1. Rest in cosy comfort: A quality mattress, soft
blankets and cool temperature will reduce annoying distractions (too hot! achy
back!) and help you relax.
2. Turn on some soothing sounds: Use a sound machine or a
fan to drown out what may be preventing you from falling asleep within 15
minutes of lying down.
3. Complete darkness: If your room isn’t
completely dark, consider a sleep mask—this will also increase your natural
production of melatonin, which is not only a great sleep inducer but a great
cancer fighter as well.
4. Snooze-inducing smells: Wearing lavender lotion or
using a diffuser with lavender essential oil may help you hit deep sleep
sooner. Plus, who doesn’t love the smell of lavender? Ahhh…
5. Turn off tech at least 1 hour before
going to bed. Then, keep lights dim and read or meditate to let your body
naturally make some sleepy melatonin (the hormone that is produced as it gets
dark out, and regulates sleep and wake cycles).
6. Skip or reduce caffeine. Caffeine not only prevents
many people from falling asleep at night initially, but it can also decrease
the amount of restful sleep that happens at night. If you’re having trouble sleeping at night,
try decaf, herbal tea or keep it to one cup very early in the morning.
7. Exercise. Try to fit in 20-30 min of moderate
exercise daily, but make sure to do it several hours before bed. Ideally, 20-30
minutes of cardio in the morning with some restorative yoga in the afternoon.
8. Clear your mind. If you’re tossing and
turning after switching the lights off, you may need to hit the reset button on
your mind. Here are a few things to try. Before going to bed, journal—jot it
all down. If you can’t fall asleep after
lying in bed for 15 minutes, get up and do something relaxing for 15-30 minutes
before returning to bed. Don’t give up. You’ll find a strategy that works for
you.
Your turn: Do you have a helpful sleep tip?
Leave it in the comments below.
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