Tips For A Better Night's Sleep
I love sleep! Unfortunately, a good night's rest isn't always in the cards. If I don't get quality sleep at night I tend to hit my snooze button until I'm rushing to my first commitment for the day. This leaves me a little frazzled and I feel like the rest of my day is messy. How do you feel after a restless night of sleep?
Fortunately, most days I wake up refreshed and ready for my day thanks to getting quality sleep. I am going to share with you some techniques that I use to get quality zzz's at night.
Try going to sleep and waking about the same time each day...staying on schedule will help promote better sleep.
If you take naps keep it short...If you like to sneak in a nap during the day or after dinner try and keep it to 30 minutes or less. A longer nap might cause you to not feel tired when you are ready for bed.
Darken the room...You might want to consider purchasing room darkening shades to reduce the amount of sunlight in your bedroom. Reduce the number of lights you leave on overnight. Night lights can be very bright if they shine in your face. If you need overnight lighting position it so it doesn't shine directly at your face.
Take time to plan for the next day prior to going to bed...Worrying about what we need to get done can keep you up at night. Prior to starting your bedtime routine create your to-do list for tomorrow and review your calendar for appointments. If time allows you might even be able to do a few of those items (like packing a lunch) that evening so you don't stress overnight about all you need to get done the next day.
Turn off electronics...Putting down your electronics or turning off the TV at least thirty minutes prior to going to bed can be helpful. Often electronics stimulate our brain so it takes longer for us to relax and fall asleep. I do struggle with this one but when I do put my tablet down and read a book in bed I fall asleep a lot easier.
Avoid big meals in the evening...The discomfort of eating too much might keep you up at night. Try eating your last meal 2-3 hours prior to bedtime. If you are typically hungry before bed try having a light and healthy snack instead of a full meal or bag of potato chips.
Keep the temp cool...Do you feel too warm in bed? Try adjusting the temperature in your house by a few degrees. Shed a few blankets on your bed. Do you still have all your winter blankets on your bed? By making these minor changes you could improve the quality of your sleep.
If you are struggling with a good night's sleep try one or all of these ideas and see if you can get a few extra quality zzz's tonight.
Please share some other ideas that have worked for you in the quest to a better night's sleep. Comment below or share on my Facebook page at facebook.com/baisleycoaching