Even as things have slowed down in the past year, some studies show people at home are getting less quality sleep than before the pandemic. Studies show that people get more sleep, just less quality sleep, which is problematic. 

Issues that may arise from poor sleep are increased risk of heart attack or stroke, lowered immune system, obesity, onset diabetes, and decreased mental function and wellbeing. 

On average, researchers note that people are sleeping 15-minutes more per night during the pandemic than prior but that sleep lacks a deep sleep necessary for the benefits of that increased time to take hold. 

One of the main issues is that people are having difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep due to different stress levels. 

Stress can be a subtle issue that can affect our moods, heart health, increase the risk of illness, decrease mental function, and increase the chance of depression. 

3 Changes To Make And Get Better Sleep 

To tackle getting better sleep, we need to consider focusing on improving our health, and there are three things to consider. 

Improve Your Diet

First, change your diet and eat healthier. Salty or sugary foods impact the digestion of more natural sources of nutrition. Your body will break down the sugary sources first, leaving carbohydrates and starches to accumulate in the body as fats. Over time these fats build-up and can wreak havoc on your cardiovascular and digestive health and make you feel tired and sluggish but unable to sleep.

Eating well can lead to a whole host of improvements in your health and sleep habits. Sometimes sleep issues are derived from what we eat, causing allergies to digestive problems or even causing imbalances in our neurochemistry that impact our health. 

Exercise Daily

Next, create an exercise regiment. Exercise will help you burn off any excess energy, tax your muscles and cardiovascular system, strengthen bones, and increase stamina. As a result, you’ll be able to eliminate additional stress from the body, making it possible to relax faster and get better quality sleep. 

Exercise should be something that you enjoy and an activity you can maintain for a longer duration. Too often, people start an aggressive workout routine, become too sore, or injured to continue with it. The best strategy is to start slow and consult a professional to develop the right plan for your specific needs and health condition. 

Get More, uh, Sleep 

Third, get more sleep. I know this is a no-brainer, but increasing your overall sleep by 30 minutes a day will give your body more time to reach a deep REM sleep that works to regenerate and recuperate the body. 

The reality is that we need to work on our rest by sleeping smarter. 

Creating a sleep program is a good start. 

Begin by having a period of time before sleeping designed to help you relax, whether that is doing some meditation, taking a bath, or other activity that soothes you and calms your thought process. Stay away from screens, tv, and alcohol right before bedtime as these all affect different parts of the brain and may impact our quality of sleep. 

Another thing to do is make sure that the bedroom is for sleeping. Your brain will recognize patterns in your behavior, and how it establishes its concept of your bedroom, whether it’s seen as relaxing or stimulating, goes a long way toward the quality of sleep you may have.  

Finally, taking natural sleep remedies can offer short, and long-term solutions to your sleep issues. Various natural sleep remedies range from valerian root, melatonin, passionflower, and more. 

One of the best sleep aids to consider is using CBD byproducts and oils and using a CBN product. 

Why does cannabis aid in sleeping? Many different benefits range from ease of pain and insomnia and create a sense of relaxed and anti-inflammatory properties. 

CBD refers to cannabidiol, the active ingredient in cannabis derived from the hemp plant. Meanwhile, CBN refers to the byproduct of THC as it ages. It is the abbreviated form of cannabinol, a non-intoxicating compound. A good option for someone who wants the benefits associated with cannabinoids but doesn’t want to experience the intoxicating effects would be to explore taking a CBN isolate. There are many products available on the market specifically geared towards relaxation and sleep.