What is a good night's rest and how do you achieve it?

A 'good night's rest' means for adults (18 to 65 years) 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. For older people (65+), 7 to 8 hours is sufficient. Besides the length, the quality of sleep is also important. It is a good sign if you wake up in the morning feeling refreshed. If this is not the case, then your night's rest has not been good.

More than 10% of young people and adults sleep less than recommended. And the consequences of a bad night are no joke:

• Poor concentration
• Forgetfulness
• High chance of accidents
• Greater risk of diabetes
• More feelings of anxiety
• More feelings of loneliness
• Weight gain
• Reduced vision
• Slower reaction time

Do you want to enjoy a good night's rest again? Then we have about ten tips for you! We hope that with these you will experience a good night's rest once more.

1. Never sleep too long

This may sound a bit contradictory, but a good and long night's rest are not the same. We need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night. Less can eventually lead to sleep shortage. If you notice you need more sleep, there is often something else going on. Discuss it with your family doctor.

2. A good sleep rhythm and a pleasant sleeping place help

Give your body a hand and ensure a good rhythm; go to bed at a fixed time and get up at a fixed time. This way your body knows when to go to bed and when to get up.

Also, make sure you have a fixed and pleasant place to sleep. Note that your bed is meant for sleeping. Many people also do puzzles or work from bed and thus 'teach' their body unintentionally that it should do something other than sleep there. This disrupts your rhythm.

3. Move enough

Keep moving throughout the day. You sleep much better if you move moderately for at least 30 minutes a day. Think of walking or cycling. When you go for a walk in the evening, you can clear your mind right away.

4. Practice yoga or mindfulness

Yoga and mindfulness can help you relax and put the daily hustle in perspective. By doing a few physical and mental yoga or mindfulness exercises daily, you learn to set your worries aside. There are various apps and YouTube videos that can support you with this.

5. Set aside a worry quarter-hour

Do you find it hard to fall asleep in the evening? Then setting aside a worry quarter-hour can help. During this quarter-hour, you can process your thoughts of the day.

Want to know more about how to fall asleep better? Read our blog article: Trouble falling asleep; these are the causes and how to get rid of them!

6. Avoid alcohol before going to sleep

Alcohol seems to help for a good night's rest. And alcohol does make you fall asleep faster. Yet it does not help the quality of your night's rest. Like drinks containing caffeine, it is better to leave wine, beer, or spirits alone.

7. Ensure a good night's rest with a weighted blanket

Weighted blankets are the newest way to help poor sleepers get a good night's rest. The pressure a weighted blanket gives to the body stimulates the production of the substances serotonin and melatonin, so you will experience a good night's rest again.

8. Take your time

Sleeping better takes time. Have you been sleeping poorly for a while? It can take some time before your night's rest improves. You need to get into a rhythm. Try the above tips for at least two months. See it as training.