with the numerous moves and hotel stays i have had the past year and a half, i found myself struggling to sleep at night. when i finally did fall asleep, i woke up feeling unrested. this is not the way anyone wants to start their day. and h e l l o, a girl needs her beauty sleep. after trying every trick in the book, i found the 9 tips below to be most helpful at getting a good night’s rest.
take a hot bath
this is one of my favorite things to do before bed. the warm bath water relaxes your body and muscles and helps you enter that groggy state right before bed. your body temperature rises as you lay in the warm water, so make sure to leave a little bit of time after your bath to allow your body to cool down and be in the ideal state to fall asleep.
skip late night snacks
the sugar and calories in late night snacks may be keeping you up at night. calories are essentially energy. you want your energy to wind down before bed, instead of wind up. if you feel you are hungry, try having a cup of warm tea instead. be sure to leave enough time to use the restroom before bed, so you are not disrupting your sleep cycle with having to get up in the middle of the night. 1-2 hours prior to bed is as close as i would cut it.
you can avoid the urge to snack all together by eating a colorful dinner filled with veggies and a light protein about 4-5 hours before bed. having a well balanced dinner will help prevent late night hunger pangs.
charge your phone in another room
having electronics in your bedroom is a major no-no. that goes for laptops, ipads, reading devices and cell phones. screen lights trick your brain into thinking it’s daytime. this may cause troubles when it comes time to fall asleep. it also prevents you from feeling the need to answer any messages, e-mails, or social media updates that may stimulate your mind prior to bed. we all do it and we all know we shouldn’t. charging your phone in another room is a great way to finally take action and make moves towards a healthier you.
invest in your bed/bedding
think about it. what is the one place you spend most of your time? your bed! you may [hopefully] not be awake for most of that time, but a good chunk of your life is spent sleeping. mattresses and bedding are items that last a good while. my husband and i have spent many nights in hotels recently and neither of us were sleeping well. we finally got to move into our home and unwrap our tuft and needle mattress and brooklinen bedding and it was a game changer. we are now sleeping like babies. if you’re in the market for new bedding and or a mattress, i can’t say enough good things about both of them. they’re a match made in heaven. jumping into bed has become one of the most relaxing and enjoyable parts of our day. [as it should be.]
hang out in a room other than your bedroom 1-2 hours prior to bed
according to my doctor, and many studies, the bedroom should be used for sleep and sex only. that’s right, i said it! but really, your bedroom should be your designated place of rest. you wouldn’t be comfortable sleeping in your office, would you? this goes for reading a book in bed, watching late night TV, crossword puzzles, whatever it may be, consider it a no-no. leave your bed as a sleep [or sex] zone only. your body will feel relaxed and ready for bed upon entering your room, which is exactly how you want to feel before bed.
add scents that relax the mind and body to your room
my personal favorite bedtime scents are lavender or chamomile. i use lavender essential oils before bed. i rub some on my wrists and behind my ears about 30 minutes prior to bedtime. it works like a charm every time. the aromas help calm and relax the body. this will get you and your body in the perfect state to get a good night’s rest.
if essential oils are not for you, i recommend trying non-heated infusers, a room spray, or wall plug-in. [if using a wall plug-in, i recommend either turning the scent meter up before bed, or completely unplugging during the day and plug-in 1-2 hours before bed]. you want to avoid using candles before bed because you don’t ever want to fall asleep with a lit candle.
try going sleep at the same time every night
we’ve all heard it. our bodies like routine. [but not for everything]. try going to bed and waking up around the same time every evening and morning. this will help get your body used to bed time. sounds simple and basic, but sometimes we need the reminder. [i know i sure do!]
turn on a fan
using a fan serves two great purposes. first, our body temperature rises as we sleep. one of the reasons for tossing and turning throughout the night is that we become too hot. this could lead to interruptions in your sleep cycle with you waking up in the middle of the night.
fans help keep you cool throughout the night and help minimize sleep interruptions. [if it initially is too chilly for you, throw on a pair of socks to help keep your feet warm.]
second, a fan’s white noise helps drown out any other surrounding noise that you may be focusing on. as a light sleeper, i tend to hear every creak and cranny happening around me. having white noise helps distract your mind from noises that may be keeping you awake. it works wonders for me. a noise machine or playing music at low volumes work as well.
exercise
getting exercise, whether it is going out for a walk, run or hitting the gym, is said to help you get a better night’s rest. exercise increases your body’s temperature. the drop in body temperature post exercise may promote better sleep. some experts even say exercise helps reset the sleep cycle. exercise has also been linked to helping decrease symptoms of anxiety and depression. both which may cause insomnia and may be keeping you awake at night.
shop my favorite pjs
Such great tips! I am going to try charging my phone in another room… As an entrepreneur I always feel the need to check it! Thank you for sharing!
me, too! but i realized it was never just a quick “check”. whatever it was lead to an endless rabbit hole of thoughts and to-do lists. my phone is officially banned from my bedroom!
This list was great. I’ve always smacked before bed, not realizing it could be why I can’t sleep! Thank you!
thank you!! hope it helps 🙂
I 100% needed this! I’m a horrible sleeper. I wake up constantly or just can’t fall asleep. Thanks for the tips!
isn’t that the worst!! i was right there with ya. i wake up in such better moods now, too. lol no one like feeling sleepy and unrested. especially this chick!
I’ve already removed any type of blue-lighted things from my room, I never go into my bedroom except for sleeping, and I already have the fan, so it looks like my last hope is to stop snacking earlier, and time to buy an alarm clock…with a RED light/screen!
definitely try giving the snacking the boot! and maybe find some calming tunes or nature sounds to play softly in the background 🙂
This is such a cute post! I need all the tips and tricks I can get!
http://stopdropandvogue.com
Great tips! I have a lot of trouble sleeping well at night :/ I have to try charging my phone in another room.
xo,
Anastasia
http://www.cashmereconfessions.com
The fan really does help lull me to sleep for some reason but now I have to try the scents!!
x
Missy
http://popofstyle.com
right?! it’s like a magic adult lullaby!
That sleep mask is adorable and I love that you suggested charging your phone in a whole different room to avoid temptation.
it’s a game changer! and there are no dings throughout the night that disrupt you! i know even when i turn mine on silent, the light from the screen wakes me up when an email or message is coming through. definitely worth a try! plus… it feels really nice to just unplug and relax!
I totally should charge my phone in another room. It would force me to get out of bed when the alarm goes off in the morning!
xo Jessica
http://www.whatsfordinneresq.com
haha it definitely helps with that, too!! just make sure you use a loud alarm 🙂
Great bedding is key! Love investing in good pieces.
me, too! i’m obsessed with our new sheets and mattress. seriously, in love!
I love all of these tips! I have the worst sleep habits so I am going to need to give all of these tips a try!
xoxo
Kristen
http://www.everychicway.com
These are such good tips! I have a really hard time falling asleep at night. Love eye masks! Also..your PJs are TOO cute, girl! 🙂
thanks! they’re such a steal at $30!
anything to help a gal sleep especially after the nsale!
haha, amen to that!
These are such great tips!
Liz
http://Www.lizzieinlace.com
Totally agree with your tips – a good workout & hot bath always do the trick for me!
http://www.pennypincherfashion.com
These are seriously all such great tips!! I always have to sleep with a fan on AND my bedding has to be the coziest!! 🙂
thanks girl!! and completely agree. cozy bedding is a must!!
I love that cat nap eye mask!!
it’s my favorite!! i take it on every plane ride with me. the back is loose and soft enough to never crease your hair, but somehow never falls off either! i’m so bummed it’s sold out, but i keep looking around for it to come back in stock 🙂
So many great tips! Thanks for sharing!
-Kat
http://www.katwalksf.com/
These are great tips! I am definitely turning on the fan tonight!!!
Great post! Fabulous tips to help you get settled at night. I struggle staying up too late. A hot bath would definitely help to unwind. Love the oils too…peaceful sleeping with the phone charging is another room. No that’s winning!
thank you! the hot bath is so soothing! i like to use a lavender candle (in a safe spot and out of harms way) while taking my bath to help relax my mind and calm down:)
I definitely charge my phone in the room next to me!! I don’t like to have it near me because it disturbs me. Also i set my alarm on it and I literally have to get up to turn it off lol
hahah exactly! there’s no easy snooze when it’s far away from you! and once you’re up, might as well be up, hah!
Such great tips!! I really need to start charging my phone in another room.
it really does help. it also just feels good to feel disconnected even if it is briefly before falling alseep!
I love these tips! Adding soft scents to my room helps me so much
– xo, Azanique | http://www.lotsofsass.com
thank you! i could not agree more!! the scents really make such a difference!
You are too adorable! I also use essential oils and it helps so much! XO
Anna || A Lily Love Affair
thank you so much 🙂 and don’t they?! i smell lavender and i instantly feel relaxed now!
Such great tips!! Thanks for sharing!!
xoxo,
Angelle
http://www.dashingdarlin.com
you bet 🙂
I always have to have a fan at night, no matter the temperature outside. LOL! Great tips, girl!
xo, Lily
Beauty With Lily
me, too!! even if it’s freezing out! we currently don’t have ceiling fans (i didn’t appreciate them enough when we had them, haha!!) so when it gets too cold, i just face the fan towards the wall so i still get the circulated air and the soothing hum.
Such cute pics and such great tips! Thanks for sharing!
xo, Roselyn
http://www.thestylelynnlife.com
thank you! hope they help you get a great night’s rest 🙂
Great article! I have been working night shift for about the last 5 years. I am a very light sleeper. So these tips are very helpful for me. Thanks for sharing.
thanks so much! i appreciate it. working nights definitely comes with it’s challenges, i hope these tips help you get some good rest!! [i would recommend black out curtains in your bedroom in addition to this list to help block out all light sources]. best of luck!
Hii Jasmine! I came here back to just thank you for your suggestions. It really helps me in getting better sleep at night. I am working in a shopping mall standing and asking people to buy things is a very hard job. After a long hectic day getting a better sleep is my birthright and your suggestions seriously giving me very good sleep. I have given these tips to my colleagues and I hope these will work for them too. You have got your new regular reader, Thanks, Jasmine!
this just made my day!!! thank you so much for reaching out and i am SO happy to hear my tips are helping! standing on your feet all day is not easy, and yes sleep is definitely imperative!!! you deserve a good nights rest, every night!
thank you for following along! hope you had a wonderful thanksgiving ❤️