16 Ideas for Better Sleep
If you’re having trouble sleeping, you’re certainly not alone. It’s estimated that as many as 70 million Americans suffer from sleep deprivation!
If you make ‘getting more sleep’ a priority, you may feel some changes. It can take 2-3 weeks until something starts to work for you so if after a day or 2 of trying something, don’t give up. It may just take some time for your body to adjust.
First, start with setting an intention of when you want to be in bed. For example, if you want 8 hours of sleep and you need to wake up at 6:00, plan to be ready for sleep by 10:00. This means you’ll want to start getting ready for bed by 9:30.
Note: Hormonal imbalance can be a cause of sleep issues too, so don’t give up exploring answers to the cause of yours so you can find the best solution. Check with your doctor to see if they can find the root cause. A functional medical practitioner or naturopathic doctor may be able to find a good natural solution for you.
Here is a list of 16 things you can try to help improve your sleep:
1. Eliminate caffeine and alcohol (these increase urination and can cause restless sleep).
2. Don’t have chocolate within 7-8 hours of bedtime.
3. Be off of electronic devices 1-2 hours before bed.
4. Finish dinner 3-4 hours before bedtime
5. Avoid processed foods
6. Drink a calming tea like Chamomile in the evening
7. Be in a totally dark room (all sources of light off) or wear eye covers.
8. Comfortable temperature
9. No electronics on – (no T.V. on in your room)
10. Hot bath or jacuzzi at night
11. Soft music before bed to help wind down
12. Breathing techniques or meditation
13. White noise – fountain or fan
14. Relax and read before bed
15. Yoga or Tai Chi or stretching at night to de-stress
16. Write down a list of things you want to get done tomorrow or put in on your calendar (dump your brain of details, so you can relax).
You might also want to check out some of these tips I recently received from Casper who gives us some great information in this graphic about the restorative benefits of sleep.
