Oh hello,
With many of our lives becoming increasingly busy, getting good quality sleep can often be a challenge and one that we never quite seem to be able to win. Oh, how is wish I was a kid again, sleep never seems to be a problem but when I hit my 20s I have yet to figure out how to not wake up feeling exhausted. My sleeping problems might also have something to do with the fact that I have to get up at 4.30 am, so really have to drag myself out of bed every morning. Definitely, not the most fun part of my day.
However, you may or may not be aware that getting yourself a good night’s sleep, is the foundation for good health and a happier frame of mind. Are you able to remember the last time you woke up feeling well rested, refreshed, alert and hopefully ready to take on your day? Or even fall asleep with ease without any worries?
If your answer is ‘No’ after reading those questions. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Sleeping problems can affect a lot more people than you might think.
Things that might help you to get a good night sleep:
- Make sure to wind down an hour to two before you are wanting to head to bed. This could be, chilling out and catching up on a tv series or read a book.
- Make your bedroom a quiets, relaxing and peaceful space. Some people find that ‘white noise’ or some type of ambient sound help them to fall asleep, as it can help to mask disruptive noises like; car horns or highway traffic.
- Ensure that your room is at an ideal temperature that is comfortable for you to fall asleep, also sleeping in a dark room is better – opt for blackout curtains, blind or shade to blockout unwanted light.
4 Ways to wind down at the end of your busy day
Had a busy day? It’s really important to allow time in the evening to de-stress and unwind before you head to bed. And I don’t mean you have to turn your home into a silent retreat. You can just make small changes that can help to calm your busy mind, and transition your senses from daytime to night.
- Dim your lights at night: By using table lamps, dimming down the brightness of your ceiling lights or candles to create a much more serene setting. Also, keep it more low-key, indirect light can reduce the chances of your body’s natural circadian rhythms. being disrupted.
- Limit your caffeine intake and alcohol in the evenings: You might be surprised to know that the wind-down process at night begins during the day. If possible, try to limit how much caffeine you drink, also after lunch avoids foods that might upset your stomach. It might be a good idea to skip happy hours as if you start drinking too late in the day, it can diminish the quality of your sleep.
- Expose yourself to natural light: If it’s possible, ensure to get enough natural light during the day, of course, if you work nights then it can be a little more difficult, but exposing yourself to natural daylight can keep your body clock on a healthy sleep-wake cycle.
- Avoid using technology in bed: After dinner and before going to sleep, try not to read or send work emails. With each new message comes making another decision, which can cause your mind to become active [plus, it can take away from spending quality family time, alone time or social time].
4 Ways to de-stress for better sleep
Do you find that things keep you up at night? Well, more often than not, having an active mind – caused by anxiety, sadness or agitation – can seriously affect how easily you can get to sleep. I’ve listed 4 ways that just might help you to de-stress so you can drift off to sleep much more easily.
- Have a bath before bed: Run yourself a warm bath [i love a bath with lots of bubbles] or have a shower about an hour or two before you head to bed. I find that’s it’s a great way to relax both your body and mind – help you to de-stress, as well as relax tight and tired muscles.
- Read a chapter or two [in book form] before bed: When I read a book; which I’ll be honest isn’t a lot but i should probably start doing more often, I find it to be a good way to relax, de-stress at the end of a busy day. You can just espace from the worries and stresses of the everyday world, and jump into a different world and someone else life, even if it’s only for a brief moment. If you don’t have an actual book, don’t worry, a kindle, IPad, mobile phone or other backlit devices – basically any device that you can download a book onto and big enough to read from.
- Yoga before bed: A survey carried out by The National Center says that ‘more than 85% of those who practised yoga reported reduced stress and 55% reported better sleep”.
- Write out a gratitude list each morning or at night: There is no right or wrong to do this. You can write out your gratitude either every morning or night, 1,2, 3 or more times per week, it doesn’t matter. It should be something that doesn’t feel like a chore, not something that increases your stress levels. Write down things that you are grateful for, whether that you are grateful for spending with your family or for your dinner.
I hope you find this blog helpful. I’m not a sleep expert; everyone is different, so this is not a guide on how to fix your sleeping problems. However, I still do hope that it’s offered you some insight that there are different ways that you can try and see if your quality of sleep improves!
Love ya,
Leanne x
