Getting a great night’s sleep can make the difference between a challenging day and one in which you feel strong and positive about your life. Sleep is also one of the most important factors in decreasing stress and healing our bodies. Here are a few tips to help you get those much-needed zzz’s.
1. Create a bedtime ritual. Every night before crawling into bed, try getting yourself into a routine. It could be as simple as reading a few pages in a book, petting the dog, or washing your face. As these activities become second nature, your mind and body will automatically begin associating them with winding down and transitioning from day to night, from alertness to relaxation.
2. Follow your natural rhythms. According to some experts, tiredness comes in cycles. If you ignore your body’s natural tendency to fall asleep at 10pm, for example, you may find it difficult to shut off your mind once midnight rolls around.
3. Consider going it alone. If you sleep with a snorer: dog, cat or human, think about reclaiming your nighttime quiet. See if you can create a loving solution that allows you to have silence in the bedroom for at least a few nights a week.
4. Go nuts and have a late night snack. We’re not encouraging you to wreck your diet here, just to give yourself a chemical advantage for sleep. Nuts like cashews and almonds are high in magnesium, a mineral found to be associated with high-quality sleep and fewer nighttime awakenings. And walnuts are a rich source of both melatonin (hormone that signals to the brain when it’s time to sleep at night) and tryptophan (amino acid that helps calm down the brain for sleep). Grab a handful as part of your winding down routine.
5. Cover up the alarm clock. Put it in a drawer, cover it with a scarf, or at least turn it away so that the light can’t disturb you. And if you do happen to wake in the middle of the night, you’ll do better to avoid seeing the time anyway.
6. Chill out. Experts have found that we sleep best when our core body temperature is slightly lower than the daytime 98.6 degrees. Taking a hot bath an hour to two hours before bed can stimulate your body to shed some heat before sleeping. You can also try keeping your feet warm in bed with a pair of socks or a hot water bottle, which will encourage blood to flow down into your legs during the night, keeping your trunk cool.
7. Write. As part of your bedtime ritual you might want to spend 10 minutes writing about your day. This can help you release thoughts and stresses before they have a chance to disturb your sleep. And keep your journal nearby. Should you wake up in the middle of the night with a brilliant idea or with a huge to-do list running through your mind, simply grab your notebook and write it all down so you can return to relaxation as soon as possible.
It can take some experimenting to find what works the best for helping you fall asleep. Some people use essential oils like lavender and vanilla on their pillows or in an atomizer to help calm their minds. Others swear by 10 minutes of reading before bed. Hopefully your own exploring and the tips above will find you sleeping soundly in no time.
