Tossing and turning happens to everyone, but if you find that sleeplessness is more of a nightly ritual and less of a once-in-a-while occurrence, you might need to change some of your habits or see a doctor. A bad night’s sleep can affect everything from your alertness during the day to the way you deal with stress and even how you eat, so it’s important to notice and address chronic sleeplessness quickly. Luckily, there are ways you can minimize sleep disruptions and get a better night’s rest as early as tonight. Try these tips to help you sleep better and improve the day ahead.
1. Start a Bedtime Ritual
The activities you do before bed can either rev you up for a night of sleeplessness or help you wind down in preparation for slumber. By creating a pre-bedtime ritual, you engage in calming activities and signal to your brain that it’s time for sleep. Consider rituals like taking a warm bath, reading for a half-hour, dimming the lights, or listening to soothing music. Start your ritual 30 to 60 minutes before bed, and after a week or two, your brain will be conditioned for a habitual calming effect.
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A warm mug of caffeine-free tea is a soothing addition to your pre-bed ritual, especially during the fall and winter months.
2. Optimize Your Bedroom for Sleep
Is your bedroom helping or hurting your quest for better sleep? Bright lights, technology, temperature, and noise can all contribute to fitful rest. Here are some tips for maintaining an optimal space for sleeping.
Set your thermostat so your room is cool at night. The National Sleep Foundation recommends 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit for optimum slumber.
Use blackout shades if you tend to wake too early.
Invest in ear plugs or a white-noise machine to help drown out neighborhood sounds that could be keeping you up.
Dim any bright lights, and set a curfew for TV and technology before bed. Lights can stimulate the brain and keep you awake, making you more likely to tune into what’s happening on social media rather than getting the sleep you need.
3. Eat, Drink, and Be Sleepy
They say you are what you eat, but it’s your sleep that could be the most affected by your food. Eating a big meal close to bedtime or going to bed on an empty stomach can lead to tossing and turning at night. Try to eat your last big meal of the day more than an hour or two before bed, and have a small snack with protein, carbs, and fat to keep you satisfied but not stuffed if it’s been more than 4 hours since you last ate. You should also stop consuming caffeine in the evening to avoid its stimulating effects when you need to sleep.
4. Get Active
If you find that you have a hard time winding down at the end of the day, it may be because you simply haven’t expended enough energy throughout the day. An exercise routine that consists of at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise could help you get rid of that extra energy that keeps you up. As a caveat, however, some find that exercising too close to bedtime makes them more energized rather than tired, so you’ll need to experiment to find a routine and time that work for you and help you sleep better.
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Exercising with your pets will burn off any extra energy and relieve stress to help you sleep better at night.
5. Monitor Stress
Everyone’s lost sleep because they’re worried or stressed. A racing mind, a big project at work, relationship woes, and just the general stress of your day can disrupt your night’s rest and make it harder for you to fall asleep. Monitor your stress levels to decide whether they’re the culprit for your lost slumber, and find ways to reduce stress. Exercise, meditation, and keeping a notebook by your bed for jotting down thoughts can all help you get better sleep.
6. Upgrade Your Stuff
When was the last time you bought a new mattress? For good-quality sleep you need a good-quality mattress and pillow, so it may be time to invest in something other than a lumpy hand-me-down. Head to a mattress store, and test out different models so you know how hard or soft you want your new bed. Expect to invest if you want to sleep better – it might be the best investment you ever make.
7. Talk to Your Doc
If you’ve tried everything and still can’t seem to get to sleep, it’s time to talk to your doctor. Insomnia can be disruptive and unhealthy, but it’s also treatable through lifestyle changes and, in some cases, prescription medication.
A bad night’s sleep just once in a while is disruptive enough; don’t make a sleepless night part of your daily routine. By changing a few of your habits and adjusting how you prep for bed, a good night’s sleep might be less elusive than you think.
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