7 Tips to Get You Sleeping Again
Hadley Seward – certified sleep consultant and certified health coach
7 Tips to Get You Sleeping Again
Picture this: it’s 4am and you’re awake. No matter what you try, you cannot fall back asleep. Sound familiar? Insomnia — which includes difficulty falling asleep at bedtime and staying asleep throughout the night — is the most common sleep concern in America. An estimated 30 percent of the population is affected by insomnia, especially older adults and women. While there is no cure-all for insomnia, there are many measures to help to combat it.
Most importantly, talk to your doctor about any underlying health concerns that could affect your ability to fall or stay asleep. It’s especially important to rule out sleep apnea. Furthermore, ask whether any medications you routinely take could be interfering with your sleep.
Prioritization
Once you’ve ruled out medical issues, prioritize your sleep schedule. The human body is regulated by a circadian rhythm. This rhythm resets each morning when we awaken. It’s a cycle designed to begin around the same time every day. And, if it doesn’t, it can seriously impair your ability to sleep well at night. Bottom line: it’s best to wake up and go to bed at the same time every day (including weekends!).
Related Article: 6 Best Essential Oils for Sleeping
Craft the Right Environment
Is your room sleep-friendly? We sleep best in cool, dark, and quiet environments. Do you live in a city or your partner snores? I suggest using HoMedics SS-2000G/F-AMZ Sound Spa Relaxation Machine with 6 Nature Sounds, Silver
Stay Active
Be sure that you’re active during the day. Studies have shown that regular exercise can help you to fall asleep faster [2]. Yoga is particularly useful if you’re looking to improve sleep quality [3].
Chronic nappers, beware: a midday siesta might worsen nighttime sleep difficulties. Instead, head outdoors and expose yourself to natural daylight to re-energize.
Related Article: 6 Best Sleep Trackers
Small Tips
Do you find that you’re waking up with your head full of worries? Keep a notebook next to your bed where you make a list of everything on your mind before you go to sleep.
Another option is to try essential oils. Stephanie Jiroch, founder of Simply Chic Essentials, recommends placing a few drops of therapeutic-grade lavender oil in a diffuser or rubbing a few drops onto the soles of your feet before bedtime. “The anti-anxiety activity of lavender aromatherapy has been demonstrated in several small and medium-sized clinical trials,” says Jiroch.
Still waking up overnight? Instead of lying there for hours fretting about your inability to go back to sleep, a better strategy is to limit the tossing and turning to 20 minutes. After that, get out of bed and engage in a quiet activity (such a reading). Once you feel more relaxed, get back into bed and try to sleep.
Meditation can also help relax your mind and keep your stress levels in check. I recommend utilizing the Muse Headband, which is a great meditation aid that helps guide you to a calm mind.
You can also try this Urban Spa Silk Eye Pillow with French Lavender for Sleeping.
Related Article: Exercise-Induced Sleep Improvements
References:
[1] Lai, H.L. et al. Music improves sleep quality in older adults. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 2005;49(3):234-44.
[2] Browman, C. P., Sleep Following Sustained Exercise. Psychophysiology. 1980; 17: 577–580.
[3] Khalsa, S. B., Treatment of chronic insomnia with yoga: a preliminary study with sleep-wake diaries. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback. 2004; 29(4): 269-78.
JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER
You Might Like:
Best Time to Work Out Based on Sleep Animal
Should you work out at night, mid-day, or morning based on your sleep animal: Lion, Bear, Dolphin, or Wolf? Most people seem to think that waking up early and “getting after it” with a solid...
Menopause and Sleep
Hunter Bennett Menopause is commonly considered to be one of the most trying times in a woman’s life. A time of vast change, it comes with a number of unique effects that can make even...
Is Sleep the Missing Link to Athletic Performance?
Hunter Bennett When it comes to maximizing athletic performance, we often find ourselves seeking out complex training methodologies and fancy new pieces of equipment to get an edge on the competition – and as a...
The Effects of Sleep Quality and HIIT
Moji Kaviani Quality of sleep appears to be positively associated with both physical and psychological health (Halson, 2016; Lastella et al., 2012). Therefore, numerous studies examined the relationship between physical activity and sleep suggesting that...
Best White Noise Machines For Sleep
Getting enough sleep is critical for your mind and body. For that reason, many people rely on white noise machines to help them get to sleep and stay there all night. What are White Noise...
5 Signs of Sleep Apnea
Most people snore once in a while, but what happens when your loud, continuous snoring becomes a nightly occurrence? If it’s accompanied by other symptoms, you could be one of the estimated 22 million American...
