Have you ever tossed and turned in bed until 3 in the morning? If you have, you are not alone. Everyone has restless nights every once in a while. In order to avoid restless nights, everybody should know a few tips and tricks to help them sleep. The following are some tips to help you prepare your sleep environment, suggestions of things to do before you go to bed, and a few other things you could do throughout the day that will surely help you sleep in no time!

Adjust Your Sleep Environment

1. Keep your bedroom dark. When you’re about to go to bed, your room should be as dark as possible. Some people aren’t comfortable sleeping in complete darkness. If that happens to include you, you could have a dimmable lamp in your room.
2. Adjust the temperature. Trying to sleep in a room that is too hot or too cold won’t work out very well. Most people find it better to sleep in a cool room. If you are not able to adjust the thermostat for your room, you could bring a fan closer to you if you’re hot or layer your blankets if you’re feeling cold.
3. Don’t work in your bedroom. Doing other tasks in your bedroom, or specifically on your bed, can trick your mind into thinking that your bed isn’t just for sleeping. Therefore, when you do try to go to sleep, your mind will tell your body that you should be doing other things and not sleeping.
4. Use comfortable bedding. Your pillows, blankets, and even your mattress can play a role in your quality of sleep. Everyone has different preferences on the type of bedding they’re comfortable sleeping on. You should be able to feel comfortable in your own bed.

Prepare Yourself for Sleep

1. Make yourself a hot beverage. Drinking hot drinks is a good way to wind down before you go to bed. Chamomile tea and warm milk are the most common drinks to have before you sleep.
2. Take a warm bath or shower. Taking warm baths or showers is very relaxing. The warm temperature causes the body’s temperature to drop which helps you sleep.
3. Avoid large dinners. Eating large meals at night can make your stomach feel uncomfortable. This discomfort can worsen when lying in bed.
4. Play background noise. You may find it difficult to sleep in silence. If you need some background noise, you could play relaxing music or white noise to help you fall asleep.
5. Stretch. Stretching helps release muscle tension. You could stretch while standing, sitting, or even while lying in bed.

Practice Healthier Habits

1. Exercise. Daily physical activity can help improve the quality of your sleep. Exercising at least three hours before you go to sleep gets your body tired and gives you enough time to wind down.
2. Avoid caffeine. Caffeine makes it hard to fall asleep at night. Try to cut back on the amount of caffeine you consume daily or avoid it entirely!
3. Take natural supplements. Natural supplements such as valerian, tryptophan, and melatonin are used to promote sleep. If you’re interested in taking supplements to help you sleep, check with your doctor first.

By following all these new tips, you will fall asleep in no time! However, if none of these tips are helping you fall asleep, you might want to go see a doctor. Your doctor can work with you to help find out the underlying reason for your insomnia. Losing sleep too often can negatively affect your health, and therefore it should be taken seriously.

Resources

https://www.mana.md/what-to-do-when-you-cant-sleep/

https://www.themuse.com/advice/19-things-to-try-when-you-cant-sleep-better-than-staring-at-the-clock

https://greatist.com/health/cant-sleep-advice-and-tips#routine