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“I don’t sleep. I just dream.” pretty much sums it up for me in a nutshell. I tell Cory all the time, “You are over there sleeping, and I am over here having an adventure”. After a while, the endless dreaming, midnight Instagrams, and trips to the bathroom became daunting, and I wouldn’t wake up feeling refreshed, but more like I just spent eight hours running a marathon. I have tried so many things to get a restful nights sleep, and I have come to the conclusion that a lot of my vivid dreams are linked to hormones,what I eat for dinner, and my technology addiction. So I wanted to share with you my tips for getting a better night’s sleep. Which let’s face it, whether you have kids or not or whether you are getting older, we all need a good night in dreamland to reset and refresh after a long day.
Stretch or Meditate:
Doing five minutes of Yoga, stretching or simply laying against a wall with your legs in the air can help you wind down for the night, and get a more comfortable night’s sleep. Stretching, meditation and/or Yoga can not only help you fall asleep faster, but it can also help you get a more restful night’s sleep. By meditating you are letting go of the outside world and bringing your mind to a place of peace, happiness and rest, and by stretching you are realigning your body, and bringing much needed blood to your muscles. It doesn’t take an hour of stretching to prep your body. 5-10 minutes should be all you need!
Limit Screen Time:
There have been many studies to prove the blue light from cell phone, TV and iPad screens disrupt the sleep cycle by throwing off ones biological clock. Also, screen time increases cognitive stimulation. As your brain revs up, neurons start to fire like crazy, and that is the last thing you want to happen before you fall asleep or wake up in the middle of the night. Think back to the last time you had one of those restless nights where you could not shut your brain off. It is very likely that you spent time on your phone during that period of unrest. Checking e-mails, especially work e-mails can stimulate a fight or flight response in which cortisol is released in your body, and this release does not provide a conducive sleep environment. Try to sleep with your phone out of arms reach and/or set to ‘do not disturb’ mode. This will limit disruptions, and your reflex to grab your phone in the middle of the night. Just as side not, and something I need to work on…Try not to scroll through first thing in the morning for that matter. Go back to a traditional alarm clock if you need to!
Instead of scrolling through social accounts or catching up on e-mails try reading a book or like me, start working on an adult coloring book. It really helps you calm down and blow off some steam.
Invest in Bedroom Lighting:
Bedroom lighting is key for winding down for the night. Turn off bright overhead lights, and pop on those bedside lamps. Dim lighting sets the tone for getting cozy. If you are feeling really crazy…then light a calming candle or two, but DO NOT forget to blow them out.
Do the Herbal:
I cannot take Nyquil unless I want to be knocked out for days at a time. Some of my friends swear by sleepy-time tea, but that also knocks me out; however, I will take an herbal Melatonin supplement every so often, and if I do try night time tea, I only steep it for very minimal time. Otherwise, I try a calming camomile or ginger, and lately I have been drinking “Golden Milk” a few times a week. If you are going to drink tea, do it over an hour before bed, otherwise you may have to rush to the bathroom a couple of times during the night.
Eat Early:
There is nothing worse than indigestion, and having to try to sleep sitting upright because you have to wait for your antacids to kick in. Try to eat dinner before 7:30 PM to give your body ample time to digest. Also, eating the bulk of your calories during the day will help you reach your weight loss goals, and prevent you from binging at night.
I would love to hear what you do to get a better night’s rest!
