I thought today I would share my tips on how to fall asleep faster, stay asleep and wake up feeling refreshed in the morning.
1. Plan ahead - set the stage for a good night’s sleep! How??
- Avoid caffeine after 2pm.
- Exercise for at least 20 minutes during the day, not late at night.
- Avoid alcohol within 3 hours of bedtime as alcohol disturbs your sleep
- Do not eat or drink too close to bedtime (especially if you tend to wake up for a bathroom trip during the night)!
2. Wind down - create a bedtime routine that helps your body naturally wind down so that you are in a parasympathetic mode at bedtime. This could include journaling as a reflection of the day, writing down all the thoughts that tend to come up and stop you from falling asleep. Or write a to do list for the next day as well as anything else that your brain starts to think about once your head hits your pillow.
4. Create a Sleep Sanctuary in your bedroom - this means a dark space, no light, and no phones, plus a comfortable sleeping surface. Try to get your room to a cool temperature, lower than 19 degrees C and no distractions.
5. Have a good morning - believe it or not, your sleep routine starts when you wake up in the morning. Exposing yourself to full light for 30 minutes in the first 1-2 hours of being awake helps your body to produce more melatonin at night, oh and also try to avoid grabbing your phone first thing in the morning too, as you want to be exposing yourself to natural light, not the blue light from your phone.
And if you have tried all these things and still have trouble sleeping, try a herbal sleep tea such as Calm, Summer Dreams or Sleep.