4 Non-Negotiables For A Better Night’s Sleep

Follow these rules for better Zzs. (Photo: Getty Images)

Everyone’s sleep needs differ in some way, but for most of us, a solid 7.5 hours or so is necessary for optimal health and mental functioning, says Michael Breus, PhD, Board certified sleep specialist and author of “Good Night: The Sleep Doctor’s 4-Week Program to Better Sleep and Better Health.

But even if you make a point to be in bed by 11:30 p.m. so you can be up and at ‘em by 7 a.m., how can you guarantee you’re getting quality sleep? Breus shared with Yahoo Health his non-negotiable sleep rules to help you get the best Zzs possible.

1. Stop caffeine by 2 p.m.

“Caffeine has a half life of between eight to 10 hours and you want half out of your system before you try to fall asleep,” says Breus. As for people who say they can fall asleep right after drinking coffee? He says the quality of sleep they’re getting is much worse than if they hadn’t had the joe.

Related: 10 Bedtime Rituals For Better Sleep

2. Avoid alcohol three hours before lights out.

The average body takes an hour to digest an alcoholic beverage, which makes you feel tired but keeps you from going into the deeper, more restorative stages of sleep, according to Breus.

3. Do NOT hit the snooze button.

“The average snooze is seven to nine minutes and it’s not a good idea,” says Breus. “Your body can’t go into deep sleep so you get light sleep and that doesn’t help.” How to break a snooze addiction? Put your alarm across the room so you have to get out of bed to turn it off. Make it inconvenient!

Related: 8 Ways to Lose Weight While You Sleep

4. Do some form of exercise every day.

“It’s the best thing you can do to improve sleep quality,” says Breus. “Just 20 minutes of cardio will help — even walking to get the blood flowing. It doesn’t have to be full-on sprints.”

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