Ah, sleep. There's no better feeling than sinking into your bed at the end of a long day, ready to be surrounded by comfy pillows and sweet dreams. And nothing is worse than a night with fitful sleep — it makes for a stressful and tiresome day ahead.
Suffering without sleep not only impacts your day, but your health as a whole. But how do you ensure you can get restful amounts of shuteye every time your head hits your pillow? Here are some little tips that can help you sleep better, and longer!
Keep a sleep journal
Sleep journals can help you identify different sleep habits that might be wreaking havoc on your sleep schedule. If you can pinpoint what exactly got in the way of a restful night's rest, it can help you be more conscious of what you need to do during the day to sleep well at night.
To get the best look at your sleep habits, write down the time you fell asleep, the time you woke up, the last time you ate and drank (and what you consumed) before bed, how much caffeine you had, whether you got up during the night, whether you exercised during the day, and how refreshed you feel when you wake up and throughout the day.
Track these patterns for about a few weeks to a month to get a good idea on what you need to work on.
Invest in good quality bedding
Sometimes, all you need to enjoy a good night of sleep is quality bedding! Lush fabrics like silk, flannel, or high thread count cotton can make you feel cool and comfortable at night, while fluffy pillows can make your head feel swaddled in comfort.
Don't forget to splurge on the most important part of your sleep: your mattress! A memory foam mattress is a great option for those looking for comfort and support at the same time. Plus, knowing you have some fancy fabrics to sink into at night will make you look forward to going to sleep more.
Create a soothing pre-bedtime ritual
Developing habits can be hard at first, but they can work wonders in lulling you off to bed. Creating a soothing pre-bedtime routine that you do every single night helps signal your body that it's time to wind down and prepare for bed in a healthy way. The following activities are great additions to any routine:
- Eat your last meal at least three hours before your head hits the pillow
- Read via a traditional paper book or an e-reader without a backlight
- Meditate and do some gentle stretching
- Dim lights an hour before you'd like to get to bed
- Put your cellphone and laptop away, as the blue light emitted will stimulate your brain
- Take a warm bath or shower about an hour before bed
- Apply and/or diffuse calming essential oils such as lavender or chamomile
- Drink a cup of decaffeinated tea
Turn down the temperature
Humans tend to sleep better in rooms that are colder, so consider turning the heat off completely when you head to bed. Not only does our internal temperature drop when we sleep, our brain will sense when it rises, alerting us to wake up.
So it's ideal to have a fan or air conditioning going during night time to lull you to bed, and keep you sleeping longer. If these two options are impossible, at least turn off the central heat. With these tricks in mind, you'll be catching those z's in no time at all!
