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Tips to Improve the Quality and Quantity of Your Sleep
Sleep is one of the most vital necessities in life. Despite it’s importance, many of us still don’t get enough sleep each night. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, we need between 7-8 hours of sleep a night. That’s actual sleep! Not laying in bed reading or scrolling through Facebook, but actual, good, solid shut-eye. Now I’m not sure about you, but between my job, family, school, and plenty of other things, I definitely don’t get a solid 7 or 8 hours of sleep. I think if I’m lucky I may get 5, possibly 6 good hours of sleep.
Recently I’ve been trying to change that though and really focus on my sleep and bedtime routine. Read on to find out how I have been able to increase the amount of sleep I get each night.
Get up and go to bed at the same time every day.
Our bodies get accustomed to a routine over time, so setting your alarm to get up each day at the same time will start become natural and easier over time. For most people, getting to bed at the same time each night seems to be the more difficult part of this equation, so do your best to plan ahead to ensure you make getting to bed on time a priority. A few things you can do to help with this are:
- Set an alarm to alert you that you have 30 minutes before you need to get to bed. This will give you ample time to do anything you need to do as part of your bedtime routine.
- Put your lights on a timer to coincide with the alarm you set. I have the Philips Hue Lighting System
in my living room and have set a timer to have the lights begin dimming at 9:00 pm through the week. They will completely turn off at 9:30 pm, which is the time I try to be in bed by.
- Set your DVR to record shows that you want to stay up late to watch so you can watch them later.
in my living room and have set a timer to have the lights begin dimming at 9:00 pm through the week. They will completely turn off at 9:30 pm, which is the time I try to be in bed by.Make your bedroom a relaxing space.
Your bedroom should be a quiet, dark, relaxing space that promotes good sleep. There are a few general components of a sleep-promoting bedroom that you should try to instill in your own bedroom:
- No light should be coming in at night. If you have a bright light outside of your bedroom window, try pairing some blackout curtains
with some bamboo shades
that will not only keep the light out, but will look visually appealing during the daytime.
- No tv. This is a difficult one for many of us, but in order to really promote relaxation, tvs, computers, music, etc… should be removed from the bedroom. While some may argue that these items can promote relaxation, they actually stimulate your brain to a point where sleeping may become difficult.
- Put lights on a dimmer in the bedroom so when you are getting ready for bed, you don’t have to turn on the overhead lights to their brightest point. The Philips Hue Lighting System
with some 
that will not only keep the light out, but will look visually appealing during the daytime.Avoid large meals and caffeine before bed.
I think it goes without saying that caffeine before bed just isn’t a good idea. Sure, some people swear that they can have a cup of coffee before bed and sleep like a rock. That may be true for a select few people out there, but despite being able to sleep after that cup of coffee, the effects of the stimulant on your body are still taking place, so the quality of your sleep may not be as good as what you thought, meaning you’ll still feel tired when you wake up. The general suggestion is to not consume caffeine after lunchtime in order to promote restful sleep.
Additionally, eating a large meal before you go to bed can make it difficult to sleep and can cause indigestion. It can take a few hours for our bodies to digest a large meal, so one should aim to eat dinner around 5-6pm if going to bed somewhere around 9-10pm. If you find that you’re hungry before bed, it’s still fine to have a small snack, such as a banana or some cheese, but make sure to limit the portion size and that your snack of choice isn’t spicy as it could lead to heartburn. You could also try some caffeine free herbal tea
Take a warm bath before bed.
If it’s been a really long day and you are having trouble unwinding, take a bath about an hour before bed. Taking a warm bath can help you relax before bed, and it can also promote better sleep. When you take a warm bath, your body temperate can raise slightly. When you then get out of the bathtub, your body temperature can drop slightly which can in turn make you sleepy. Not to mention, if you light candles in the bathroom or use lavender bath bombs
Tried everything above and still can’t sleep?
Sometimes it seems that you’ve tried everything, but nothing works. As with anything else, practice makes perfect. Don’t expect to do one of these things tonight and get instant results. Try all of the above every night for at least a week. By then, you should be starting to establish a routine and can expect to see some improvements in the quality of your sleep.
If you’re still having problems sleeping, below are a couple of additional tips that may help:
- Wear a sleep mask
just to make sure you’re not exposed to any light.
- Journal
before bed. Doing a brain dump before bed can help your mind from swirling when it should be at rest.
- Use a mindfulness or meditation app. There are several apps available that will guide you through relaxation and meditation activities to help you get in a relaxed state.
- Use a sound machine
or sound app if you need to drown out sound. If you live by a busy road, train tracks, or even in a dorm or apartment building, it can sometimes be difficult to sleep with noises happening that are outside of your control. A sound machine or sound app can help bring in a familiar, constant sound that can drown out other noises making it easier for you to sleep.
- Track your daily habits and sleep quality in a sleep diary. If you’re unable to see any noticeable trends or things that stand out as a reason you may not be able to sleep well, share your sleep diary with your doctor to discuss what other options you have. Sometimes there could be a medical reason to account for poor sleep quality and consulting with your doctor is the only way to address what’s really going on.
just to make sure you’re not exposed to any light.
before bed. Doing a brain dump before bed can help your mind from swirling when it should be at rest.
or sound app if you need to drown out sound. If you live by a busy road, train tracks, or even in a dorm or apartment building, it can sometimes be difficult to sleep with noises happening that are outside of your control. A sound machine or sound app can help bring in a familiar, constant sound that can drown out other noises making it easier for you to sleep.Want a jump start on improving your sleep habits? Enter to win the Better Sleep Prize Package!
You may complete all of the activities below to enter up to 10 times! Plus, you can come back every day to tweet about the giveaway for an extra chance to win!
Prize includes:
-
- $10 Target Gift Card
- Throw Blanket
- Lavender Bath Bombs
- Journal/Coloring Book & Pen
- Candle
- and more!
Good luck!
I love sleep! If I don’t set an alarm, I can easily sleep 9-10 hours. I started using a white noise machine a couple years ago and now I can’t sleep without it!
I go to bed at the same time and wake up the same time every day! I think the best thing to do is keep your phone really far away from you so you aren’t tempted to look at it in bed.
xo Jessica
http://www.whatsfordinneresq.com
All good tips. I love the recap at the end. As a healthcoach I’m often working with clients to encourage better sleep hygiene because sleep deprivation really impacts overall health. Going to share this on my FB page https://www.facebook.com/DKHealthCoaching/
I am actually a really good sleeper and I would get a good nights sleep if my husband didn’t snore so much. Lol!
These tips are all so helpful! I definitely need to stick to a more consistent sleep schedule. Great giveaway too! Thanks for sharing.
xoxo,
Liv
http://www.livslookbook.com
These are some great tips!I love doing a brain dump before bed tohelp me relax!
Such a helpful list! To sleep better, I try to shut off all electronics before bed and spend some time reading to relax.
We don’t have a TV in our bedroom and that helps a lot. My husband still isn’t convinced, but I know I’d keep watching shows if I was already in bed. It’s hard enough to get to bed early as it is.
Sleep is so important, and it is one of the first things we sacrifice. I used to keep the TV on at night and do pretty much everything you shouldn’t do before bed and wondered why I didn’t sleep good. Now I do most of the things you recommended, sleep great, and feel incredible!
I diffuse lavender, cedarwood & bergamot essential oils and they really help calm me down!
Thanks for these ideas, I could really use them now. Ever since I’ve been out of work and “off schedule” my sleep’s been a mess. I think journaling before bed will help since my mind races 100 miles an hour!
Sleep is very important to me especially when the school year starts. I think these are great ideas on how to make sure that you sleep better at night and that you get enough sleep as well.
These are great tips. My biggest downfall is eating late and watching tv/going on my laptop in bed. With chronic illness somedays i dont make it out of bed so without watching anything I’d be bored stiff. I like the idea of the lights timer though xx
I haven’t been sleeping great at all lately, so I need all the help I can get. I think my brain is just too busy to sleep. It doesn’t help that I’m sleeping with a puppy that kicks me all night, either! Time to kick her out of the bed and into her own dog bed!
These are great tips! My sleeps been all over the place lately and I’ve been wanting to start a nightly routine! You’ve inspired me!
I’ve noticed the older I’ve gotten the harder it is for me to sleep. I will certainly prefer to have no electronics besides an alarm clock in my bedroom as well .
Great pictures and tips! Very true about electronics before bed too…definitely one of my bad habits I’m trying to break 🙁 I like the sleep diary idea, hadn’t thought of that.
These are all great tips! now for how to wake up from that amazing sleep! haha
I have found that having a schedule is super helpful! I end up sleeping much better when I am on a schedule. I have a 9 month old, so I still don’t sleep the best lol
I. . .don’t do any of these eek!! But I also don’t really have any issues getting to sleep, which I’m thankful for as I know so many people with insomnia! These are great tips though.
Having a schedule and doing a gratitude journal is the perfect way to help me sleep better. It makes me feel more calm and peaceful and keeps my mind from racing all night.
Yup, like you, I average about 6 hours of sleep a night. These are great ideas to keep in mind. Reading this I realized I have a relaxing sound app on my tablet for sleeping but I never use it 😑
Changing how we view our sleep culture is so important. In addition to these tips, it is important to stop idealizing people that don’t get any sleep. I’ve got Arianna Huffington’s book on sleep and I would definitely recommend it.
Setting an alarm for half an hour before you actually need to go to bed sounds like such a good idea as I’m always losing track of time in the evenings x
Important tips
I have insomnia so my quality of sleep is not great and can make trying to carry out basic functions hard. I like the idea of having a warm bath before bed x
These are great tips especially setting your alarm to go off before bedtime. I do this when getting up in the morning it definitely works. I have relaxing music on to keep me in sleep mode too. Thanks for sharing these tips.
These are great tips! Especially no caffeine close to the time you go to sleep – I can’t have a coffee anytime past 4 pm or I have trouble falling asleep hours later!
I tend to drink so sleepytime tea if I am nearing bedtime and am not feeling tired enough! I don’t know if it’s the herbs, the warmth or my mind telling me that the tea helps.. but it always does!
Love the giveaway! I do journal a lot before sleeping. Actually, it is a to do list. That way I won’t worry that I will forget something and I sleep so much better!
Having a good sleep makes you feel better, healthier and prettier! Inadequate sleep makes you feel tired even if you haven’t done something yet. Yes for better sleep!
Thanks for these wonderful tips for acquiring better sleep. I definitely struggle with lack of sleep. I fall asleep really easily, but my nights are restless. =) The one thing I am really working on is going to bed and waking up at the same time every day. This would help! Thanks.
I need to give some of these tips a try. I’ve been sleeping so horribly lately and even when I try to go bed early I still stay awake for hours.
These are really great tips! I always get up around the same time but finding a way to get to bed at the same time is a battle. Especially since I always seem to wake up in the middle of the night as well. I’ve tried sleepytime tea and it does help a bit.
I’m a light sleeper. My kids easily disturb my sleep most of the time and I can’t help it. But I am all for no TV in my bed and that has worked well. I also do read a book to help me sleep
This is great! I sleep pretty well. But with a baby we wake up 1-2 times a night for a feeding. Soon we should be getting a good nights sleep when the little guy sleeps through the night.
I am always looking for ways to get better sleep! I have three kids and sleep is rare so I can’t wait to try out some of these tips!
I have always struggled with going to bed and getting up at the same time everyday. It’s something I’d really like to focus on and do!
I’ve trouble sleeping from time to time and it’s always nice to get a good night’s sleep because it’s so good for our health and it makes me more productive throughout the day. These are great tips! I do most of these when I feel like I won’t be able to sleep well.
I usually catch up on social media while putting my youngest daughter to sleep. That makes me tired and sometimes I fall asleep in her room!
Some of these things sound so wonderful! I wish that I could actually make them happen, but with kids…maybe when they are teens.
So many helpful tips here!!!! One thing that worked for me was taking the tv out of the bedroom. Worked wonders
Do these tips work when you have a newborn? hahaha thankfully she sleeps super well, but I’m such a horrible sleeper for some reason. I don’t know what it is, but some nights I could easily just stay up all night. It’s so bad!
Awesome tips! I love warm tea. 🙂
If I ABSOLUTELY cannot sleep, what always works for me is counting “sheep”, except I change what the animal is every 10. lol. I don’t know why but it works.
Once I started using a sleeping mask . I’ve got probably atleast 2 more hours of sleep .
I use an essential oil diffuser and an eye mask and some basic meditation techniques.
Great article. I have always had issues with getting enough sleep but I will say that listening to relaxing sounds have helped me in the past.
I have my room painted dark and room darkening shades so that I can have a nice dark space to sleep in. I find it very soothing and it helps me go to sleep and stay asleep.
Journaling. I like to write entries about my day or stories of my girls in a journal I started for them.
These are all great tips. I would add to exercise.