SIMPLE SLEEP SOLUTIONS
Yesterday I wrote about how my messed up sleep cycle was making me feel horrible and today I wanted to continue that discussion by letting you know the different ways I've tried to overhaul my sleep routine. It's nothing crazy or even that different (though I do break one common sleep rule) but it works for me and I figure I'd share in case it could help some of you.
Build a routine.
I know this is something that gets preached time and time again but that is because it really is effective. Having something you do before bed can really help get your body ready to go to sleep. The big thing for me is turning off all the lights at a certain time and flipping on fairy lights. It's nice because I'm in a dark room but not pitch black so once I'm ready to go to bed and I flip them off the room gets nice dark which gives my body a little signal it's bed time.
Find things that relax you.
Going along with building a routine, I totally recommend using the hour or two before bed to catch up on things you enjoy that you also find soothing. There is a common belief this is the time you should be eliminating screens which I personally don't believe in. I like to use this time to catch a few episodes of something or watch a movie with the one caveat being to stay clear of shows that I'd be inclined to binge or find overly exciting. I like to keep to old favorites or shows that I'm mildly interested in, for instance I'm currently switching between Archer and Sex and the City.
I also like to use this time to read or play games on my phone. Though I will say if you want to use your phone/ipad before bed the nighttime setting is amazing because it dims the light coming from your phone so it's not so harsh.
Clean up.
A clean room, fresh sheets, and a hot shower can take you sleep from meh to amazing!
Cool down.
This one boils down to personal preference but making my room as cool as possible is a must. If I'm in any way warm I can't get to sleep and spend hours tossing and turning because I'm literally overheating. Rather annoyingly my building has insane heat that they pump up all night and it turns my room into a sauna, so to combat that I've learned to suffer through being a little too cold before they crank up the heat so my room stays cool later. I also don't have AC in the summer so really amazing fans are my best friend.
Have a bed time.
You might hate to admit it but your parents were really on to something with all that bedtime business. Setting a time when everything gets turned off and you go to sleep can really help build better sleep habits and allow you to have aa better nights sleep. If you are anything like me though you most likely won't stick perfectly to it, but I find just making a bed time gets me in the bed earlier because I have a time where I realize I need to go to sleep and I'll start prepping.
And there we are, those are things I like to do to overhaul my bad sleep habits. Is there anything you do that I missed? As always drop me a comment and let me know.
Happy Sleeping.
