This post may contain affiliate links and I may earn compensation when the links are used at no additional cost to you. See full disclosure policy here: https://wakeupandbesavvy.com/disclosure-policy
We all have those nights where we just CAN’T fall asleep no matter how tired we are. Unfortunately, it happens to some of us a lot more than it does to others. I used to have horrible problems falling asleep at night. When you have a job that requires you to get up early and go to work every day, this isn’t a great scenario. I have found that these five things have helped me fall asleep faster at night and have decreased the amount of nights just staring at the ceiling and praying I’ll fall asleep soon.
Have a set bedtime
I try to go to bed at 10 pm every single night. It was very difficult at first to get in the habit of keeping my bedtime consistent, especially after college. I’ve noticed a huge change in my sleep patterns since implementing a bedtime.
I fall asleep much faster because my body has gotten into this routine and knows exactly what time to plan on shutting down for bed each night. I consistently get eight hours or more of sleep because having a set a bedtime set me up for success with that. This allows me to ensure that my body can go through its entire sleep schedule which helps me wake up energized and ready for the day.
Have a nighttime routine
If you keep a consistent routine for getting ready for bed eventually your body will start to correlate this with preparing to go to sleep. Once your body adjusts to this routine you will be able to fall asleep faster because your body will start preparing for sleep before you actually lay down.
My nighttime routine consists of a few things. I feed my cats and give them fresh water. (this is also part of my morning routine). I take off my makeup, brush my teeth and go through my skincare regimen. And finally, I get a glass of water and read a chapter of a book in bed.
Avoid using screens 30 minutes before bed
This was the HARDEST thing for me to do. The absolute most basic way to put this one is that when our body senses light, it correlates that with daytime. No light equates to nighttime which equates to sleep time. Screens have a high concentration of blue light which can, in simple terms, confuse your body’s internal clock. You can wear blue light glasses or use night mode on many devices to reduce the effect of the blue light, but cutting it out completely before bed would be the ideal solution.
Avoid caffeine in the afternoon
Try drinking herbal teas instead or if you don’t like tea, just stick to water. Caffeine can stay in your body for 4-6 hours. So make sure to avoid caffeine after dinnertime. earlier if possible. Whether you can feel the effects or not, it can mess with your ability to both fall asleep and to get good sleep. You can also get tea that has ingredients specific to helping with sleep, so that’s a great alternative as well.
Try aromatherapy
My husband and I recently got an essential oil diffuser for our bedroom because he was having trouble falling asleep at night. He bought an oil called Dream. It’s a mixture of lavender, vetiver, cedarwood, bergamot, lime, marjoram and coconut. We set the timer on the machine and it diffuses the oil into the air. He keeps it on his bedside and it has worked wonders. Plain lavender is also a great option. You can use a diffuser or use it as a spray for your pillow. There are lotions and balms available. There are so many different options when it comes to using essential oils, so you should be able to find an option that works for you. My husband and I have preferred the diffuser. We also have another diffuser in our living room.
These five suggestions have really worked wonders for my husband and I. We both have had problems with sleep in the past. It was either issues falling asleep or issues waking up multiple times in the middle of the night. For me, the thing that helped the most was avoiding screens. My husband thinks the routine and the essential oils are what helped him. I’m sure that the combination of everything is what has really made such an extreme difference in our sleeping habits.
Is there anything you do to help with falling asleep at night?