When you’re sleeping badly, it affects every area of your life. You wake up grumpy. Throughout the day, you lack energy and focus. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg! Poor sleep can also cause inflammation and, in time, chronic health conditions.
If you’re struggling to get enough sleep, it’s time to hack your bedtime routine. Start by refreshing your bedroom design so that the room is calm and decluttered.
Then, follow our ten tips for getting high-quality sleep.
#1: Set a Firm Bedtime
Your life is busy and full of responsibilities. It can be tempting to stay up late to tackle another task, or just get in an episode of your favorite TV show after a busy day.
However, your goal right now is retraining your body. To develop healthy circadian rhythms, set a firm bedtime that you’ll stick to seven days a week. What’s realistic for you? Make sure it’s early enough that you can actually catch eight hours of Z’s!
#2: Take a Sleep Supplement
While sleep medications have a bad reputation for giving you weird dreams and grogginess, all-natural sleep aids are a totally different ballgame. You can browse pure cannabidiol CBD products at the Gold Bee store and/or search for a sleep aid supplement with the following two ingredients:
- Saffron
- Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)
These naturally occurring compounds can help calm your anxious mind.
#3: Start Turning Down Lights
Bright white lights send your brain a signal to stay alert.
Turn them down as the day wears on, as follows:
- By sunset, turn off all overhead lights and switch to lamps.
- An hour before bed, turn off any lights in unoccupied rooms (dining room, foyer, etc.).
- When you’re ready to hit the sheets, make sure your bedside lamp is the only bulb shining!
#4: Turn Off Screens
That note about turning off lights? It absolutely applies to the light from your tablet, computer, and cell phone screen too.
Try to turn off all screens an hour before bed.
If you absolutely must use a device, be sure to wear blue light blocking glasses.
#5: Take a Hot Shower
Do you get hot at night? Taking a hot shower can seem counter intuitive, but once you get out, your body’s temperature will start to drop. This sends your brain the signal that it’s time to get to bed!
For bonus points, lather up with a calming soap.
#6: Diffuse Aromatherapy Oils
Relaxing essential oils can help you fall asleep and stay asleep.
Diffuse one of the following oils:
- Frankincense
- Lavender
- Ylang ylang
Set your diffuser to run for 30 minutes before bed or set an electronic diffuser to cycle on and off all night if you need extra support.
#7: Block Out Light
Does ambient light wake you up? Maybe you share your bed with a night owl, or perhaps there’s a streetlight near your bedroom window.
In either case, find ways to block out light, like this:
- Use blackout curtains in your bedroom at home.
- Travel with a soft bamboo sleep mask.
#8: Try a Noise Machine
Are your neighbors loud? Or do little sounds bother you throughout the night? A sound machine can help. Ambient, soothing sounds cover up other sonic pollution to help you get better sleep.
#9: Wake Up Right
Having a set bedtime is only half of the equation.
You should also wake up at the same time every day.
We know. You may not want to wake up at 7 am on Saturday, too! However, if you’re really struggling to get sufficient sleep, this consistency is key to resetting your sleep cycles. Set your alarm as usual and make the most of those extra two hours in your weekend!
#10: Stride Past Slip-Ups
It’s inevitable that you’ll fall off the sleep wagon at some point. Maybe you’ll have a late date night, or perhaps jetlag will throw you off course.
The most important thing is returning to your sleep routine as quickly as possible so that you can keep getting sufficient sleep.
Sleep Your Way to Health
Dedicating time, energy, and money towards your sleep cycles can seem counterintuitive. Couldn’t you be using all those resources to do something else for your health?
The short answer is no. There is no substitute for getting enough sleep.
When we rest well, it helps our bodies return to homeostasis more quickly after injury and illness. We bounce back from vigorous exercise, and it even improves our mood!
The more consistent your sleep, the better your overall health. Sleep well and dream big!
