Cold cold flu- We all love to snuggle up all day in our cozy quilts when the weather is icy outside but the want to keep sleeping increases all the more when the annoying cold hits us and we are too stuffed up to even breathe properly. We suggest using a steam inhaler to keep the nasal passage clear and sleeping with your head elevated for easy breathing. Using home remedies like honey or Amla(Indian Gooseberry) also helps in getting rid of the stubborn cold as it increases the body immunity.
Room temperature- Cranking up the heat in your room may seem like a nice way to spend a lazy day at home but little do we realize that it could wreak havoc on our sleep. As we sleep, the body adjusts itself according to the room temperature and therefore lowering the body temperature just a little bit in a cooler room can make us get that perfect winter sleep. Thus having a big comforter is not that great an idea. Pile up light layers in bed so you can remove them if it becomes too warm. While the exact thermostat is a matter of personal comfort, the optimal temperature ranges from 68 to 72 degrees. Also remember, similar to how a very warm room can keep you awake, a room too cold isn’t conducive for sleep either.
Show the light- Light, our source of life is extremely essential. Without it we feel lethargic all day and so at bedtime the body does not feel like it needs sleep. Go out and soak the winter sun as much as possible to stay healthier.
Carefully overeat- Eating a hardy meal can nicely warm you from the inside out during those cold winter months. While eating in the afternoon can make you feel sleepy at work, eating at night will keep you up. The logic lies with the body requiring more time to digest a much heavier meal and till the time it doesn’t happen it doesn’t let you sleep. Having a light meal for dinner, 4 to 5 hours before sleeping time will not only help you get a goodnight sleep but will also keep you in shape. A warm glass of water can be had after a heavy afternoon meal to avoid feeling sluggish and drowsy.
Oversleep on weekends- The cold dreary days have their own special way of making us want to sleep till the afternoon hours on weekends since that’s the only time we can compensate for the less sleep during weekdays. Unfortunately, though, altering too much sleep during Saturday and Sunday can set you up for a bad sleep pattern during the weekdays. Recapturing your sleep is great but try not to alter your wake time and bedtime by more than an hour or two.
The best cure of insomnia is to get a lot of sleep! So sleep a lot when days are shorter and the cold weather is giving you the chills, but don’t forget these points or the winter will kill your sleep!