This will work better for you than having some late nights and some trying to catch up. Try to go to bed at the same time every night. Researchers have found that a consistent bedtime is one of the most important factors in getting a good sleep. Work out one that feels lovely for you – a warm shower, a relaxation exercise – whatever will give your brain a gentle warning that it’s time to wind down.

A bedtime ritual – (because sometimes a little same-same is good for you).įind a bedtime ritual will help your body get into sleep mode.

This can happen with as little as 12 minutes exposure to a device. Particularly for adolescents, screens have been associated with shorter sleep, higher daytime sleepiness and poorer grades. Because they take longer to fall asleep, the next morning they feel less alert than those reading a more traditional book. Research has found that people who read e-books release less melatonin (the hormone that helps you fall asleep) so they stay awake for longer. Even if the lights are out, staying on a screen – whether it’s texting, emailing, shopping, or reading – will delay sleep. The blue light from screens is interpreted as daylight by receptors in the eye that are there to regulate our internal body clock and tell us when it’s time to go to sleep. Staying in bed when you’re struggling to fall asleep will only strengthen the association between bed and restlessness – and you know how that ends up. Try to stay away from screens and go for a puzzle, a book or a mindful colouring book. If you don’t fall sleep in about 20 minutes, get out of bed, go to another room, and do something relaxing for a while until you start to feel sleepy. It took time to build the association so it might take time to undo it. Be patient though – this might take time. To make this happen, the only things that should happen in bed are sleep and sex. The goal is to break the association between bed and restlessness and have bed trigger feelings of relaxation and calm. If your bed has become the place you toss and turn, worry, and try to wrestle your eyes closed these are the feelings that will be triggered when you settle for sleep – not the restful, peaceful, blissful, exquisite … okay – stopping now.

Establish the association: bed = sleep.

Here are some ways to bring sleep back into your life like it wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. Not at all.Īs a third of us who are getting less than six hours a night already know, sleep doesn’t always follow the rules. Your blood pressure drops, your heart rate eases back and your breathing finds a steady beat.

Here’s how sleep is meant to happen – your body temp starts to drop and melatonin – the sleep hormone that tells your body that it’s bedtime – starts to rise. Search on Google or YouTube for 'snoring/sleep apnea mouth exercise'.For something that’s meant to be instinctive and so-easy-that-babies-can-do-it, sleep certainly doesn’t mind playing hard to get at times. If you have sleep apnea or snoring, do mouth exercises. Remove stimulants, drugs (alcohol, marijuana):and 'uneccessary' medications from diet. Take moderate doses of calcium/magnesium/zinc/Vit D supplements in day time every few days.don't over do it Then drink smaller portions of water as needed so the body has processed the water by night time. Destress and empty your mindĭrink more water earlier in the day, 2 cups by lunch time. Meditation/ mindfulness/reading peaceful books in evening/listening to positive affirmations. Also, de-bloat and burp out the gas if you need to. If you have gastric acid / indigestion that stops you from sleeping, try small sips of apple cider vinegar. Processed and sugary foods lead to inflammation and anxiety.ĭont overeat (and don't undereat). Sleep and wakeup same time every day (circadian rhythm adjusts to consistent schedule)Įating mostly whole foods diet, fruits, healthy fats, vegetables, meat with healthy grains and dairy added is ok. Moderate exercise (at minimum 30-60min walk per day and high intensity exercise a couple times a week) Melatonin makes you sleepy and gets you into deep REM sleep, and is produced internally when it's dark. Make it dark in the evening (turn off lights starting at 9pm or earlier) screens on night shift mode, 100% blackout curtains, blue light blocking glasses) to increase melatonin production in your body. These tips will get you to a better sleep naturally, without sleep pills:

I want to sleep now