We spend about a third of our lives sleeping, and it’s important to get enough of it! However, not everyone has the same sleeping habits, so there’s no one way to get better sleep every night. Here are five tips to help you sleep better tonight (and every night)
1) Sleep In Bright Light
Light has a major impact on our circadian rhythms. Ideally, we’d wake up in bright light and go to sleep in dark rooms so that our body could set its biological clock accordingly. Even if you can’t change your bedroom lighting, make sure you don’t sleep with any lamps or other lights that could interfere with natural sleeping patterns; for optimal energy and health, try not to sleep with artificial light for at least an hour before hitting your pillow. One study showed that exposure to room light before bedtime for as little as six minutes can delay your internal clock by two hours—meaning it takes your body longer than usual to get ready for sleep.
2) Have A Bedtime Routine
If you know that you need to be asleep by 11:00 p.m., it makes sense that getting into bed around 10:00 p.m. each night gives your body time to wind down and relax. Start winding down a few hours before your target bedtime; have a cup of herbal tea, do some light stretches, and spend time with people who don’t stress you out (because they’re part of your routine). Even if you have trouble falling asleep right away, trying to sleep on a consistent schedule will help improve your overall quality of sleep; we all get tired at roughly the same times every day.
3) Create A Healthy Sleep Environment
The first step in getting a better night’s sleep is creating a healthy sleep environment. Your bedroom should be cool, dark and quiet. By getting rid of electronics (no phones, tablets or TVs allowed), limiting light sources, and shutting down your computer at least an hour before bedtime you’ll drastically increase your ability to fall asleep quickly and maintain a steady sleep schedule. If you live in a noisy neighborhood or have trouble sleeping in silence consider using earplugs or an app like White Noise for Android or iOS.
4) Try Self-Hypnosis
Studies have shown that hypnosis can improve sleep quality and duration. Anecdotally, I find that self-hypnosis (where you listen to a hypnotic recording with your eyes closed) works particularly well for me. In fact, if I’m having trouble sleeping (which is rare these days), I often use my own recording and am asleep in minutes. The following is an excerpt from another post where I share a recording of self-hypnosis for better sleep
5) Take Supplements
While there’s no magic pill that will make you sleep instantly, there are some supplements that can help. If you’re having trouble sleeping, it may be due to a deficiency in certain nutrients. Taking supplements like magnesium or B vitamins can help regulate your body and give you better sleep. However, if insomnia is a chronic problem for you (or if you aren’t sure what might be causing it), schedule an appointment with your doctor to see if something else might be going on—such as depression or anxiety—that would warrant treatment.