Sleeping…for many of us this is no easy task as we crawl into bed at night feeling exhausted and then simply can’t fall asleep or stay asleep. Ugh! Talk about frustrating! However, you are not alone, most of us have all been there at one point in time and I personally fully understand what it is like to be unable to sleep for days! Yes, you heard right, days! I used to struggle with sleeping. In fact, most nights I was lucky if I managed to sleep for just 2-3 hours, that was a victory in my mind. But, these days I now sleep 7-8 hours most nights just by making some small gradual changes I have drastically improve my sleep quality.
Here are Some Simple Tips to Better Sleep
Screen Time
That glaring blue light from your phone may be the culprit to your lack of sleep. This blue light stimulates our brains and leads our brains to be very awake. Meaning, you need to put down your phone at least 1 hour before bed to allow your brain to relax and prepare for rest.
Exercise
While time of day to exercise may be somewhat of a controversial topic, there is not doubt about it that a good sweat session most days of the week can actually help you sleep better. Just another reason to aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity daily.
Nutrition
Give your body proper time to digest while you are still awake. Aim to finish eating at least 2 hours before you plan to hit the hay.
Read a Book
We all have a our bedtime routines, but settling in with a light read before bed is a great way to relax your body and brain and prepare for sleep.
Meditation
Meditation is incredibly simple, just lay in bed and focus on your breath. Remove any and all distractions. Just enjoy the silence and focus on your breath. Aim to do so for at least 10 minutes and if you fall asleep while meditating even better!
Caffeine
Caffeine is a stimulant, a duh, it will keep you awake at night. Do your best to try to avoid caffeine at least 6 hours before bedtime.
Darkness
Make your bedroom dark, like pitch black dark. Invest in light blocking curtains and aim to sleep in total darkness.
Ban Your Phone
Get an old school alarm clock, as your cell phone should be banned from your bedroom.
Nix the TV
Your bedroom should be a dark relaxing environment meant only for sleep and sex. Remove the TV from your bedroom, remember that TV emits blue light which stimulates our brains just like your phone.
Sex
Like I mentioned above your bedroom should only be for two things sleep and sex. Sex can actually lead to better sleep, so in case you were in need of another reason to have more sex, there you go! So, go get busy and then get some shut eye!
Relaxing Yoga
Try relaxing bedtime yoga. Keep in mind this is not meant to be workout, but simply a practice you can incorporate into your bedtime routine to relax before hitting the sheets. Oh and this can even be done in your bed!
You can try this super simple 12 minute practice below:
Bedtime Routine
Don’t have one? Begin to create one! Just like a morning routine, it is vital! For example, my bedtime routine normally consists of a hot bubble bath with a glass of red wine, brush my teeth, lay in bed while reading a book, and finally falling asleep. There is no right or wrong. Just create a routine that works for you and don’t be afraid to try out different things! Try out one or all of the things listed above!
Resources
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/how-does-exercise-help-those-chronic-insomnia
Sleep.org
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Horne JA, Staff LH. Exercise and sleep: body-heating effects. Sleep. 1983;6(1):36-46.
Passos GS, Poyares D, Santana MG, D’Aurea CV, Youngstedt SD, Tufik S, de Mello MT. Effects of moderate aerobic exercise training on chronic primary insomnia. Sleep Med. 2011;12(10):1018-27.
Passos GS, Poyares D, Santana MG, Garbuio SA, Tufik S, de Mello MT. Effect of acute physical exercise on patients with chronic primary insomnia. J Clin Sleep Med. 2010;6(3):270-275.
Reid KJ, Baron KG, Lu B, Naylor E, Wolfe L, Zee PC. Aerobic exercise improves self-reported sleep and quality of life in older adults with insomnia. Sleep Med. 2010;11(9):934-40.