10 Natural Tips to Help You Sleep Better
on Nov 11, 2016
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This post was sponsored by the National Sleep Foundation as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. All opinions expressed in my post are my own.
Do you ever have trouble sleeping or suffer from insomnia? If so, you are most certainly not alone. Many, many people have trouble sleeping. Luckily, the National Sleep Foundation and Beyond Tired have lots of great ideas for helping people sleep better at night. Here are ten tips I’ve learned over the years to help us all sleep better at night! Take what works for you and chuck the rest.
10 Natural Tips to Help You Sleep Better
1. Create a good sleep environment.
For me, a good sleep environment is a calm, relaxing, cool and dark. Our bedroom is generally the coldest room in the house and I love it that way. Science agrees with me on the cool bedroom. Most people really do sleep better when rooms are kept between 60-67 degrees! What’s your ideal room temperature for best sleep?
2. Finish up loose ends before bed
Do you sleep well if your kitchen is a mess or your room is cluttered? Sometimes these things really get to me, so if I know something is really going to bother me and keep me from sleeping, I’ll try to finish that work before bed. Otherwise, I will toss and turn and not sleep at all. Does the same thing happen to you?
3. Turn off electronics
Aren’t electronics wonderful? While I love to read books on my iphone, mostly, my phone is just one big distraction. Turning electronics off at night and keeping them out of the bedroom is a great way to sleep better at night. TVs aren’t as issue for us as we don’t have them in any of our bedrooms anymore, but the cell phones are a huge distraction always.
4. Use a white noise machine
Noise really bothers me during the night. We have two Great Pyrenees dogs and their barking sometimes is just too much. Also, any snoring or even loud breathing makes me crazy. I always use a white noise machine to try to drown out any noise so I won’t wake up. And I make sure to take ear plugs when I travel.
5. Eat right at night
I’m sure you’ve heard that tryptophan from turkey can make you sleepy, but did you know there are other beneficial foods as well? Nuts, tuna, rice, cherry juice, honey, and chamomile tea can all help make you drowsy as well.
6. Create a bedtime routine
A bedtime routine that helps you get in the mood to sleep is also a great idea. Having a cup of tea, brushing teeth, showering, reading a book are all good things to include in a relaxing bedtime routine. Going to bed at the same time each night is also really helpful.
7. Avoid alcohol & caffeine
This is a tip that I really don’t want to hear because I do love red wine at night. But alcohol does interfere with sleep. It’s true that alcohol can help you fall asleep faster, but it also interferes with rapid eye movement and contributes to drowsiness during the day. And caffeine can last for 5-6 hours! So if you have an afternoon coffee, you might want to cut it out to get a better night’s sleep too. Don’t shoot the messenger, you guys, I don’t want to hear it either.
8. Use an essential oil diffuser
Calming essential oils like lavender is a great way to help promote sleep. Did you know lavender helps you relax and can slow down your heart rate? If you don’t have an essential oil diffuser in your room, and you have trouble sleeping, you may want to consider adding one to your decor!
9. Work out regularly
Studies show that people who work out regularly sleep better at night. It doesn’t really matter what time of day you work out, just make sure to get that workout in to feel more rested during the day.
10. Have more sex
Yes, I’m going there… According to Sleep.org, sex really does help people sleep because it increases oxytocin (= happy) and decrases cortisol (= stress). Sex can also help you feel more happy and relaxed. I’m sure your partner will love you that much more when you say you must have sex so you can sleep better. 🙂
Make sure you check out the Beyond Tired or the SleepFoundation.org if you need more ideas, because this is by no means an exhaustive list of tips to help you sleep. And if your insomnia just won’t improve no matter what you try, please talk to your doctor. <3
Amazon E-gift Card Giveaway
How about some money to help you create a fabulous sleep environment?! Here’s a chance to win one of six prizes that I know you’ll love:
- Prize: Five (5) $100 Amazon e-gift cards and one (1) Grand Prize $250 Amazon e-gift card
- Dates: October 25 – November 23, 2016
- I-C will randomly select winners from all program entries and will facilitate fulfillment of the winning prizes (6 winners).
National Sleep Foundation Giveaway
Happy sleeping, my friends. May the bags under your eyes go away forever.
