Tips to Improve Your Sleep
Having difficulty sleeping? You’re not alone. In my experience as a clinician, the majority of my clients report trouble with falling asleep, staying asleep, or feeling well rested after a night’s sleep. Sleep plays a significant role in both your mental and physical health.
The following are some tips and tricks that you can try to increase your chances of getting a good night’s rest:
Implement a “Wind Down” routine. Our minds and bodies are not designed to abruptly shut off. You’ll likely have an easier time falling asleep if you gradually allow yourself to slow down and relax before bed time. You can incorporate a variety of relaxing activities in to your wind down routine, such as drinking a hot cup of tea, taking a warm bath, listening to calming music, journaling, or simply preparing for sleep with basic hygiene (i.e. brushing your teeth, washing your face, putting on comfortable pajamas).
Stop doing non bedtime activities. When it’s time to wind down, be intentional about stopping your other tasks. Turn off your phone and the tv. Stop responding to work emails or doing your household chores. One of the best ways to get good sleep is simply by creating time and space for sleep. This means we have to put an end to our “awake” tasks and save them for the next day.
Create a proper atmosphere for sleep. Make sure your sleeping space is clean, quiet, dark, and the proper temperature to ensure the best rest. People tend to fall asleep easier and get better quality sleep in uncluttered environments. Light can also impact the quality of your sleep. Even if you are in the habit of falling asleep with the lights on, turning off the tv and nightlights and see if you notice a difference. If you are waking up in the middle of the night because you are too hot or too cold, adjust the thermostat, your clothing, or bed coverings accordingly.
Prepare your mind for sleep. If your thoughts are keeping you up at night, try journaling or praying before bed. People often tend to find themselves thinking through the next day’s responsibilities when they are supposed to be going to sleep. Journaling can help you take the time to address any worry thoughts you have and clear them from your mind. If you notice yourself slipping back in to these thoughts when you’re trying to fall asleep, make an intentional effort to tell yourself that now is not the time.
Limit the caffeine and alcohol. Caffeine can stay in your bloodstream for over 8 hours, so even if you think it’s not effecting you, see if cutting out caffeine (or at least stopping it several hours before bedtime) makes a difference in how you feel. Be mindful of all the different food and drink that might contain caffeine, including coffee, many teas, chocolate, energy drinks, and even kombucha. While alcohol might make you feel sleepy, it impacts your quality of sleep and inhibits your body’s ability to enter the deeper stages of sleep, which are necessary for feeling fully rested.
Don’t overlook the seemingly simple things that might be inhibiting your sleep. While problems sleeping may be complex, sometimes there are very simple solutions to improving your sleep. Are you feeling tired because you stay up too late scrolling on your phone until just a few hours before your alarm goes off? Shut it down. Waking up in the middle of the night because of your pets or kids? Try setting some bedtime boundaries so you’re undisturbed. Can’t sleep the entire night through because you’re letting yourself fall asleep on the couch watching TV? Be intentional about going to your bedroom when you’re feeling sleepy.
Be present and enjoy bedtime. Rather than stressing about the tasks that did not get done and need to be finished tomorrow, allow yourself to enjoy the fact that it is time to relax and unwind. Keep your mind focused on the present and soak in the feeling of slowing down and relaxing. This enhances the quality of your evening and will improve your chances of quality sleep.
Poor sleep can have a variety of underlying causes, and it can be helpful to try to identify what might be the root of your own sleep issues. If you can’t pinpoint it on your own, don’t be afraid to reach out to a professional to identify any physical or mental health related factors that might be contributing.
If you are located within the states of Arizona or Colorado, a therapist at Clarity Christian Counseling can help! Request your free phone consultation today!