Experts 5 Favorite Things to Help You Sleep All Night Long
It’s been a long day. You ran around getting the kids to school, crossing things off your to-do list, and finishing work projects. You are a ROCKSTAR.
You are ready to get some rest. You lay your head down and wait for sleep to come.
Instead, your mind is filled with fear and anxiety. Thoughts rush at you: overdue tasks, finances, family issues or world problems. Does this sound familiar?
Sleep is the pillar to your happiness and wellbeing; some say sleep is just as important as working out and nutrition.
When you are rested you can stay focused, manage emotions, and are in a better mood.
This is why it is so important to talk about what to do when anxiety and fear disturb your nights.
In the last few months, anxiety has crept back into my nights and keeping me up. My normal tricks have not helped and so I went in search of answers, and I wanted to share with you what I found.
5 Tools to Help Calm Your Nighttime Anxiety
Create a bedtime routine: A bedtime routine helps get your body and mind ready for bed. When done consistently, it will trigger that sleepy feeling. Check out these calming bedtime routines.
2. Create a peaceful atmosphere: Look around your room, what might be keeping you up? Lights coming off your electronics, animals moving around, is it too hot or too cold? Taking the time to set up your sleeping area can help you fall asleep and stay asleep. Here are a few things to try:
A weighted blanket: these have been a trusted tool to help sleep anxiety. If you like to be held at night this may be what you are looking for.
Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet. Take the time to get rid of or cover up any light that might be coming off your tv, electronics, or even alarm clocks. If your phone dings throughout the night make sure to put it on do not disturb.
Comfortable sheets: there is nothing better than getting into bed with soft comfortable sheets.
3. Calm the mind:
It is hard to fall asleep when your mind is racing. Here are a few tricks that experts recommend:
Calm App bedtime stories: this popular app offers a free and a paid version. Bedtime stories are not just for kids anymore, drift off to sleep listening to a calming voice telling you a story.
Night meditation: Relax & Rest App is a favorite full-body guided relaxation meditation. It helps release any tension that you have been carrying all day and helps you relax into sleep.
Journaling: end your night with gratitude practice. Remember the happy moments of the day and release any thoughts and feelings that might keep you up. Check out our best-seller
4. Stress-reducing natural supplement: These natural supplements are proven to help relieve stress and enhance relaxation. As with any natural supplement, talk with your healthcare provider before starting:
Ginkgo Biloba: Take 250 mg 30–60 minutes before bed
Magnesium: Try the calm drink
L-theanine: Take 100–200 mg before bed
Lavender: Take 80–160 mg containing 25–46%.
5. What to avoid
It is important to set up a healthy routine and habits to help ease you into sleep, but just as important is to know what may be causing you difficulty sleeping so that you can make smart choices:
Caffeine, alcohol, smoking before bed
Staying in bed for too long, if after 20 minutes you still have not fallen asleep get-up and do something
Limit blue light from phones, tablets, and TV leading up to bedtime
Anxiety is never fun. Trying to understand where the anxiety is coming from and what you can do about it is important to help overcome and work through it.
You deserve to be well-rested. If sleepless nights are affecting you, then find a routine and habits that can help you. If you are finding that you are still having trouble sleeping after these tips, reach out and talk to your doctor to rule out any medical issues or see a specialist to help work through your anxieties. Together we are better.
Your Happiness Action Steps
Create a simple bedtime routine that you can commit to every day even on your busiest days.
What’s in Your Control Review the past few nights, is there something that is keeping you up or waking you up that you can change before you go to bed? Do you need to adjust the temperature in your room, cover any lights, remove any unnecessary sounds?
Plan What is one thing you can try before you go to bed to help relieve some stress? What is one thing you can try as you wake with anxiety to help you fall back asleep?
Sweet Dreams