Tips for Better Sleep

For many of us, restful sleep has become one more challenge. If you’re having issues falling asleep, here are some new, relevant tips for getting a better night’s rest.

Have a nightly wind-down routine, similar to routines we institute for our children. Adults need to slowly descend from the day in order to have a stable night of sleep. Fifteen to 30 minutes of meditation, light stretching, or reading is all you need. Avoid digital devices during this time. The content you take in from these devices can stimulate your brain at a time when you’re trying to relax.

If you’re struggling with sleep, remove all clock faces from the bedroom. Looking at the time while you’re tossing and turning can trigger more anxiety.

Don’t stay in bed if you can’t sleep. If you haven’t fallen asleep within 20 minutes, get out of bed and do something like reading in low light until you feel sleepy. You want to avoid a connection in your mind between your bed and sleeplessness.

Keep technology out of your bedroom and don’t make it the first thing you look at in the morning. When you look at your email or social media right when you wake up, a flood of anxiety can wash over you before you’ve even started your day. In addition, your brain trains itself to anticipate anxiety each morning, and your sleep can be lightened during the night because of this expectation.

Set reasonable goals so you don’t set yourself up for failure. For instance, if you usually look at your phone as soon as you wake up, try waiting 5 minutes to check your phone. After you’ve done that a couple of days, move it to 10 minutes and so on until you reach one hour.

If you have a sleep disorder such as ongoing insomnia or sleep apnea, you’ll need to consult with your doctor for the best methods of improving your sleep.