New Year’s Resolution: How to Get Better Sleep

It’s that time of the year again where we start to reflect on the past twelve months and make new resolutions for the coming year. With the New Year looming, many of us are thinking about improving our lifestyle, health, and well-being. Losing weight, exercising more, and eating healthier tend to dominate the list of New Year’s goals. But there is one aspect very few people consider when making New Year resolutions; sleep. If your goal is to improve your lifestyle, quality sleep is the best way to help you achieve all that.

4 Ways Sleeping Better Can Improve Your Lifestyle

With more than 50 million Americans not getting enough sleep, sleep disorders are on the rise and a worrying public health pandemic. And COVID-19 has not made things any easier. Coronasomnia is very real and spreading due to higher anxiety, stress, and depression during the pandemic. It’s no secret that better sleep improves your health and well-being. Fortunately, there are several ways you not only sleep better but consistently. Sleep is just as important as breathing. When you don’t get enough sleep, it can affect all other aspects of your life. Sleep deprivation also has a direct impact on your health. When you don’t sleep well, your risk of diabetes, hypertension, and even obesity increases. Below are some reasons why sleeping better should be among your 2022 resolutions.

1. Improve Relationships

COVID-19 has already stretched many people to their limits. The last thing you want to be strain is your relationships. Sleep disorders increase your risk of mood disorders like panic, anxiety, and depression. These have a direct impact on your relationships. When you get enough sleep, your mind can process emotions better. This way, you can react to situations better because you have fewer negative emotions.

2. Boost Your Focus at Work

Putting off sleep to burn the midnight oil or binging on the latest series is tempting. After all, it’s nothing a good cup of coffee can’t fix the next day, right? Wrong. Even one restless night can affect the body and mind. Soon, all that sleep deprivation will start affecting your work. Your concentration levels, performance, and mood will suffer in the long run.

3. Promote Better Time Management

When you don’t sleep well, your performance at school or work suffers. When that happens, you will need to create time to catch up on work you don't get to finish. This creates a cycle whereby you’re always on the clock to meet deadlines. The answer to better time management isn’t to sacrifice your sleep. Better sleep will help you increase the time you have to complete tasks.

4. Be More Present

Being more alert for your families and kids is vital. This can only happen when you sleep well each night. Quality sleep is a mood booster and helps you regulate your emotions, allowing you to be in the moment and enjoy time with your family and friends. Learning to be more present can make you happier and help reduce stress and increase your ability to cope with negative emotions.

Best Tips for Better Sleep

As you make your New Year’s resolutions, below are a few things you can do to ensure you sleep better and how to find the best mattress in 2022 to support your well-being.

Create a Regular Sleep Schedule

So, how much sleep do you need? On average, adults should have at least seven hours of sleep every night. If you want to achieve your goal of sleeping better next year, create a sleep schedule and stick with it. That means going to bed at the same time every night and waking up at the same time daily, including the weekends. This kind of consistency reinforces a healthy sleep-wake cycle. What happens if you can’t fall asleep at your bedtime? Don’t stay in bed. Instead, get out and do something relaxing like reading a book or listening to music, then try again.

Consider What You Eat and Drink

If you're going to bed hungry or when extremely full, it can be uncomfortable. As a result, you won’t be getting much sleep. So, avoid eating large meals a few hours before bedtime. At the same time, pay attention to what you’re drinking before bed. Stimulants like caffeine and nicotine affect your quality of sleep. Alcohol is also a no-go before bed. As much as you might feel sleepy after a couple of glasses, alcohol can disrupt your sleep later in the night.

Regular Exercise

Physical activity not only helps maintain a healthy weight but can help you sleep better. When you are physically active, you are more likely to fall asleep fast due to fatigue. However, being overly active a few hours before bedtime will not help with sleep. Instead, it might cause you to stay awake for hours.

Find Ways to Manage Stress

Stress is one of the leading causes of sleep disorders and can magnify mental health problems like anxiety, panic attacks, and depression. All these wreak havoc on your sleep quality. There are several ways you can manage stress, like yoga, meditation, exercising, and even coloring.

Get an Optimal Mattress for Your Sleep Needs

This is the big one. So many things influence your sleep patterns, including the bedroom environment and the bed you are sleeping in. An uncomfortable bed increases your risk of suffering from sleep disorders. Getting an optimal mattress should be a top priority. If you search best mattress 2022, you will get thousands of results. But not all mattresses are the same. Quality sleep means investing in the right kind of mattress. Comfort, lumbar support, and cooling features are important to consider when buying the best mattress in 2022.

Best Mattress 2024: Top Brands

At the top of the best mattress 2024 list is the Saatva luxury hybrid mattress. Engineered with “Spinal Zone” sleep technology, it’s one of the best mattresses for lumbar and spinal support. The Nectar brand is also a great option. The mattress comes with a breathable base and cooling gel memory foam. These features ensure ultimate comfort when sleeping and reduce the risk of morning aches. Another brand worth trying is DreamCloud. DreamCloud hybrid mattresses come with features like pressure relief memory foam, stable innerspring coils, and a cooling cashmere blend. All these are important when it comes to falling asleep fast and waking up pain-free.

Best Mattress 2024: End of Year Sales

If you’ve been meaning to replace your mattress, there is no better time to do it than now. End-of-year sales are happening now, and it would be a shame to miss out on them to help you achieve your goals for 2024.

• Saatva is offering their biggest holiday sale where the more you buy, the more you save. Get $200 off (10%) for orders between $1000 and $2000 and $375 off (15%) for orders above $2500.
• Nectar’s winter slumberland sale guarantees savings of up to $399. Nectar has a $100 off offer and includes $299 worth of accessories for free. You’ll get a cooling pillow, one sheet set, and a mattress protector at no extra cost if you buy now.
• DreamCloud has the biggest offer whereby you get to save $699. If you buy a mattress now, you get a discount of $200. This, plus two pillows, a mattress protector, and a set of sheets, is worth $499 for free.

Sleep Better in 2024 and Hit Your Goals

The last two years have been a struggle for many, with COVID-19 taking its toll on your physical and mental health. But now is the time to look forward to the New Year. Being healthier next year starts with making positive lifestyle changes. The quality of your sleep is at the center of all that. Investing in the best mattress of 2024, reducing stress, and eating better are some of the ways you can improve your sleep. 2024 is going to be the start of a great year. By fixing our sleeping patterns, we can expect to be more present, happy, and lighter in the New Year.