Get More Sleep With These 5 Tips

It never fails. It’s been a long day, the stress and chaos of work, family, and just life in general getting the best of me. I am so looking forward to the moment when I can let my head hit the pillow, curl up with my blanket and get some much-needed sleep. I can imagine the exhaustion just taking hold of me and drifting off to a solid, dreamless sleep the moment my eyes close.

Except, my eyes are closed, I’m curled up with my blanket and my head is on my pillow only to discover that I can’t sleep. Not. A. Wink. 

I feel like it happens more often than not. Either my mind won’t shut off or I can’t get comfortable. (RLS anyone?) Whatever the reason, it is a frustrating feeling. 

Then all I can think about is how many hours are left before my alarm goes off and I have to start another day with not enough sleep. Which then makes me more anxious about how tired I will be tomorrow. Wash, rinse, repeat. Maddening!

I’m going to go over my top five tips for falling asleep faster so you can get more sleep. Find what works for you, whether it is one method or all of them combined. Everyone is different and their way of calming themselves and clearing their minds may also be different.

Create a Bedtime Routine

This can be a variety of things like prepping the next day’s lunch or outfit, doing your skincare routine and getting in your pajamas. Or maybe you prefer to turn the lights down low and enjoy a nice, warm bath. Whatever that routine looks like for you, it always helps me to write it down in order and do it the same way each night. It will start to let your body know that it is time to settle down for the night and prepare for a nice long sleep.  

Meditate

Meditation can be a great way to calm your mind and emotions which will also calm your body and prepare it for a good night’s sleep. You can do some mediation in the form of breathing techniques or listening to a guided meditation. There are also many apps that can help you find the right type of mediation for you. 

Limit Things That Cause Wakefulness

Most people are aware of the things that they should stay away from before bed but that doesn’t mean it is always easy. You shouldn’t drink coffee or anything with caffeine at least a few hours before bedtime. You should also limit your screen time from electronics that emit blue light which will make it harder for you to fall asleep.

Create Relaxing Sounds

Some find it easier to fall asleep in silence, others need some noise and some need the right noise to cover up other noises! Living in a city can often mean lots of sounds coming from outside that can keep you awake. You can battle that by getting earplugs to block it out or a noise machine with the sounds of the ocean or rainforest. I live in the country where there are no sounds, none at all. So, I need to have a fan running in my bedroom in order to have a chance at falling asleep.

Write Down Your Worries

Writing down your anxieties and your to-do list for the next day can take a lot of your mind before you go to bed. If you have it written down you don’t have to worry about remembering it by morning. Once it is down on paper (or typed) you can let it go. It does not have to weigh you down anymore.

There are so many worries and stressors that can keep us up at night. The more strategies we have to battle them, the better. Sleep is so important for our health and wellbeing that when we don’t get enough of it it can really wear us down. 

I have often implemented more than one of these strategies to ensure I get the slumber I deserve. When all else fails I end up counting backwards from 63. Kind of like counting sheep but different. It seems strange but sometimes it works for me so I have stuck with it for years.

I say do what works for you because life is too short to be tired everyday. Have you tried any of these tips? Do you have any that you recommend? Let me know, I’d love to hear from you!