Sleeping is one of the best things you can do for yourself, and a proper sleep schedule helps prevent forgetfulness, quick aging, weight gain, judgement impairment, and other serious health problems. There are hundreds of sleep hacks floating around the Internet, but one of the more unusual tips involve your feet — someone out there has figured out a way that your feet help you sleep.
We know our feet to be integral to a few main bodily functions: standing, walking, and running. But feet can actually tell us a lot about someone's health including whether the person is anemic, dehydrated, has a risk for diabetes, or even has a neurological issue. We also know sleep to be integral to many bodily functions and have all encountered advice to getting a better night sleep, from things we tell small children like counting sheep, to new developments like turning off your phone and computer. And now there's a way to change the way you sleep involving your feet that might change your life forever, and it requires very little to no effort on your part.
Science of Us has concocted a little video to explain how you can use your feet to help you sleep a little bit better.
Surprisingly, according to Science of Us, the trick to using your feet to sleep better is...drumroll, please!
Sticking your feet out of your blanket! It sounds almost too easy, right? Well, here's how it works.
Generally, high body temperatures mean you are alert and when you're trying to go to bed, alertness is kind of the last thing you want.
Right before bed, in order to make your mind less alert, your body naturally cools itself down. And this is where your feet become very important.
Your feet are able to help cool your body down, not only because they're hairless, but also because they contain special structures that help expedite and regulate heat loss. That's why you should wear thick, woolen socks in the winter, because a lot of heat is lost from your feet.
So by sticking your feet out of your covers and helping your body cool down and understand that it's time for bed, you're one step closer to achieving a better sleep.
Check out the full video below, and happy sleeping!
Images: Bookgrl/Flickr, Science of Us
