Today’s blog post was written by my friend Lora from My Organic Life. Lora is a mama, a healthy lifestyle enthusiast and a lover of wellness, mindfulness, holistic health and living. She shares lots about healing your hormones holistically and living with Endometriosis.
Don’t forget to check out her blog!
HOW TO CREATE A BETTER SLEEP ROUTINE
Have you always been one of those people that can never sleep?
Or maybe, you are just too worried right now and you can’t sleep! I know how you feel. I’ve been there. You just need a better sleep routine!
My life changed a lot once I started having problems because of endometriosis. My sleep hygiene and anxiety were terrible! I couldn’t fall asleep for hours, my heart was racing, I couldn’t normally breathe, I was sweating and tired of counting down from 1000…
That was the worst part of my life. So, I decided to help my body and make some small life changes, everyday. It’s a long process, takes time, but it works.
I’m a happy positive person now, I’m full with energy and I have the best night sleep ever.
And, yes, it’s the same old me.
It wasn’t like that all my life, only these past 2 years when I finally started my self-development, self-love journey. I wasn’t a routine person at all until I realized that successful people have morning rituals and night routines.
And I decided to become a successful person.
One way you can get a better sleep is to have a better bedtime routine.
THE IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP
SLEEP is really important. You can’t be productive and happy if you don’t get enough sleep. Bad sleep not only can affect your mind and mental health, but also your body and your activity.
Because your body repairs and rejuvenates itself while you sleep, continually making poor bedtime routine choices can quickly put your overall quality of life at risk—sleep deprived, cranky and sluggish is no way to live.
A good night’s sleep can do wonders for your mind and body, but bad bedtime habits can make you unhappy and put your health at risk.
Better sleep has been known to help you:
- Reduce stress
- Lose weight
- Improve focus
- Stay heart healthy
- Boost your mood
Keep reading to see what bedtime habits you may want to change for better sleep, plus a few healthy habits you can pick up instead.
WHY YOU NEED A BEDTIME ROUTINE?
A good bedtime routine will help you fall asleep better and get a better sleep. They can help you feel less stressed, which of course will help you sleep better. A bedtime routine can even help you to be more productive.
Start to think about nights that you sleep well and nights that you don’t. Do you see any patterns emerging?
HOW TO SLEEP BETTER
Here are some of the things I did to get better sleep – they’re free, aren’t supplements and anyone can do them.
1. Limit Caffeine Late In The Day
If you’re caffeine sensitive, you’ll know what I mean when I say to avoid intaking anything that has a lot of caffeine well before you go sleep. This includes sodas, tea, coffee, and even chocolate!
For me, I need to have finished my coffee or black tea by 12 or 1 pm or I risk rolling around the entire night. Everyone is different though so find a time that ultimately works for you!
Stick to drinking decaf coffee or herbal teas like Chamomile instead and skip out on caffeinated teas and coffees when it’s late in the afternoon or night.
2. Avoid Exercising Or Eating A Large Meal Right Before Bed
Both exercising and eating a large meal before bed can lead to restlessness.
Exercising gives you an endorphin rush that is meant to energize you, and you don’t really want energy right before bed! Eating a large meal, although it can make you feel quite sluggish and sleepy, it can make you feel too full to sleep.
3. Do Some Meditation Or Yoga
If you miss so much your phone and your IG profile, try with some meditation.
Some people find that even a few minutes spent meditating before bed helps with sleep.
- Find a quiet area. Sit or lie down, depending on what feels most comfortable. Lying down is preferable at bedtime.
- Close your eyes and breathe slowly. Inhale and exhale deeply. Focus on your breathing.
- If a thought pops up, let it go and refocus on your breathing.
As you try meditation for sleep, be patient with yourself. A meditation practice is just that — a practice. Start by meditating for 3 to 5 minutes before bed. Over time, slowly increase the time to 15 to 20 minutes. It’ll take time to learn how to quiet your mind.
The other way to relax before going to bed is doing yoga. Your bed is the ideal places for doing a few restorative yoga poses before sleep, helping you feel relaxed and comfortable, and you may even find that you drift off before you finish your practice!
4. Shut Off Electronics At Least One Hour Before Bed
I know that you can’t live without your phone, but you need to change that. Your social media profiles can wait till the next morning, because your brain need a rest.
Scrolling on social media leads to the comparison game and lots of overthinking, so it is best to give yourself a break from it before bed.
Looking at electronics is also bad for your eyes and your head before bed, and it can result in headaches.
5. Avoid Working In Bed
Working late in the evening is not a good idea. Your brain is tired, your body needs to rest.
If you’re working in bed often or till late, your brain will start to associate your bedroom as a workspace. Choose a designated space for work, whether it’s an office or a cozy nook in your living room. Also, consider working remotely from a coffee shop if you need a change of scenery!
6. Don’t Watch TV, Read a Book Instead
Reading a book is a quiet activity that can help to promote restfulness. Reading distracts you from your racing thoughts and slows the mind. It takes you away from the things might be causing you to stay awake. A study done by the University of Wessex found that reading was better at reducing stress levels than walking or listening to music.
7. Go To Bed At The Same Time Everyday, Even The Weekends
Even if you have a Monday through Friday, 9 to 5 job, you still might have trouble maintaining a routine sleep schedule on the weekends. After all, staying up late and sleeping in when you don’t really have to do anything or be anywhere is oh. so. Tempting.
At the end of the day, creating a sleep routine that works for you is really about trial and error, working out what your body likes and responds to. So it’s a good idea to experiment with different activities and habits and see how they go for you. There’s no one size fits all when it comes to sleep, but whatever your routine is, having one can really help – as long as it’s not scrolling Instagram for 3 hours before bed 🙂
