake up at a fixed time daily, invest in a good mattress, and make your bedroom comfortable and free of clutter, you will soon be able to sleep well through the night. Here are five crucial habits that you should avoid before bedtime:

Exercising before bedtime
Exercising at night at home or gym and jogging in the late evening are becoming increasingly trendy. But most doctors strongly disagree with this habit as the adrenaline increases your heart rate and keeps you alert. A vigorous workout can also stimulate your nervous system, which prevents the body from falling asleep. While exercising, your muscles go through wear and tear and need adequate rest to heal. Since you may not get enough sleep, your rest is disrupted, and the healing process takes more time. The cumulative result of lack of sleep makes you tired and exhausted and may affect your productivity at home, school, or work. If you can exercise only in the evening, do it at least two to three hours before bedtime.

Using gadgets before bedtime
You’re not alone if you’ve heard about this earlier and think it is easier said than done. Smart devices have taken over our day and slowly our bedtime too. Using such gadgets even after you get into bed can affect your sleep. Our body releases cortisol around sunrise to keep us alert and melatonin in the evening to help us sleep. The blue light from TVs, smartphones, tablets, and laptops interferes with the release of melatonin and delays sleepiness. Most of us do not blink our eyes too much while glued to our gadgets, affecting our slow-wave and rapid eye movement that are crucial for cognitive eye functioning. Continuous and long-term exposure to blue light can damage the retina.

Slowly wean yourself away from gadgets and take to healthier habits like listening to music or reading, though it may be initially difficult. You can listen to audiobooks or podcasts that foster positivity and motivate you. Over time, such a habit can help you increase your sleep duration and quality of sleep.

Leaving conflicts unresolved
The obvious reason is that a fight puts you in a bad mood, and you carry over the anger to the next morning. Negative emotions disrupt sleep and worsen relationships. If you have an issue with your child, partner, or any family member, try to resolve it for a good night’s sleep.

Sleeping straight after a meal
You should be done with your last meal and drink at least two hours before bedtime. If you have a food craving, have a fruit, a cracker, or something healthy, light, and non-greasy. Avoid guzzling down a bottle of water before bedtime. Too much caffeine and water can increase the urge to urinate and disrupt your sleep. An adequate gap between food and bedtime aids in better digestion and prevents acid reflux and heartburn. Finishing your dinner and going to sleep right away can lead to weight gain and diabetes and increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. On the other hand, you should not go to bed on an empty stomach as you may not have enough energy when you wake up the next morning.  Also, lying down immediately after a heavy meal can trigger snoring. This occurs mainly because the stomach expands after ingesting foods, leaving less room for the lungs and diaphragm to function. This can exert pressure on the chest and organs and make breathing difficult, resulting in snoring.

Feeling anxious or stressed
Anxiety and stress affect sleep, and not getting enough rest compounds the issue. Anxiety disorders are a common mental health problem, and the lack of sleep is one of the symptoms of anxiety disorders. Those who worry too much may be fixated on one issue and overthink a matter. They may spend the night without even sleeping a wink. The lack of sleep again leads to exhaustion and fatigue the next day, and such a cycle continues. Distract yourself when you see signs of anxiety or stress by cultivating the habit of listening to relaxing music before bedtime. You can also meditate and do breathing exercises to help you relax. If you cannot get relief from these activities, consult a doctor or a sleep specialist.

Tips for finding the right mattress for a good sleep
The surface on which you sleep affects the quality of your sleep. A mattress that supports your spine with good spinal alignment and provides comfortable contouring for your body weight is what you should look for. Here are some tips for finding the right mattress for you:

Visit a store and try a mattress. Unless you lie down on a mattress, feel it, and understand the material and technology, you will not be able to find the best mattress that is right for you. Lie down for about 15 minutes in your normal sleeping position and see if it is comfortable for your back.
Buy mattresses that offer long trial periods. Most mattress companies offer a trial period of one, two, or three months as well as a guaranteed replacement option.
A medium-firm mattress is generally suited for people with back pain.
Doctors recommend a softer mattress for side sleepers, medium-firm mattresses for stomach sleepers, and any firmness for back sleepers.
Choose from materials like latex, rubber, and organic fiber combined with layers of coils or springs.