Few events can impact your day or wellness as much as a poor night’s sleep. After all, it can often leave you feeling like you’re playing catch-up throughout the day or lacking in energy entirely. This could take its toll on your personal and professional life as well as your health. In fact, many scientific studies report that people with positive sleeping habits have stronger immune systems than those who consistently struggle to fall asleep.
If you’re someone who has trouble getting a good night’s sleep, it’s easy to feel as though there’s no solution in sight. You’re likely also tired (no pun intended) of being told to count sheep! Fortunately, there are other tricks that work without any imaginary fluffy animals involved. Regardless of which tips you decide to try, the first step is to put your phone away. It’s often one of the biggest culprits in not giving your brain a chance to settle down. Got it? Good. Now you’re free to check out these other methods to help you fall asleep faster at night.
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Address what is keeping you awake
It can sometimes be hard to pinpoint what keeps you up at night unless there’s an obvious answer, such as a noisy neighbor playing music late into the night. However, getting to the root of the issue will help you find a solution that works for you! For example, maybe you aren’t shutting off properly after work. As a result, instead of falling into a dreamless sleep, you spend hours musing over deadlines, meetings, and everything you must do the next day. This can be combated by working on reducing stress at work.
Go to bed at the same time each night
Developing a nighttime routine can go a long way towards improving your sleeping habits. It makes a difference even if your work or social life keeps you from going to bed at the exact same time each night. Our bodies tend to adapt to our habits and routines. If you go to bed around the same time each night, you’ll automatically begin to feel tired as that time draws near.
Read a book
Pick up a book or magazine and start reading in bed. It gives you a chance to concentrate on a mindful activity that slows you down. With your attention focused on the reading material, all your other hectic thoughts from the day get pushed aside. Before long, you’ll be dozing off and might even fall asleep in your book! While this method doesn’t work for everyone, give it a chance and see if it works for you.
Make a sleep playlist
Incorporate a sleep playlist into your bedtime routine. It can be made up of guided meditations, sleep sounds, ASMR, or music. As long as you choose a form of audio that relaxes you enough to doze off, you’ll be catching Z’s in no time. Remember to not limit yourself to sounds strictly designed for sleep, especially if they aren’t effective for you. Soothing pop songs work just as well as any lullaby. Trust me.
Get a sound machine
Sound machines, or white noise machines, can be excellent companions to help you sleep at night. These machines also fit on your nightstand, so they’re within arm’s reach. While many play white noise, lots of these devices can play other sounds, too. They include brown noise, pink noise, ocean waves, crickets, rain, and more. Some sound machines, such as the Hatch Restore, go above and beyond with a vast library of sounds and programmable sleep routines. Do your research and find a machine that suits your lifestyle.
Go for an evening walk
While you may have already exercised during the day, going for a short walk before bed can also help you to get more sleep. That’s because it provides you with an opportunity to step away from technology and other stressors, and truly unwind. Furthermore, it also provides a way to release any pent-up energy by getting in some last-minute exercise, even if you aren’t working up a sweat. Of course, this doesn’t mean you need to try and walk the entire neighborhood each evening. Even a short walk can make a real difference when it comes to the speed at which you fall asleep.
Try CBD
Many people who struggle with developing healthy sleeping patterns use CBD products to help them sleep. CBD can help to reduce your body’s production of stress-inducing hormones, such as cortisol. As such, this could mean that you no longer feel stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed when getting into bed, making it easier for you to fall asleep.
Have you tried any of these methods? What helps you fall asleep faster?
Header: Brett Jordan
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