Going to bed and staying asleep can be the most challenging part of any day. While I normally cover topics on personal development and journaling, I thought—due to the ever-present struggle of getting a good night’s rest—it would be timely to write a quick article on how to gain more restful sleep.
Disclaimer: All of the views and opinions in this post are solely my own and are not sponsored. This post may include affiliate links, meaning I earn a commission through links at no cost to you.
Before we dive in, I’d like to point out that I am not a medical professional or sleep expert. If you struggle with insomnia, sleep apnea, or any other sleep condition, I recommend that you speak with your doctor before trying out some of these hacks.
Have a night routine
Alright, the first hack is simple: have a night routine. Now, it’s probably important to point out that you already have a night routine. However, is your routine healthy? A healthy night routine allows ample time to wind down, get away from blue light, and find methods to help you and your body relax.
If you want an idea of a healthy night routine, you can reference my blog post on the topic.
I’ve found that the simpler the routine, the better. There’s no need to clutter your evenings with “to-do’s.” After all, this is a period of rest and relaxation.
Below are some ideas on how you can relax. Use one or two of these ideas in your evening routine and do your best to keep things slow and simple. Additionally, you should know that when changing your night routine and habits, it’s best to take baby steps. Otherwise, you may become overwhelmed or stressed.
Night routine ideas:
- Warm bubble bath
- Face mask and skincare routine
- Lighting warm candles
- Reading a book
- Drinking tea or warm milk
- Stretching or yoga
Give yourself a routine that is simple and easy to follow. Once you make these activities a habit, it’s much easier to follow through your evening ritual and fall asleep.
Journal before bed
As you may know, journaling is one of my favorite things to do every morning and evening. At night, I like to take about twenty to thirty minutes of quiet time to journal about my day. It’s a great practice that relieves stress, clears the mind, quiets anxieties, and prepares the body for sleep.
Often, we find ourselves struggling to fall asleep due to all of the thoughts rushing around in our heads. We keep thinking about what we need to do, what we need to fix, what we forgot to do, or anything that took precedence during our day.
Below are some journal prompts that you can use to wind down at night and quiet the mind:
- What was one achievement for you today?
- What was one thing you didn’t get to?
- What is something you want to tell your future self for tomorrow?
- Is there anything weighing on your mind? What is it? Why?
- What is one thing you’re grateful for?
- What would help you to calm down and relax right now?
- How do you feel?
These are simple prompts that you can answer in whatever order you like. Though, I find that leaving the positively phrased prompts towards the end helps to invite calmness and eradicates worry.
You can do a brain dump or follow one or more of those prompts to help ease the traffic within your mind. I also find that meditating before or after you journal can help ease fears and concerns.
If you want more journal prompts, you can reference my journaling prompts page here.
Drink chamomile tea
I’m not a fan of chamomile tea. However, many herbalists and mothers will tell you that chamomile tea is a great beverage to have before bed to help calm the nerves and invite melatonin into your system.
If you don’t like chamomile, you can also try a lavender or lemon balm tea. Healthline has an abundance of wonderful teas to drink before bed if you are struggling to find one you like.
Alternatively, warm milk or even warm soy milk can help ease you into a sleepy state.
No matter what you choose, some beverages can greatly reduce stress and invite sleepy sensations. I’d suggest avoiding the following drinks before bed, however, as not every drink helps you wind down.
Avoid:
- Chocolate milk
- Coffee
- Caffeinated beverages (like soda)
- Juices with high sugar content
Read (but not on your phone!)
I love reading, but I’d be a liar if I told you I never read on my phone. The issue with phones and technology (TVs, laptops, tablets, etc) before bed is that the blue light causes us to stay awake and alert.
While there are several debates regarding blue light and its impact on our eyes, moods, and sleep patterns, generally speaking, it’s best to avoid blue light at least an hour before bed. If you can avoid it two hours before bed, even better!
But let’s get back to reading…
When avoiding technology, we often find ourselves unsure of what to do. We become bored, especially if we’re not tired yet.
Reading is the best alternative (in my opinion) when it comes to activities before bed. I urge you to use a kindle (which doesn’t have blue light) or a good old fashioned physical book when you enjoy this quiet activity.
If you aren’t interested in reading, other activities could include:
- Doing a puzzle
- Embroidery/ crochet
- Board games/ card games
- Cleaning up the house for the morning
- Coloring/ drawing
- Meditating
- Journaling
- Choosing an outfit for tomorrow
- Making a to-do list for the next day
Lower the room temperature
Studies have shown that lowering the room temperature can help us fall asleep easier. As our body naturally cools, the air in the room is supposed to match to help prevent us from becoming uncomfortable. Experts suggest the temperature be between 65 and 72 degrees for optimal sleep. Though, I sometimes find myself at a comfortable 60.
If you’re having trouble sleeping at night, try to lower the temperature in your home. I’ve found that even if it’s a bit chilly, you can use blankets to warm yourself up. Also, the more blankets you have, the more cozy and snuggly you feel in bed.
Use lavender essential oil
I found out about the benefits of lavender after watching a Sarah Therese video on YouTube.
Lavender is a calm, soothing scent that many people have used to aid in sleep and anxiety relief since ancient times.
I use a lavender essential oil mist on my pillow on nights when I can’t sleep. If I remembered, I’d use it every night! The essential oil spray is calming and smells amazing on my pillow. It’s not harsh on my skin and if anything, it makes me feel relaxed and ready for sleep.
Some people also put lavender and/or jasmine essential oil on their forehead where their third eye is located. Some say it helps to reduce anxiety and depression, helping to ease insomnia and provide more blissful sleep.
Put on some background noise
Another way you can create a better atmosphere for sleep is by using a white noise machine or sleep app. Some apps and YouTube videos will play a soft white noise in the background which can help you to sleep. Too much silence makes even the slightest noise noticeable. And too much noise is never good for anyone who are trying to sleep.
If you prefer to avoid your phone before bed (which I highly suggest you do), you can always use a fan to create a nice background hum. Whenever I leave a fan on at night, I find that it’s much easier to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Plus, a fan can eliminate two birds with one stone. You get a cooler environment and a white noise machine all in one!
Only use your bed for sleep
This tidbit has been mentioned by me before and that is to only use your bed for sleep. Our minds associate places with activities. If you stay up on your phone, watch tv, or read in your bed, your mind will associate that space as a place to be awake.
This can take some time to adjust, but after a while of only using your bed for sleep, you’ll build a habit of falling asleep much easier.
If we follow James Clear’s habit loop from Atomic Habits, you’ll notice how your bed becomes associated with sleep:
Current situation:
Cue – the bed
Craving – to be entertained
Response – play on your phone
Result – you can’t sleep
New habit:
Cue – the bed
Craving – to sleep
Response – you feel tired
Reward – you fall asleep
The craving is the part that will be the most challenging to change as it is the point where the entire process shifts between bad routine and good. Do your best to avoid technology or entertainment in bed.
If you are struggling at first, I’d suggest trying a physical book or kindle. Lower the lighting and read near the lamp/candlelight so that you don’t have to strain your eyes. Eventually, you can get rid of the book in bed altogether and hopefully find sleep to be an easy thing to succumb to.
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Disclaimer: All of the views and opinions in this post are solely my own and are not sponsored. This post includes affiliate links, meaning I earn a commission through links at no cost to you.
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