The first thing my 6-year-old said to me this morning was, “Ma…the only difference between pigs and flying pigs is flying pigs have wings.” Wouldn’t it be nice if the first real thought of your day was something along those lines? Maybe not pigs exactly, but you know what I mean.

(My 6-year-old is my best sleeper. God bless him. And he is always happy. I think there’s some kind of connection there!)

What was your first thought this morning? I don’t remember mine, but I’m pretty sure it was something along the lines of, “I’m so tired.” It may have included an “ugh” or two. Several snoozes followed, though not much actual sleep. Just lots of lying there putting off the inevitability of getting out of the warm cozy bed and into the rest of the cold dark house.

Some mornings are harder than others. The better mornings are almost always the ones that follow a good night’s sleep. Whether you’re an awesome sleeper like my little Danny (have I said God bless him yet?) or a terrible sleeper like some other people I know, there are a few things you can do to make the chances of getting a good night sleep a little bit higher…

Bedtime Habits to Help You Sleep

• Keep a consistent bedtime. I know this is hard- it’s hard when your schedule varies or your bedtime is at the mercy of other people’s bedtimes too. But if you can do your best to keep it pretty consistent you’ll sleep better. You should also try to keep your wake-up time consistent too. Which sucks on the weekends and which I’m much more likely to ignore.
• Avoid eating at night. If for no other reason than having food sitting in your digestive tract while you’re lying down. You don’t want to go to bed starving either because that might keep you up. Caffeine can affect your sleep, too, so try not to drink coffee or tea too late. (For help kicking the nighttime snacking habit read this post.)
• Turn off the TV. And all the other technology, too, especially…gasp…your phone. The light is bad for getting into sleep mode, stuff you read and see might affect your mood, it’s all bad for getting yourself in a relaxed and positive state before sleep.
• Read. Read a good book before bed. It’s a nice way to get tired without the artificial stimulation of electronics. Books can offer the same distraction TV offers- disrupting the stream of thinking that might keep you up at night.
• Do a brain dump. If you feel stressed this is a great thing to do before you go to sleep. You’ll unload the things that might be running through your mind and feel more in control. Just write down all the to-dos and nagging worries. (If you’re a worrier like me, check out this post for more ways to manage it!)
• Set an intention for the morning. Think about how you want to wake up in the morning. Start some positive thoughts going in your head. Looking to start working out in the mornings? Plan it the night before. Want to get up without hitting snooze? Tell yourself that’s what you’ll do. Just want to wake up thinking happy thoughts? Get that happy thought in there now. Maybe it will be flying pigs, maybe something else? Either way, let it replay in your mind so you drift off with good thoughts and not worries.
• Keep your bedroom cool. It’s better for you. I forget why, but my dad always said so and I believe him. During the winter months, I turn the heat down before we start the whole bedtime process.
• Keep it dark. Again- better for you. The whole circadian rhythm something somethings. Keep it as close to total darkness as you can get while you’re sleeping and dim the lights for an hour or two before bedtime if you can swing it.
• Create a relaxing environment. Try to keep your bedroom neat and serene. “Neat” doesn’t come naturally to me, but I’m working on it. We recently painted our room a pale blue and decluttered it. My husband got an essential oil diffuser for Christmas (that Santa really knows his stuff!) and we’ll turn that on in the evening. Make your bedroom a retreat, a place in which you can relax and rest easy.
• Stretch. Or do a little yoga. I’ve read that you should avoid strenuous exercise a few hours before bed if you can help it, but some gentle movement can relax you.

There are also teas and supplements that can help you sleep. A friend of mine recommended a magnesium supplement to help with insomnia and muscle soreness and I think it really helps. Several people I know swear by melatonin, a natural sleep aid. And good old chamomile tea is relaxing- just don’t drink it too close to bedtime or you’ll have to get up to go to the bathroom!  Essential oils are all the rage now and lavender is one that’s supposed to be relaxing. Try one of those nifty diffusers or use an essential oil misting spray or roll-on oil.

Sleep Aids

• Chamomile tea (or other Sleepy Time teas)
• Magnesium
• Melatonin
• Essential Oils

(Check out this article by Dr. Axe for a few more natural sleep aids!)

Counting sheep might sound a little ridiculous but repeating mantras or counting your breaths in and out can help you get sleepy if you find yourself having trouble falling asleep once you’re in bed. Breathe in slowly and out slowly. Repeat a word or phrase, or just count breaths in and breaths out.

Bedtime Routine

Just like a good morning routine can start your day off right, a good nighttime routine can set you up for better sleep. Create a routine that works for you and it will signal your mind and body that it’s time to get ready to sleep. Everyone’s routine will look different. Make self-care a part of your routine, too! Wash your face, use a nice face cream. Pamper yourself a little and do something nice.

Part of the problem with bedtime routines is that it’s hard to go to bed early. The nighttime is when we finally get time for ourselves, time to relax. Maybe for the first time all day. It’s hard to give up that “free time” so we resist going to bed early.

Maybe if we incorporate some downtime as part of our bedtime routine it will be easier to get to bed at a reasonable hour. And if we realize how important sleep is to the rest of our day, how much more likely we are to meet our goals if we are well rested and functioning better, we’ll make it a priority.

Another thing that might help is finding some way to figure out free time for ourselves earlier in the evening. Let someone else (or make someone else) clean the kitchen and take that half hour or so to hide out somewhere. Give the kids a half hour to watch a show and give yourself a half hour to look up stuff on your phone or scroll Pinterest. Find a pocket of time for yourself so you don’t resent going to bed so much.

Wake up Happier…

A good night’s sleep is important for so many reasons. It can affect your hormone levels and even impact weight loss. Lack of sleep makes it harder for your body to fight off sickness. There are other longterm negative side effects for your health as well.

I know when I’m tired I’m more emotional- moodier, more irritable, and more likely to cry. It’s harder to make good food choices when I’m tired too. And things just feel worse when I’m tired. Little things feel like a bigger deal.

I remember when one of my kids was a newborn and I was feeling like a crazy person a friend reminded me that sleep deprivation is used as a form of torture. Anyone who has experience with newborns or insomnia will understand!

Whether your trouble is falling asleep or waking up during the night and having trouble falling back to sleep (or both!) these habits can help. But just like making other changes, changing your sleep habits takes some work. You might not like giving up TV at night or sticking to a routine. (Routines make me feel old, but they work!) Quality sleep is worth it, though.

We probably know most of these good little habits, but how many of us actually practice them consistently? I know I don’t! I try and I do a lot of these things, but it’s hard. It’s hard to go to bed early. There’s so much to do. The phone is very tempting. There are so many options for binge-watching! It’s hard to fit all this stuff in…

But when you think about it- you can take care of your sleep environment fairly easily. So there’s something! Then pick one habit to try at a time. Build from there…

Do you have good bedtime habits? Is there something you do to help you sleep? I’d love to hear!

 

 

 

 

 

P.S. Share this post with someone you know who has trouble sleeping! Or maybe someone who’s a little cranky during the day 🙂

P.P.S. Don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more healthy tips and ideas…