Do you have trouble falling to sleep or wake up in the middle of the night and have trouble getting back to sleep? Aside from the obvious reasons like having too much stimulant such as caffeine late in the day, the neighbor is having a rocking party next door, or you’re in the middle of a major crisis, there are ways to make sleep more sound and effective.
The benefits for this are far beyond not having bags under the eyes in the morning or wanting to yawn through half of the day. Studies show that a chronic lack of sleep can lead to weight gain, as well as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. It also puts us at a greater risk for some cancers. In addition, learning and memory are significantly inhibited when we fail to get a good night’s sleep. Here are some tips to help ensure that you sleep like a baby:
- try not to eat at least 2 – 3 hours before bedtime
- design a bedtime routine -
> put away the computer and any other electronics an hour before bedtime and keep them out of the bedroom
> make your home quiet
> take a warm bath
> meditate to calm the mind and body
> keep a gratitude list – add 5 things that you are grateful for to it before you go to bed (do this when you wake up too – you’ll be amazed at how powerful this practice can be)
> make the room perfectly dark
- make sure your mattress is right for you – I love my thick, memory foam mattress. I sleep like a baby on it with very little moving at all during the night.
- have good air ventilation in the room. Even in the winter, I like to crack the window slightly to get fresh air and moisture into the room
Do you have any bedtime rituals that work for you? Please share them with us!
Sweet dreams everyone…
Picture: Sleeping fairy by Richard Biffle
Pack your bag for the 6am yoga class before going to sleep! For me, this helps sends signals to my brain that I will be getting up at 5ish to make yoga in time, and it feels just a little bit easier when the alarm goes off the next morning. Plus when I know I have my things prepared for the next day, I can relax and not have to worry about doing it in the morning, which makes my sleep more restful.
ReplyDeleteJennifer, that's a great idea! As you say, being prepared the night before means less things to worry about and we can put them out of our minds. A to-do or goals list for the next day would accomplish the same thing too because once we put it down on paper, we can get it off of our mind as well. Have a great weekend!!
ReplyDeleteSweet Dreams is a very a thoughtful article and the comments are great tips which could be used on a regular basis. Keep up the great work Linda ! . I would only add to the point, Limit food and beverages intake before bed. The bed must not be used for reading and studying. That confuses your body, making it difficult to fall asleep.
ReplyDeleteHave a nice day :)
Hi Shahzad,
ReplyDeleteThank you! Those are very good tips since you want your body to be able to concentrate on its sleep duties and not digesting food. I understand what you're saying about reading in bed. This sometimes, though, actually puts me to sleep : )
Thank you for your comments Shahzad!