How to Get a Better Sleep

Hey friends!  I feel like I haven’t been around here as much lately, but I’m working on getting back on a more regular schedule this week.  Between traveling for work, keeping up with the kids activities, getting caught up on some projects around the house, and a book that I am working on, time has been at a premium and I’ve been feeling a little overwhelmed.  I’m sure you all know how it goes. 😉

While I talk a lot on the blog about how to organize your home, I think that working on “organizing” your mind, body, and soul is probably even more important and often forgotten about in this craziness of life.  Taking care of myself happens to be one of the areas that I personally struggle with the most, so I thought that I would put together a little series of ways to renew, refresh, and rejuvenate your mind and body – both as a reminder to myself and as a reminder to you.  Hopefully you will find them helpful and will take some time to do what you need to do to make yourself happy.  An organized, clean home is awesome – but only if you are able to relax and enjoy it!

Anyways, one of the things that I always try to get back to when I’m feeling a little stressed is getting back into a regular sleep routine.  It usually takes a couple of weeks to take effect, but I really do feel so much better when I am getting a consistent sleep.  While most of us know that we should be getting 7-9 hours of sleep per night and understand how important sleep is for our physical and mental well being, many of us are not getting enough of those precious sleep hours and walking around in a constant sleep-deprived state.   While some people may suffer from sleep disorders or other medical conditions that may affect their sleep, have little ones that are still waking at night, or work odd shift hours, there are still many other factors that you can take control over to ensure that you are getting the most out of your night’s sleep.

If you are struggling to figure out how to get a better sleep, here are some tips that you might find helpful.  If you are one of those people that doesn’t get enough sleep, I hope that you are able to take some time to find a good sleeping schedule that works for you!

Prioritize Your Tasks During the Day
There are often more items on our “To Do List” than we have time for in the day.  Make sure that you tackle those tasks that are most important first thing in the day so you do not have to stay up late to get them done, and learn to say “no” to those tasks that are not essential.  I find that using a notebook and this simple method, really helps me to focus on getting those “mandatory” things done.  I also try to take a few minutes at the end of the day to write down the top priorities for the next day and find that this is helpful to clear my mind and make me feel more prepared.

Create a Relaxing Bedtime Routine
Many people have difficulty letting go of the problems and stresses that they encounter throughout the day and this can easily interfere with sleep patterns.  Start by creating a relaxing and calming bedtime routine that may include a warm bath, reading with a bedside light, or listening to quiet music or audio books.   Try writing down your thoughts in a journal to help calm your mind and get your emotions in check.  When it is time for sleep, focus on closing your eyes and taking slow, deep breaths.   I use this 4-7-8 breathing method each night when I first lie down: breath in through your nose for a count of 4, hold for a count of 7 and then exhale through your mouth with a whooshing noise for a count of 8.  After about 4 cycles, I just work on taking slow, deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth.  Whether it is the actual technique itself, or the fact that I have to concentrate on the counts, it really helps me to clear my mind and prepare for sleep.  I also like to spray my pillow with a nighttime linen spray – it gives a nice, relaxing scent to breath in when I am taking those deep breaths!

Create Your Ideal Sleep Environment
Ideally, your room should be completely dark, cool, and quiet.  All electronic devices should be turned off – even the light from alarm clocks can emit enough light to disrupt sleep.  Use heavy curtains to block out any outdoor light or wear a sleep mask to cover your eyes.  The temperature of your room is also an important consideration.  Anywhere between 65 and 70 degrees is recommended; however, this can vary from person to person so you may have to do a little experimenting.   If your room is noisy try using a fan or white noise machine to mask the outside sounds.  If you wake up stiff or sore, try different pillows – this may take some trial and error so don’t be afraid to try a few pillow options out!  I recently got a memory foam pillow {which is actually really heavy and feels like it would not be comfortable at all!} but I love it and it has really made a big difference.  If changing your pillow out doesn’t make any difference, it might be time to look at new mattress options.

Schedule “Me Time” During the Day
One of the biggest excuses that I hear for staying up late {and one that I often use myself!} is that the late hours after the kids go to bed is the only time that we actually have to ourselves.  Instead of going to bed and getting a good night’s sleep, we use this time to catch up on television shows, head on to the computer, or catch up on our other hobbies.   Try scheduling time for yourself sometime during the day so you do not feel the need to stay up so late – grab a babysitter for an hour, find a friend to swap childcare with, or put the kids to bed a little earlier.

Shut Down Electronic Devices Early
The light that is emitted from television sets, computer screens, and even back-lit portable e-readers or ipads suppresses melatonin production and can lead to poor sleep.  While we should be settling our bodies down in preparation for sleep, these activities can often be more stimulating for the mind and lead to difficulties when trying to fall asleep.   Try taping favorite television shows and watching them earlier in the evening and avoid electronic devices for at least one hour before bedtime.  Instead take the time to focus on other, quieter activities that you may like to do such as reading or other hobby.

Develop a Regular Sleep-Wake Cycle
Aim to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day – even on the weekends!  Although this can take a lot of discipline, it will make you feel more energized and refreshed than if you have the same hours of sleep at different times. This is usually one of the hardest ones for me and I can quickly start to get into a bad cycle of staying up really late one night and then crashing when I put the kids to bed the next night which never makes me feel good.   If you are trying to get yourself used to an earlier bedtime, move your bedtime up by 10-15 minutes per day until you are at your ideal time.

Watch Your Diet
Try to stop eating at least three hours before bedtime and avoid stimulants such as caffeine and tobacco in the later afternoon and evening.  If you must have a bedtime snack, keep it small and stick with food that is easier to digest such as some toast or small bowl of cereal.  One of the added benefits of getting to bed on time is that I usually avoid those pantry cupboard food raids that I tend to do when I am up late.  You should also try to limit liquids before bed to avoid being woken up in the night to go to the bathroom.  Try to drink lots of water throughout the day so you are not suddenly dying of thirst just before you go to bed {I’m terrible for this!}.  Limit alcoholic drinks as well – even though alcohol is a depressant it can limit the amount of deep sleep that you receive and will interfere with your sleep patterns.

Make sure you give yourself time to build up to the tips – or even just start with two or three – and give your body time to adjust.  I will say that getting a good night’s sleep takes some effort and intentional planning throughout the day, but like all habits, the more often you do it, the easier it becomes. It is definitely something that you owe yourself and your family will likely also benefit from a more rested you!

Do you have any sleeping tricks or tips that work for you?  I’m always looking for ways to get a better sleep so I would love to hear them!

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