Writing down the positive events that happened during the day - or may happen in the future - can create a state of gratitude and happiness, downgrade stressful events, and promote more relaxation at bedtime. Journaling and focusing on positive thoughts can calm the mind and help you sleep better. Research has shown that this can produce anxiety and stress, which can generate negative emotions and disturb sleep ( 60). Some people have difficulty falling asleep because their thoughts keep running in circles. To find out if naps are affecting your sleep, try either eliminating naps altogether or limiting yourself to a short nap (30 minutes or less) early in the day. Other studies have revealed that naps don’t affect nighttime sleep ( 25, 26). They were also more likely to be overweight than those who rarely took a nap ( 23).Ī recent study of high-schoolers concluded that daytime napping led to shorter sleep duration and lower sleep efficiency ( 24). and 9 p.m) ( 22).Ī 1996 study found that older adults who napped frequently had lower quality nighttime sleep, more depressive symptoms, and more limited physical activity. In a study of 440 college students, the poorest nighttime sleep quality was observed in those who reported taking three or more naps per week, those who napped for more than 2 hours, and those who napped late (between 6 p.m. Some studies have shown that regular naps that are long (at least 2 hours), and late may lead to poor nighttime sleep quality and even sleep deprivation ( 22, 23). While naps of short duration have been linked to improvements in alertness and well-being, there are mixed opinions about the effects of napping on nighttime sleep. More research is needed, but these findings are promising ( 6).ĭue to poor sleep at night, people with insomnia tend to be sleepy during the day, which often leads to daytime napping. They reported improvements in their sleep even if their baths or showers lasted for as little as 10 minutes. People who took baths or showers measuring between 104☏–108.5☏ (40.0☌–42.5☌) 1 to 2 hours before bedtime experienced positive results. Sleep efficiency refers to the amount of time you spend asleep in bed as opposed to lying awake. One literature review found that taking a hot bath or shower before bed could improve certain sleep parameters, such as sleep efficiency and sleep quality. As your body cools down afterward, this can send a signal to your brain to go to sleep ( 5). Taking a warm bath or shower could also help speed up the body’s temperature changes. Individual preferences will vary, so find the temperature that works best for you. Setting your thermostat to a cool temperature between 60–67☏ (15.6–19.4☌) could help ( 4). If your room is too warm, you might have a hard time falling asleep. Your body cools down when you lie down and warms up when you get up ( 2, 3). Your body temperature changes as you fall asleep.

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