There is absolutely no denying that getting the correct quantity and quality of sleep is oh-so-important, and sadly is something that almost half the population struggle with. It can be incredibly frustrating to lie in bed tossing and turning for hours on end. Beyond having a comfortable mattress and pillow, and ensuring you’re warm enough, here are a couple of tips to try to catch some shut-eye.
Set your schedule
Going to bed and waking up at roughly the same time daily can help to regulate your body clock which helps you fall asleep faster and wake up more refreshed!
Right your lights
When you go to sleep, you want your bedroom completely dark. Leading up to bedtime though, try to eliminate blue light (mobile phones, ipads, laptops, LED screens, etc). Avoid screens for at least an hour before bedtime (double that for children) and use warm-coloured lights in the bedroom. This could be candles (not for the kiddo’s though!), or “softer” lightbulbs with a yellower hue rather than white (>3000 Kelvin).
Write off your worries
If you just can’t shut your mind off, try getting into the habit of journaling. For some people, writing down what is in their head can help get it out of there long enough to get to sleep.
Cut down the caffeine
Caffeine is a stimulant, which works on the central nervous system, speeding up messages travelling between the brain and the body. This means it can exacerbate conditions like anxiety and insomnia. Reducing caffeine can be tricky but you can start with limiting your consumption of caffeine within a few hours of “bedtime”.
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These all seem like good things to do. The lights one is hard for me though. I usually cut the only light to my laptop and the light from my closet. I slowly make my room darker throughout the night.
Though I can’t fully always put the light away it seems. I end up working on my laptop until my mind is finally tired enough to fall asleep. (It’s that or my mind will just be up for hours, not letting me sleep.) Or I’m writing worries away on my phone before I can sleep.
Hi Robin, thanks so much for your comment! I’m glad you have found the suggestions helpful. May I suggest looking into installing a blue light filter app on your phone (or it may have one installed?) or investing in a pair of blue light filtering glasses? I know they have helped me as I often find myself working away on my Master’s thesis once all my kids go to bed, and I agree that sometimes some things are simply unavoidable.
It’s a great suggestion that you shared to make notes of your worries too, I often think of things before bed and jot them down too so they don’t keep me awake. Have a great night!