Tips to Get a Better Night’s Sleep

Getting a good night’s rest is extremely important for your well-being. Not only it affects how you function throughout the day, but it also impacts your mood and your health. Hopefully, you can sleep well at night most of the time, but we all experience those nights in which it just is impossible to shut our eyes. Although there are medications and supplements out there that might aid sleep, it is always important to try other natural methods before resorting to medication. Firstly, it is important to know why you can’t sleep at night, and what you should do to remedy this situation.

We can’t address the solution without knowing the cause of the issue in the first place. There are multiple reasons why someone can’t sleep at night. One reason might be because their minds are working too much throughout the day and can’t rest at night. This can include things such as anxiety, depression, being excited about something, etc. When this happens, as tired as your body is, your mind is still going 1000 miles per hour, which causes you to not be able to sleep. Technology also has a lot to do with this, as the blue light in our phones, computers, and TV keeps us awake, but the constant flow of messages through social media keeps your brain active.

Another reason can be your consumption habits. For example, eating before bed. If you are eating and going to bed before your food can be digested, you will probably not be able to sleep very well! Another cause can be consuming alcohol or before bed. As surprising as it may sound, alcohol does not help your sleep cycle! Although it can help you to fall asleep, alcohol causes you to have poor-quality sleep and can wake you up more frequently throughout the night. Furthermore, consuming caffeine a couple of hours before bed can also cause your system to wake up and not let you fall asleep while it’s in your system.

Now that you know some of the main causes of what might be keeping you awake, let us investigate some solutions!

First, try going off your phone at least 1 hour before bed. Going off your phone and other devices before bed can significantly reduce brain activity which keeps you awake and alert. This can help you relax, your brain settles down, and get ready for bed. If you’re one of those people who immediately think “well, then what am I supposed to do before bed?!,” don’t worry. Try reading a new book, journaling, listening to soothing music, doing yoga, or even just lying there with your eyes shut! All of these can help you wind down and get a good night’s sleep.

Another thing you can try is exercising during the day to be able to sleep at night. Exercise plays a huge role in how you function and how your body works! Although many people associate exercise with physical looks, it is crucial for your body. Not only it makes you stronger and healthier, but it also impacts hormones produced. Believe it or not, without exercise, your hormones can be unbalanced and that can be why you are not sleeping well at night. Furthermore, it could also be that you have too much energy at night because you didn’t burn enough during the day. Practicing at least one hour of physical exercise per day can help you in more ways than one!

Next, you can try some meditation. The internet is wonderful because there are so many resources available to you all the time! Even if you are not a meditation expert or you don’t know how to meditate properly, listening to a guided meditation before bed can be the answer to your prayers. Meditation is a means of quieting your mind, finding peace, and relaxing. Not only it can help you sleep by relaxing your mind, but it can also bring a lot of benefits in the long run. You can find great guided meditations for sleep using this link. Meditation can also be found in sounds, so if rainforest or thunderstorm sounds calm you down, try putting those on before closing your eyes.

Furthermore, try not to consume caffeine or large amounts of food before going to bed. Consuming caffeine too close to your bedtime can be ruining your sleep schedule and keep you up at night. Caffeine can keep you up for 4-6 hours after ingesting it, so be sure not to drink that Starbucks latte hours before your bedtime. If you are used to drinking tea before bed, try opting for a caffeine-free herbal tea. A great alternative to other teas is this Celestial Sleepy Time Tea. Eating large amounts of food can also hinder your sleep, so be sure to eat a couple of hours before bed so that your system can digest all that food before you lay down.

If none of this works, try some melatonin. Although it is always best to try other methods before resorting to supplements, melatonin is mostly safe for you and can help you fall asleep even when it seems impossible. It could be a possibility that you are not producing melatonin, which is the hormone that makes you sleep. When you stop producing melatonin, your sleep cycle gets interrupted, so taking melatonin in supplements could help you get back on track! You can learn about melatonin and its benefits by clicking this link.

If you have tried all these tricks and you are still unable to fall asleep, it could be a possibility that you have a sleeping disorder or might need professional help. We wish you all the best and happy sleeping! To learn more about certain sleep disorders and ways to sleep better, click this link.