Sometimes it seems like falling asleep can be quite the battle. For example, last night I crawled into bed at my normal 10:30 bedtime. However, I didn’t fall asleep for another hour! Every time I would close my eyes, my mind would start racing through all sorts of topics.
What will I plant in my garden this year? Did I actually turn off that light upstairs? What should I pack for lunch in the morning? The thoughts just kept on coming, leaving me wide awake long after I should have been sleeping!
With how busy our lives can be, it’s no surprise that when we go to bed at night, we often don’t fall asleep for quite some time. After waking up more tired than usual this morning, I wanted to put together a list of ways to help myself (and all of you!) fall asleep easier at night. Getting enough sleep is an important part of our overall health!
Pump some iron. You knew I was going to fit exercise in here somehow, didn’t you? The reality is that regular exercise during the day can help you fall asleep more easily when it’s time to hit the hay. Is that really a surprise? After a good spinning class, I usually sleep like a baby!
Follow the sun’s cue. Our bodies are naturally set to react to sunlight and darkness. Sometimes with the change of the seasons, though, our internal clock can get confused. When you go to sleep, turn off all the lights and pull the shades to ensure that your bedroom stays dark. To help energize yourself the next morning, open up the shades and let that sunlight shine through!
Your bed is not a desk. Reserve your bed only for sleeping activities. Balancing your checkbook or compiling some notes for tomorrow’s meeting in bed sounds more relaxing than sitting in your home office. However, if you begin to associate your bed with these types of activities it becomes much more difficult to shut your mind off when it comes time to catch some z’s.
Stay on schedule. We tend to be creatures of habit, even when it comes to sleeping. If you start going to bed and waking up at the same time every day (yes, even on weekends!), you may start to find that it is easier to fall asleep.
Make a list. Sometimes when I close my eyes at night, it’s like a big to-do list flashes before my eyes. Before I know it, I’m wide awake thinking about things I need to do tomorrow. A great practice is to sit down before bedtime and physically write out your list of to-dos. By getting them down on paper, it will help put your mind at ease and make falling asleep easier.
Tonight I plan on implementing some of these ideas into my routine. In fact, my first step will be writing out my to-do list. I think it will really take a weight off my mind! Let me know how these work for you, or if you have any other suggestions to add to this list.
If you’re looking for additional tips on how to fall asleep, check out these sleep-inducing suggestions from Helpguide.org.
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