Getting enough quality sleep is incredibly important. The symptoms of sleep deprivation include problems concentrating, poor working memory, irritability, mood changes, weakened immune system, and cardiovascular problems. But you know that. If you’re reading this article, you’ve probably experienced some of them.
You do the responsible thing and go to sleep on time so you can get your recommended 7 or 8 hours. In our modern, fast-paced world, that’s quite a challenge in itself. Unfortunately, most nights, you spend more time trying to fall asleep than actually sleeping.
Is there anything that feels more defeating than looking at your clock and seeing that you need to get up and get ready for work in less than 4 hours, and you still haven’t managed to fall asleep? We’ve all had nights like this, and they’ve become especially common during the coronavirus outbreak.
It seems like something that should be easy. You feel tired all day, and all you want to do is go to sleep, but then when you finally have the chance to… you just lay there. Your brain won’t turn off. Why is this so difficult?
Let’s take a look at some tips that can make it easier.
Set Yourself up for Success
First, let’s make sure you have good bedtime habits that will set you up for success. The most important thing is to get on a sleep schedule. Your body relies on an internal clock called the circadian rhythm to regulate many of your bodily functions, including your sleep-wake cycle. Inconsistent bedtimes disrupt your circadian rhythm and make it harder to fall asleep since your body is not releasing important hormones such as melatonin that would make you feel more relaxed and sleepy.
You can also take melatonin supplements, but this is not as effective as a consistent sleep schedule. Other supplements that can help you fall asleep faster include Magnesium, 5-HTP, Ltheanine, and GABA. CBD has also been shown to reduce anxiety and improve sleep. You can find CBD products in many forms, such as capsules, tinctures oils, and CBD vapes.
Keep in mind that the presence and absence of light heavily influence your circadian rhythm, so you’ll want to avoid exposure to the blue light emitted by screens about an hour or two before bed. Netflix and your social media newsfeed will still be there in the morning. Getting enough sleep is more important.
And another thing: cut back on caffeine and alcohol. We know that you need your coffee to get through the day because you’re sleepy and tired, but caffeine is a stimulant with a half-life of up to 5 hours. The effects of caffeine reach peak levels after 30 to 60 minutes. That’s when you’ll feel the most energized. After about 3 hours, even though you’ll start to feel tired again, you still have enough caffeine in your body to keep you from falling asleep. That’s why it’s better to skip coffee or energy drinks about 5 to 6 hours before bedtime.
Alcohol can make it easier to fall asleep since it’s a sedative, but it also reduces sleep quality and duration. You might fall asleep a bit more easily, but you won’t feel as rested as you should when you wake up, and you might also wake up too early and not be able to fall back asleep.
Get Comfortable
Now that we’ve gone through the most important sleep hygiene guidelines, we can move on to our second tip, which is to get comfortable. Don’t expect to simply walk into your bedroom, climb into bed, lay your head on the pillow, and fall asleep. It would be nice, and maybe on some nights you felt so tired that it really happens, but generally speaking, you should give yourself around 45 minutes to wind down. Just remember that you shouldn’t use this time to play on your phone or binge-watch series on your laptop.
You’ll also want to make sure that your sleeping environment is working in your favor. If your bedroom is noisy, there’s too much light, and your mattress is uncomfortable, you’re going to struggle. These things can be easily remedied with some thick curtains that will keep out the light and reduce noise. You can also get earplugs and an eye mask. Mattresses are a bit more expensive to replace, but they last ten years, and you can think of it as an investment in your health. Is saving that money really worth tossing and turning all night and waking up feeling groggy and cranky?
Another important aspect of your sleeping environment is the temperature. If the room you sleep in is too hot, you’ll have a hard time falling asleep so set your thermostat between 6067F (15.619.4C). Keep in mind that everyone’s different, so you’ll need to find the right temperature for you. The idea behind this strategy is that shortly before and during sleep, your body temperature drops. It’s part of the circadian rhythm. So cooling down your bedroom causes your body temperature to drop and sends signals to your brain that it’s time to sleep.
If you can’t lower the temperature in your room, another strategy is to take a hot bath or a shower about an hour before bed since this will temporarily increase your body temperature and when it drops back to normal, you’ll start feeling sleepy.
Relax Your Body and Your Mind Will Follow
It’s well past midnight, and you’re still watching Netflix or browsing social media just like we said you shouldn’t. But I just can’t sleep! What am I supposed to do? Turn it off and just lay awake in the dark? Well, there’s another thing you can try. When your thoughts are going a mile a minute just when you should be sleeping, it can be hard to get them to stoptelling yourself not to think about something tends to make you think about it more. Instead, give your mind something better to do, something that will work to your advantage. The best part is that you can do this while in bed.
It’s called progressive muscle relaxation or PMR. This technique was developed in the 1920s by Dr. Edmund Jacobson based on the idea that relaxing your muscles can also help you relax your mind.
How do you do it? It’s quite easy. You start by curling your toes and the soles of your feet in order to contact the muscles. Then you take a deep breath and hold it for about 10 seconds while still contacting your muscles. Exhale while releasing the muscles and relaxing them. Give yourself another 20 minutes until you move up to your calves and keep doing this for the muscles in each area of your body.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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