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Ever wish you could get better sleep but not sure how? Do you toss and turn for hours before being able to fall asleep? Or maybe you fall asleep but wake up multiple times throughout the night and can’t go back to sleep.
I’m the latter. And let me tell you, it’s so frustrating, and I feel your pain.
Maybe you don’t have issues sleeping but would like to have a deeper, more restful sleep.
No matter what, sleep is something we all need. It’s so important for our health! Not only physical health, but mental health as well.
The key to getting a great nights rest is really just RELAXATION before bed. You need to relax. Unwind. Let go of the day’s stresses and worries. Easier said than done, right?
Well I’ve got you covered because I’m sharing my tried and true methods to get a deep, restful sleep.
So, just keep on reading for my ultimate guide to get your best sleep ever!
Melatonin
Melatonin is a hormone that we naturally produce and is involved in the sleep cycle.
Melatonin production increases in the evening and keeps being produced throughout the night to help you stay asleep.
The levels then fall in the morning to help you wake up.
Although you do naturally produce melatonin, sometimes a little extra can’t hurt! It’s safe to take daily, or even occasionally when you can’t sleep.
I personally take melatonin everyday to help me fall asleep and stay asleep. It helps me sleep better and feel more rested in the mornings.
If you’ve never taken any before, I would start with a low dose, about 3 mg. They make up to 10mg, but I would be careful because if you take too much the sleepiness could continue into the next day.
Natrol Melatonin Fast Dissolve Tablets 5 mg
Natrol Melatonin Fast Dissolve Tablets 3mg
Sleepy Time Tea
Tea is great for relaxing and unwinding. And there are so many sleep varieties that you are bound to find one to fit your taste.
My favorite tea for relaxation is Sleepy Time Tea. It has valerian in it, which promotes sleep. The taste is very mild to me, and I usually add a bit of honey to mine to help sweeten it a little.
I don’t treat tea every night, but just when I want to relax before bed and make sure I get a good night’s rest. It really makes a difference for me! I think it’s mostly the calming/relaxing aspect of it, but it still helps!
Celestial Seasonings Sleepy Time Extra Tea
Celestial Seasonings Sleepy Time Regular Tea
Lavender
I used to hate the smell of lavender. I always associated it with old ladies. But, when researching ways to get better sleep, I kept seeing lavender mentioned!
So, I had to try it out.
The most common way to use lavender is aromatherapy. Essential oils, candles, sprays, etc. I’ve also seen lavender scented lotions and oils to apply before bed.
I like to use essential oils. I usually turn on my diffuser in the evenings when I get home from work and just let it run until I go to bed. It definitely helps me unwind and relax, especially after a stressful day. This is really where I start the process to have a good night’s sleep!
I get my essential oils from Eden’s Garden and I absolutely love them! They’re affordable and have everything you could need. They even have diffusers, sprays, deodorants, etc.
I use their French Lavender essential oil and also their Sleep Ease, which is a blend of essential oils to promote sleep. I really like them both and find they really help me relax at the end of the day and quickly put me to sleep.
Meditation
I’ll be honest, I used to think meditation was dumb. Boy, was I wrong. Very very wrong. Meditation is hands down the best thing you can do for better sleep.
If you have trouble falling asleep because your mind won’t turn off, then meditation is exactly what you need! It will help you be able to take those thoughts and push them aside and not have to think about them so you can fall asleep.
Meditation does take some practice to really get the full benefit of it, but it’s super easy and so worth it once you get the hang of it.
Not only is meditation great for sleep, it can also help reduce stress and anxiety! I talked about meditation for stress and anxiety in my blog post here.
Yoga
If you’ve never done yoga before, you should! It’s so relaxing and your body just feels so relaxed afterwards. It’s a great way to release the stress and get ready for bed. There are even specific poses that are great for promoting sleep and relaxation.
I was so scared to try yoga because it always looked so intimidating and I’m really not flexible so I didn’t think it’d be able to even do it. But that really doesn’t matter! There are tons of beginner resources out there to help. I highly recommend Youtube videos to get started.
I’ve since moved onto doing yoga on my own, but I usually use Pinterest as a guide. I find it more relaxing to do by yourself that way you can concentrate more on what you are doing instead of watching the screen.
I just get on Pinterest and find a yoga routine that looks good and go for it! You can customize it too, just depending how long you want to do it or how long to hold each pose.
You can check out my Yoga board on Pinterest here. Go check it out, give it a follow and try some yoga poses tonight!
Limit Screen Time
This is a hard one for most people. I am guilty of it too! I will usually scroll through my phone or watch TV before falling asleep.
Now, some people don’t have a problem with putting their phone away and keeping the TV off before bed. If you can, that’s great! But I am just not that person. To me, those things allow me to really take my mind off of the day and allow my brain to relax and not have to think or worry about anything.
However, the blue light can inhibit melatonin production making it hard for you to fall asleep and stay asleep.
But, I have a solution! If you have an iPhone I HIGHLY recommend utilizing the Night Shift mode. I believe Android’s also have a feature that’s similar to this. The night mode reduces the amount of blue light from your screen, making it more warm toned. Thus, reducing the blue light and preventing it from interfering with the production of melatonin.
I turn my on around 7pm and you can customize it to turn on and off at specific times. Mac’s also have this feature and I believe there are filters you can get for your TV to limit the blue light from there too.
Limit Caffeine
I know you don’t want to hear this, but it’s true. Now if you just have one or two cups of coffee in the morning, that’s fine. Keep doing what you’re doing. But, if you are one of those coffee drinkers that drinks coffee ALL DAY, you need to cut down.
All that caffeine takes a while to move out of your system and if you’re drinking a cup of coffee at 4 o’clock, then no wonder you can’t sleep! You got all that caffeine keeping you up.
I would suggest SLOWLY cutting back. I’m not saying go cold turkey or scale back dramatically. Just limit your self to say maybe 3 cups a day or no caffeine after 12.
I promise it will make a world of difference!
Set Up The Environment
The atmosphere where you sleep is SO important. There could be things keeping you away and you might not even realize it. If it’s too noisy, too bright, too warm, etc. it could cause problems.
Ideally, you want a very quiet, dark and cool room. I know, there’s only so much you can do about these things, but it’s worth a shot to see if it helps you! Earplugs if your environment is noisy, blackout curtains if your room is too bright and a fan to keep it cool in your room.
I have blackout curtains and I absolutely love them. As soon as any light comes through my window, it wakes me up, so these are a must have.
You could also try a white noise or sleep sound app. Some meditation apps have customizable background noise you can use while you sleep. For example, I find thunderstorms relaxing, so I usually play that during my meditation and keep it on throughout the night.
The environment matters more than you think, and a simple switch can make a huge difference.
Do Something Relaxing
This is an extra step if you have time. It can be anything you find relaxing! Take a bath, read a few chapters of a book, write in a journal, stretching, or even get a massage.
Whatever helps you relax, that’s what you should do.
The key is just to find something that helps you relax and let go. Being able to do this is so important to get a good night’s sleep. And trust me, it’s hard to do! I’ve been there. Lots of time. Luckily, I’ve implemented these techniques to help me and they have made such a huge difference in my sleep and my well-being.
The Best Bath Bombs for a relaxing bath
Verity – My current book I’m reading
Weighted Blanket
I’m sure you’ve heard of a weighted blanket and how they can help with sleep and anxiety. I was a skeptic for a long time. But, a few months back when I was struggling with terrible anxiety and could hardly sleep, I was desperate for a solution.
So, I finally bought a weighted blanket and I absolutely love it! I’ve slept with it every night since, and I carry it around the house with me if I’m going to sit on the couch.
It instantly relaxes me and makes me feel comfortable and at ease.
I was initially concerned that it would be too heavy and I would feel like it was crushing me. But, it doesn’t and I don’t feel like I’m suffocating underneath it either.
I was also worried that I would overheat, which is why I got specific cooling one for that reason. I’m not sure if a regular weighted blanket would get hot, but I imagine it would. Most of the ones I’ve seen are made out of a thick or fuzzy material, which would get hot in a heartbeat.
So, I think it’s important to buy one that’s designed to be cooling. And I have never gotten hot or overheated since I’ve been using it.
Does it help me with sleep and anxiety? You betcha! I won’t sleep without it. It’s definitely improved my sleep quality and I wake up less during the night. I feel well rested when I wake up and I feel that my sleep quality has improved drastically.
When I’m feeling anxious, I’ll get under my blanket, and it’s like a big hug. I feel instantly more calm and comforted.
Dozeology Cooling Weighted Blanket
I hope this was helpful and you implement some of these techniques into your nightly routine. Remember, sleep is important! Not only will you feel better physically, but mentally too. You won’t feel as tired or drained during the day and will have a clearer mind and tons more energy.
Now, I’m off to do some yoga!
Brittany
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