If you're not one to jump out of bed the moment the alarm goes off (you're just not a morning person, you say) it may have more to do with your quality of sleep than the time of day. Bad habits like watching TV, working on the computer, eating late or having one too many glasses of wine right before bed can make all the difference in how rested you feel the next morning. Here are a few tips to help you get a good night's sleep:
- Create a better sleep environment: Pay attention to how your body feels in the morning. Does your neck or back hurt? Do you feel heavy and stuffed up? You may need to adjust the firmness of your mattress or the size and shape of your pillows. (Try a buckwheat pillow perhap?) If you're stuffy and puffed up, you may be allergic to something in your bedding, like down or latex, or you may be responding to all the dust under your bed. (When was the last time you vacuumed there?) Get an air purifier and run it during the night or, if you don't want the white noise, run it a few hours prior to going to sleep.
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bedtime: The caffeine part may seem obvious, but doesn't alcohol make you sleepy? While initially a few glasses of wine may put you to sleep, research shows that the effects of alcohol keep you from experiencing a deep sleep, and you'll probably wake up in the middle of the night after your body has mostly metabolized the alcohol. So finish drinking at least three hours before bedtime.
- Put away your work: Your bedroom is not for working. Turn off the computer, put away those notes, and turn off your phone at least an hour or two before bed. This will give you a chance to let go of your day and its anxieties and stresses so that you're not thinking about them (and staying awake!) in bed. Avoid other stimulating activities right before bed, too, like watching TV or listening to loud music.
- Establish a nightly ritual: Once you've tuned out your day, establish a nightly ritual to prepare for sleep. This might include taking a bath before bed, doing some deep breathing exercises, reading a book, or journaling.
- Sleep in total darkness: Use block-out blinds or heavy curtains to try and block as much light and sound as possible.
- Gear your evening meal towards relaxation and digestion: According to WHFoods.org, your evening meal should "emphasize low-to-medium glycemic index carbohydrates, such as whole-grain breads, rice, or pasta, yams, a mixed green salad, or lightly sautéed vegetables, include a small portion of a healthy fat-containing food, such as olive oil, avocado, or nuts or seeds or their oils or butters." It should also be eaten about 4 hours before bedtime so that the main digestive effort is finished, but the energy from these foods can be released gradually throughout the night. If you do need a snack before bedtime, make it small cup of herb tea or warm milk, a small serving of fresh or dried fruit, or a small handful or raw nuts or seeds.
Share your tips for a healthy night's sleep with us below!
(Image: Eden's Art Deco Details on AT:SF. Originally published 2010-01-18)
Get some cuddly cats to nest in your hair and purr you to sleep. :)
view mycatsownme's profile
good tips
I was wondering if you could share where the curtains in the pic are from? thanks!
view plumeria's profile
Hi Plumeria! The curtains are "The Brightness of Being" curtains from Karma Living that I purchased through ModCloth. They don't currently have them in stock anymore, unfortunately!
view Cambria Bold's profile
Oh no that's a bummer...
I've never seen that site before though, so thanks anyway! They have a lot of cute things. :)
view plumeria's profile
Light a candle in a soothing scent.
Keep a regular time.
Set your alarm clock an hour or so early for some early morning exercise and/or sexytime with your significant other.
Put your bedside light on a timer set to turn on when you need to wake up.
Have a glass of water before bed (having to pee will help you get out of bed) as well as after waking up (you're always most dehydrated in the morning).
view Berae's profile
Or that glass of water can be saved to put out the fire when you fall asleep with the candle burning.
view patrick (the other one)'s profile
Water before bed always makes me wake up around 2 or 3 a.m. Having to get up in the middle of the night and then go back to sleep makes for a groggy, headache-y morning.
view JaneLane's profile
Journaling. :) I've been keeping a journal for the last 3 years, and I write every night before I lay down to sleep. It helps me get all my thoughts from the day out so that when I curl up under the covers, they're already gone.
view Krissy B's profile
Probably not safe to light a candle if you're trying to fall asleep. Hate to wake up to a fire.
Might be a good idea KrissyB. When I can't sleep it's usually cuz my mind is running a mile a minute.
JaneLane, I actually will gulp down a bunch of water before bed to make me get up when my alarm goes off. I've never been the type to get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom (just never had to), but when I've been getting up too late I'll use this trick to force me out of bed cuz I know it'll make my bladder hurt. LOL, probably not good for me.
view HeyNowTex's profile
I always play with my cat a few hours before bed. If I tire her out a bit, she sleeps soundly with me through the night. Well, until about 5 or 6 a.m. when she starts licking my face so I will get up and get her breakfast.
view CatSitterintheCity's profile
@HeyNowTex
Yes, hurt bladder is bad; but I say do what works for you. Getting out of bed can be quite the challenge.
view JaneLane's profile
I know the candle was a good intention to create a good relaxing mood... obviously not a good idea!
- But how about getting some lavender essential oils and sprinkling it on some tissue and keep by your pillow. The scent will relax and calm your mind.
- try to cout backwards from 100 by 3's. The mathematical process will have you so focused on the countdown that you won't think about anything else and snooze away way before you hit 1.
- a warm glass of milk with cinnamon or sleepy time tea before going to bed helps.
- I would say NO caffeine or sugar or alcohol 6 hours before going to bed. Occasionally its acceptable. Try tapering off your caffeine around 2 pm if you're having a bad time sleeping - your body may be more sensitive to caffeine - that one I thank Dr. Oz for ;)
- try to go to bed at the same time each night, also calculate that you get 7.5 hrs of sleep per night so you're well rested for work the next day.
I've had serious issues with sleeping so I've looked into many things - I could go on and on.... ;D
view lifeologia's profile
Nothing electrical for at least an hour always makes the world of difference to me, yet doesn't seem to affect my partner at all! I guess everyone's different.
One thing for us is making sure the cats have enough food/water - otherwise they wake us up to tell us off!
view kaetia's profile
If you are really having trouble with sleeping, think about if you are a comfortable temperature, I can't count how many times I've been up for hours trying to sleep and as soon as I put on a small tank top it's enough to keep me warm enough to sleep.
Also, if everything else is good and you can't sleep, maybe you are dehydrated and need some water, sometimes a big gulp of water is all you need, and most of the time it won't wake you up at night.
(I also have lots of trouble sleeping sometimes :( )
view QChan's profile