It is shocking to me the amount of people that do not sleep well. It is one of the most common problems I hear about. Either you can fall asleep but can't stay asleep or you have trouble getting to sleep, or you "think" you slept all night and wake up just as tired as you did when you went to bed! Frustrating!!Here are some tips that may make bedtime a little more relaxing!
- Avoid bright screens 2hrs or more before bedtime. All nighttime light can interfere with sleep but the blue light from electronics is the worst. This includes the screen on your phone, tablet, computer, or TV. You can minimize it by using devices with smaller screens or turning the brightness down.
- Say no to late-night television. Not only does the light suppress melatonin, but many shows are stimulating rather than relaxing. Try listening to music instead.
- Be careful about nighttime reading. E-Reader devices that are backlit are more disruptive than those that are lit from the front. Or you could just pick up a book with pages:)
- When it’s time to sleep, make sure the room is dark. The darker it is, the better you’ll sleep. Even the numbers on a digital clock can disrupt sleep.
- Keep the lights down if you get up during the night. Put a nightlight in the bathroom if you have a habit of getting up. Bright lights will make it harder for you to fall back to sleep.
- Cut down on caffeine. You might be surprised to know that caffeine can effect sleep even up to ten to twelve hours after drinking it! (Although I have a husband that can drink a cup of coffee before bed and go right to sleep, I guess there is an exception to every rule!)
- Stay away from big meals at night. Fatty foods take a lot of work for your stomach to digest and may keep you up. Spicy or acidic foods can cause stomach trouble and heartburn. (Although I have an oil for that!) :)
- Avoid alcohol before bed. While it may help you relax and fall asleep faster, it interferes with your sleep cycle once you’re out.
- Avoid drinking too many liquids in the evening. Drinking lots of water, juice, tea, or other fluids may keep you needing to use the bathroom throughout the night. Caffeinated drinks act as diuretics and only make it worse.
- Try to go to sleep and get up at the same time every day. Sticking to a consistent schedule helps set your body’s internal clock. If you’re getting enough sleep, you should wake up naturally without an alarm. (This is my dad, crazy, but he literally wakes up the same time every morning on his own!)
- Avoid sleeping in—even on weekends or nights you’ve stayed up late. It can be tempting to sleep in on weekends, but even a couple hour difference in wake time can mess up your internal clock. Napping for 20-30 minutes earlier in the day would be better.
- Be smart about napping. If you take a nap too late into the day, then it will be harder to fall asleep at your normal time.
- Keep the noise down. If you can’t avoid or eliminate noise, try masking it with a fan, recordings of soothing sounds, or white noise. You can buy a special sound machine or earplugs may also help. (My mom has used one of those sound machines for years, she can't fall asleep without it. She calls it her "wind machine")
- Keep your room cool. Most people sleep best in a slightly cool room. A bedroom that is too hot or too cold can interfere with quality of sleep.
- Make sure your bed is comfortable. If you often wake up with a sore back or an aching neck, you may need to invest in a new mattress or a try a different pillow. (We love our Tempur-Pedic!)
- Reserve your bed for sleeping and sex. Enough said:)
- Keep active during the day. The days that I don't do much, are the days it's harder to get to sleep. Also exercise! Studies show that regular exerciser helps you sleep better and feel less sleepy during the day.
- Okay I have to talk about emotions........stress and our emotions play a bigger role in our sleep than you think. Find a way to wind down and release those thoughts before you hop in bed. Don't take work or anger to bed with you;)
- Try Certified Pure Essential Oils. (I saved the best for last!) Lavender is my first go to, it has calming and relaxing properties. Cedarwood is calming and soothes anxiousness. Vetiver promotes tranquility. The grounding blend is a blend of spruce, ho wood, frankincense, blue tansy and blue chamomile. It is used to reduce stress, mood swings, anxiousness while promoting a feeling of balance. The focus blend balances brain activity and calms overstimulation. Try the respiratory blend for snoring! You don't use them all at once, these are just a few of the common oils for sleep. If you would like to try one, I will send you a sample. Contact me at aprilgeigley@yahoo.com or through my website www.yourvibrantessence.com. Here's to a better nights rest!
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