Getting a good night’s sleep is one of the keys to living a healthy and holistic life.
While most people focus on the part of the day they are awake to increase their wellness, it is the time that we allow our body to sleep that is just as important and valuable as a nutritious diet and exercise.
When we get a great night’s sleep, we can help progress our wellness positively forward in various ways. This includes losing weight easier, craving healthier foods, being more productive during the day, enhancing athletic performance, a healthier heart, a higher functioning immune system, and more positive emotions.
With so many benefits to gain from a good night’s sleep, it is something that everyone should prioritize.
But getting an uninterrupted and quality night of sleep is a hard thing for many people to master. While there are some things that we simply can’t control, there is a range of tips and tricks you can implement to get a better night’s sleep more consistently.
Here is the recipe for a good night’s sleep.
Step 1: Create a Sleep Schedule
You should pre-plan your sleep time, just like you do your exercise time and mealtimes when you plan out your day, schedule at least eight hours for you to sleep. In general, most adults need at least seven—but the chances are you will still need a bit of time to prepare for the sleep part of your day. Once you can create a plan for the whole day that includes when you go to bed and wake up the following day, the goal is to stick to this as consistently as possible. Our bodies respond best to routine, and over time, going to sleep at the same time will become easier and more accessible.
Step 2: Focus on Your Nutrition During the Day
What we do during the day will impact our ability to sleep at night. This means leaving enough time between dinner and bed for our body to properly digest the latest meal. And it also means ensuring that you’ve had a hydration drink in the lead-up to bed too. While our body is asleep, it will still need to be hydrated to maximize our body’s recovery during that time. So staying hydrated during the day will help ensure you get an optimal night’s sleep and don’t wake up mid-way through the night feeling dehydrated.
Step 3: Make Your Bedroom a Sanctuary
Another critical component in creating a great night’s sleep is making your bedroom a sanctuary you can’t wait to retreat to. You will want to have a good mattress that supports your body type and prevents you from tossing and turning all night long. You will also want to invest in quality sheets and pillows that maximize your comfort. Also, make sure to have room-darkening curtains and even an eye mask to prevent external lights from keeping you awake. By having a bedroom that minimizes restlessness and maximizes comfort, you should have less trouble convincing yourself to hop into bed, close your eyes and go to sleep.
Step 4: Limit Your Bluelight Exposure
Studies are finding that blue lights from our digital devices can be highly harmful to our sleep patterns. Try limiting the use of your phone or tablet at least 30 minutes before bed. And if you can, try leaving your phone outside your room, so you don’t have any temptations to take one final scroll through Instagram. If you need more time to decompress in bed before going to sleep, try reading a book or journaling instead. The less blue light you are exposed to at night, the easier it will be for your body to wind down and go into a quality sleep cycle.
Step 5: Calm Your Senses
Another critical step to getting a great night’s sleep is to calm your senses while in bed. You can do so by putting a diffuser full of bubbly belle essential oils on your nightstand. The scents from the oils will create a calming effect on your body and help you push away any stresses that you may be feeling. There is a range of essential oil scents specifically designed to enhance feelings of calmness before bed. And focusing on the smells as you drift off to sleep will prevent your brain from being distracted and wandering off to other thoughts that could potentially keep you up later than you need to be.
Step 6: Workout in the Morning
If you have a reason to wake up early in the morning, you will have an easier time convincing yourself to go to sleep sooner the night prior. One great reason to wake up early in the morning is to get a workout in before work. Exercising first thing in the morning is excellent for both our mental and physical health. It sets the tone positively for the rest of the day. When you have an at-home or on-the-go gym like Gorilla Bow, it means you can make this part of your morning routine no matter where in the world you are. And, by waking up early in the morning and pushing our body, it will be craving for some rest come 8 PM that night.
Step 7: Take Some Melatonin
Sometimes we still need a little bit of extra help with falling asleep at night. A natural remedy that promotes quality sleep is melatonin, which you can get in sleep gummies. These will help you drift into a quality sleep quickly that has you waking up feeling energized, invigorated, and ready to attack the day.
Step 8: Start to Relax Before Bedtime
Getting yourself into a calm enough state of drifting asleep doesn’t happen in a matter of minutes. Instead, you need to progress yourself to that stage gradually. So start by doing an evening yin yoga or meditation session to get your heart rate and mind to a more relaxed stated. Then, try curling up in an oversized bean bag with a warm cup of herbal tea, a good book, and an acoustic playlist in the background. Or give yourself a warm bubble bath where candles surround you. Give yourself time to enjoy these moments and slow down your evening. By doing this, the transition to your bed will be much easier.
Step 9: Say No to a Nightcap
One final component to creating a great night’s sleep is saying no to that evening nightcap. While a glass of wine or whiskey may sound appealing after a stressful and busy day, alcohol can negatively impact our sleep. Alcohol can increase sleep apnea, snoring, and a disrupted sleep pattern—along with our body’s ability to produce melatonin naturally. So while it is, of course, okay to treat yourself now and then, you will want zero alcohol in your system for the ultimate night’s sleep.
Getting a good night’s sleep is something that you can accomplish with these nine steps. While everyone’s routine and needs are different, these general principles are proven to help enhance your sleep and let your body get the recovery and rest it deserves to function correctly the following day.
Chances are, you will not only have much better sleeps but equally much better days too!