You’ve read article after article. Counted all the sheep. You just can’t get yourself to sleep. Well, that might change soon, because there may be a few methods you haven’t tried that could help you finally settle into slumber. And they happen to be all natural and super easy to implement at home. So check out a few tried-and-true ways to start getting better sleep.
You can also check out another sleep guide we offer: 5 Tips To Help You Get a Good Night’s Sleep
Pay Attention to Your Circadian Rhythm
Your internal clock—or circadian rhythm—determines when you get tired, since it’s what produces the melatonin that tells your body to get ready for bed. Most people have low melatonin levels in the morning and higher levels at night. In particular, most people have the highest levels of melatonin around 10 or 11 pm. So when you feel that wave of exhaustion hit, get in bed! If you wait too long, you might miss it, making it hard to settle into slumber for the night.
Don’t Let Caffeine Affect Your Sleep Habits
Letting coffee wake you up at 7 am is fine, but it’s not so great at 11 pm when you’re trying to relax enough to fall asleep. As great as caffeine is, it has some downsides, and the ability to interrupt your sleep is one of them. The problem with caffeine is that it interferes with sleep by blocking adenosine, which is a neurotransmitter. That’s helpful during the day when you need to work…but not so stellar when you actually want to settle into slumber! Plus, if you drink too much caffeine, you might feel the urge to urinate late at night, making it even harder to sleep. You don’t have to quit your coffee habit entirely to avoid this issue; just make it a point to skip it after about 2 pm each day.
If you’re not so sure if limiting caffeine is worthwhile for a good night’s sleep, read: Go To Bed! Why Sleep Is the Most Important Part of Your Workout Routine
Try An Essential Oil That Will Help You Settle Into Slumber
Essential oils have become pretty popular in recent years, as different scents can have various effects on the body. Some can even make you sleepy! For example, lavender is one of the best essential oils for helping you fall asleep. It calms the whole body and mind, allowing you to settle into slumber so you can stop counting sheep. Spray a little lavender oil on your pillow or your pajamas to get a good night’s sleep!
Use White Noise
If one of the reasons you can’t sleep is that your ears pick up on every little sound around the house, you might need to try out white noise at bedtime. This is simply constant noise that drowns out any sudden sounds that might keep you awake or startle you from a peaceful slumber. White noise could be a fan that whirs loudly enough to keep you from hearing every creak of the house or snore of other sleepers nearby. You can also buy a white noise machine or use a white noise app on your phone so you can easily settle into slumber any night of the week.
Find out how white noise works when you read: Why Does White Noise Help People Sleep?
If you’ve been having trouble sleeping, feel free to try out any of these ways of improving your sleep habits. And be sure to let us know which of these ultimately works for you!
Other sources on how to settle into slumber:
3 simple ways to get more restful sleep
How to sleep like a boss
Battling Insomnia? How Yoga Can Help You Sleep
hello@fitformulanutrition.com
