9 Better Sleep Tips & Healthy Sleep Habits
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Tips For Better Sleep
Tired of tossing and turning all night? Or laying in bed wide awake staring at the ceiling? We’ve all had those nights where sleep seems elusive. No matter how hard you try, you just can’t seem to fall asleep. These better sleep tips will help you build healthy sleep habits that will help you fall asleep quickly and stay asleep all night long.
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. So it’s important to establish good sleep habits so you can make sure you get the rest your body and mind need.
So, just keep on reading for my best healthy sleep tips to help you fall asleep fast and stay asleep all night long!
How To Sleep Better At Night
Whether you want to know how to sleep better at night naturally, or if you’re fine with a little help, these better sleep tips will help you establish good sleep habits and a nighttime routine that promotes relaxation and restful sleep.
If you’re anything like me and have no problem with falling asleep, but struggle with staying asleep, you’ve probably wondered “how can I improve the quality of my sleep?” these tips for better sleep will help! These are lifestyle habits that will help improve poor sleep quality. Just a few simple changes can make a big difference in getting better sleep.
Keep It Routine
One of the best ways you can improve your sleep is to make sure you’re going to bed and waking up at the same time each day. When you go to bed at 10pm one night and then 2am the next night, you’re throwing your body’s circadian rhythm all out of whack, which will make it more difficult for you to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Limit Naps
Now I’m all about those Sunday afternoon naps, but be smart about them! Don’t take a four hour nap at 3pm! Keep your naps short and only nap in the early afternoon. Naps are a great way to catch up on lost sleep, but they can also make it harder for you to fall asleep and stay asleep at night.
Limit Caffeine
We all know one of those people that drink coffee all day long. 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! Caffeine stays in your system long after drinking it and it’s been shown that half the caffeine is still in your body six hours after your drink it!
Exercise Earlier In The Day
While exercise itself can be a great way to improve your sleep, the timing matters. When you exercise, your metabolism speeds up, your body is stimulated and various hormones are produced. These hormones can keep you up, rather than make you sleepy, so it’s best to exercise earlier in the day if possible.
What Can You Do Before Bed To Help You Sleep?
Falling asleep is one thing, but staying asleep is a whole ‘nother ball game, my friend. I think we all wish there was an answer on how to fall asleep instantly. Although, instantly may be a little far-fetched, there are a few things you can do before bed to help promote sleep so you can fall asleep quicker.
Dealing with anxiety, I was always googling “how to sleep better with anxiety” because I just could not get my mind to turn off at night. These tips have helped me create a bedtime routine that helps me sleep better and wake up rested.
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.
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.
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 drink 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!
Lavender
If you’ve ever googled how to fall asleep fast then you’ve probably seen lavender mentioned at least once. The most common way to use lavender is aromatherapy. Essential oils, candles, sprays, etc. You can even find lavender lotions and other body products 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.
Here are some of my favorite lavender products to help promote better sleep.
Meditation
Meditation is one of the best things you can do if you want to know how to sleep better with anxiety. 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. I highly recommend starting with an app like Headspace to help you get the hang of it first.
Yoga
Many people think of yoga as a form of exercise, and while it is a great way to exercise, it’s also a great way to relax! 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.
When I feel exhausted and my body feels tense, I’ll do a quick 5 or 10 minute yoga session to get ready for bed. It truly helps your body relax.
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.
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 in the quality of your sleep.
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.
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. If you want to know how to sleep with anxiety, a weighted blanket is a must have, in my opinion. It instantly calms me when I’m feeling anxious.
9 Better Sleep Tips: Wrap Up
Having good sleep hygiene and healthy sleep habits are so important for your overall health! Sleep plays a huge role in your physical and mental health, so you need to make sure you’re getting adequate rest. These better sleep tips will help you to create a bedtime routine so you can sleep better at night and wake up in the morning without feeling tired.
These tips on how to sleep through the night certainly have helped me improve the quality of my sleep. Getting better sleep doesn’t have to seem impossible! With a few little changes, you can drastically improve the quality of the sleep you are getting and go from poor sleep quality to amazing sleep quality. What are your favorite better sleep tips? Is there anything you like to do before bed that helps you fall asleep quickly? Let me know down in the comments!
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