5 Habits for a Better Night’s Sleep
They say you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.
Sleep is one of those things.
If you’ve found yourself struggling to fall asleep, if you lie awake watching the minutes and hours tick by, or if you’re starting your day at 3:00a.m. (because you KNOW you’re not going to go back to sleep)… then you know exactly what I’m talking about.
You don’t need sleeping pills—and you also don’t need to suffer in silence.
Chances are you’re sabotaging your sleep without even realizing it.
Here’s how to fix it.
Your sleep environment—or sleep hygiene—can make or break a good night’s rest.
Here are my top suggestions for how to stop sabotaging your sleep.
- Set your circadian rhythm.
This involves getting plenty of blue light during the day—and avoiding it at night.
The blue light from the sun tells your body it’s time to be awake. If you’re flooding your eyes with blue light late into the evening with your TV, smartphone, or tablet, then you’re literally sabotaging the very signals your body needs to be able to fall asleep when you’re supposed to.
That’s because too much blue light shuts down your body’s production of the sleep hormone, melatonin.
- Stop overthinking.
Easier said than done, yes, but if you want true rest at night, you have to rest your mind as well.
One way to help your brain turn off is to write a to-do list for the next day. This can give you a plan and lets your brain know it doesn’t need to worry about it.
When a thought pops into your head, instead of following the rabbit trail and taking the bait, let it go.
- Make your bed.
This one might seem strange, but by making your bed in the morning—and therefore needing to turn it down at night—you’re sending a signal to your brain that it’s time to sleep.
Not only that, but studies have shown that people who make their bed in the morning tend to be more productive during the day.
This could also help you worry less about what didn’t get done.
- Create a bedtime routine.
Turning down the bedcovers is part of a larger bedtime routine that tells your body to get ready for sleep.
Other routines could include dimming the lights, meditating, listening to relaxing music, or reading.
- Make sure your room is cool.
Nothing can sabotage a good night’s sleep like a hot space. Instead, set the thermostat extra low and cover up with blankets.
Your body temperature rises as you sleep, so if your bedroom is too warm to begin with, you’ll be tossing and turning for sure.
P.S. There’s another lifestyle change that’s been proven to boost the quality and quantity of your sleep. Click here to read about it.
