5 Tips For Your Best Night Of Sleep
“Good morning! How are you?”
“I’m so tired…”
It’s almost become an acceptable greeting, hasn’t it? I remember being in high school and hearing my classmates groan about how “tired” they were all the time. Then, in college, it was listening to everyone boast about pulling their latest all-nighter. Now, as an adult in the working world, people will barely even speak to each other until they’ve sucked down their morning caffeine fix. When are we supposed to be AWAKE? Why do we all seem to be perpetually sleep-deprived? I have a few theories…and they all start with bedtime.
Think about what your nighttime routine looks like. Do you rush through dinner and then melt into the couch for a couple of mindless hours of TV? Or do you get back to work, staring at your computer screen and responding to emails until you can’t possibly keep your eyes open anymore? When you do finally crawl into bed, do you toss and turn? When you stir awake at that ungodly hour, do you reach for your phone to check the time and then end up scrolling through Instagram? If that sounds about right, you probably also grimace at the sound of your alarm antagonizing you an hour too early in the morning…
I myself was guilty of this restless cycle, and I know I’m not the only one. When I would consistently wake up feeling not even remotely rested, I knew it was time to make some changes to my bedtime routine.
HERE ARE MY TOP 5 WAYS TO PROMOTE OPTIMAL SLEEP:
1) MAKE YOUR BEDROOM AN ELECTRONIC-FREE SANCTUARY
What are the most common activities going on in your bedroom? Sleep & sex, right? So why do we all feel the need to do other things, like send emails? When you work from your bedroom, you are generating stress and tension. That energy lingers. If your phone charges overnight on your bedside table or your laptop light is blinking when you lay down for the night, you’re probably not getting the best quality rest. So, do your best to limit answering emails to elsewhere in your home. Try to remove any unnecessary electronics from your sleeping space altogether, and sleep better by charging them in another room.
2) GENERALLY LIMIT USE OF ELECTRONICS AFTER DINNER
The way we spend the hours leading up to bedtime are crucial. Unfortunately, the blue light emitted from our phones, tablets, and laptops tricks our brains into thinking that it’s daytime. Did you know that exposure to blue light suppresses your body’s production of melatonin, the hormone that helps your body to get restful sleep?
If you absolutely must check your email before bedtime, try switching the settings on your device to activate “Night Shift” (or “Night Mode” on Android devices); this will cause the screen to emit a warmer glow on the display. Another option is to purchase for yourself a pair of blue light-blocking glasses, like these ones. Both methods will lessen your exposure to sleep-disrupting blue light.
3) LAVENDER ESSENTIAL OIL
Lavender is renowned as a calming scent, so it is excellent at promoting restful sleep. Lavender scented candles are one of my favorite ways to enjoy its soothing aroma. Light a candle half an hour before bedtime and dim your overhead lights to create a serene atmosphere in your bedroom. I also make a mixture of 100% pure lavender essential oil and warm water in a small bottle to spray lightly on my pillows and sheets. You could also use an essential oil diffuser like this one to create the same effect. Lavender essential oil has completely changed my bedtime routine!
4) BE MINDFUL OF CERTAIN FOODS
This one is tricky because, of these helpful tips, this one may be the most bio-individual. Foods that disagree with one person may be perfectly fine for another, so it’s important to listen to your body’s cues. If you know that tomato sauce gives you heartburn or that too much protein causes you digestive stress, then you may want to skip them particularly at dinnertime. Digestive issues and other forms of food-induced inflammation cause a stress response in the body, which makes it difficult to it to relax, fall asleep, or stay asleep. Consumption of liquids in the form of water, caffeine, or alcohol too close to bedtime can disrupt your normal sleep cycles too, so be conscious of your body’s limits!
5) MEDITATION
Do not underestimate the power of meditation! Taking even 5 minutes to sit in intentional quiet, focus on our breath and regroup can yield many positive effects on the quality of our sleep. While meditation is an ancient practice, there are now helpful apps which you can download to begin your meditation journey and track your progress. Focusing on the breath activates our parasympathetic nervous system (also called the “rest and digest” system) and can signal to our brains that it’s time to “power down” for the evening. Tonight, instead of re-watching old episodes of “The Office” on Netflix (this was me!), try a few minutes of guided meditation before bedtime.
Ample, quality sleep is so important. When we aren’t getting enough sleep, we are more likely to make poor food choices because our hunger cues are out. of. whack. We crave sugar to give us a jolt of energy, only to crash soon after. We lack any energy to exercise, and we rely on caffeine to carry us through our day, which puts stress on our adrenals. We opt for convenience foods because they are fast and easy, but our bodies ultimately suffer as a result. When we are properly rested, our bodies work more efficiently, and our mental alertness is far better.
Are there some tips here that you could incorporate into your bedtime routine? Are you already doing some of these at home? Tell me what you have tried or what works for you!
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