Do you find yourself waking up on the wrong side of the bed in the morning? Do you wake up tired each morning? Are you cranky when you wake up? Do you think about quitting your job each day so you can stay in bed and sleep all day? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions then this post is for you.
The end of our sleep journey is in the morning, when our alarm clock goes off at some ungodly hour but the journey begins the evening prior.
Lets take a few steps back to reformat our evenings because the best way to wake up on the right side of the bed is to nail down a healthy and relaxing nighttime routine.
*Side note- I made the cover photo for this post a cat because the phrase “Sleep like a baby” is inaccurate. Th phrase should say, “Sleep like a cat.” Babies wake up every few hours and cry constantly. A cat sleeps comfortably for about 16 hours a day. Also when I typed in “Peaceful sleep” to look for the cover photo, all pictures of sleeping kitties came up. True story. So read this post if you want help sleeping like a cat!
- Don’t Eat Before Bed
Don’t eat before bed, especially sugar! I know this is difficult, trust me. I love dessert before bed. I am a sugar junkie! But this can mess up your sleep cycle and can give you some pretty strange dreams. Try not to ingest any food 2-3 hours before bedtime, which brings me to my next point-
2. Bedtime
A consistent bedtime is important. We are creatures of habit and our bodies like a reliable schedule. Try to stick to the same bed time each night as best you can. Aim for 6-8 hours before you have to wake up in the morning. Once your bedtime is consistent, your body will adjust to this and naturally alert you when it’s time to snooze. Hopefully you will drift away into dream land without much resistance from your body.
3. Shower or Bath
A nice, warm shower or bath before bed can do the trick. It can wash away the stresses of the day and leave you feeling calm and relaxed, especially if you use this winning combo:
Stress Relief Body Wash and Lotion or Bath Bombs.
4. Comfy Cozy
I am personally never as comfy as when I wear fuzzy pjs, fuzzy socks and a comfy, cozy Bath Robe! Just heaven on earth.
My sister bought me these Fuzzy Socks and I wear them nearly everyday!
5. Stretch
Some light stretching before bed can do wonders for your body. Get out all those kinks and tensions from the day, especially if you sit at a desk all day like I do.
6. Pillow Spray
Something I like to use once in a while is stress relief Pillow Spray. The peaceful scent relaxes my mind and body as I lay on my pillow. I don’t use this as often as I like to because my cat sleeps on my pillow. I don’t know the effect of this on animals and admittedly, I haven’t looked it up. I simply don’t use it when she sleeps with me.
7. Don’t use your Bed for anything other than Sleep
This is a difficult one but try your hardest not to use your bed for anything other than sleep. Keep phones, laptops, any other electronics out of the bed. Your bed needs to become your sleep space. A place to clear your mind and worry about nothing else but your dreams.
8. Put Your Phone Away
To piggyback off the last tip, lose the phone. Not only in your bed but for an hour or so before you even get in bed! Studies have shown that the blue light from your phone can stimulate your brain and keep you up and night. There are ways to turn the blue light off on your phone but I would argue even just scrolling through social media accounts stimulates your brain before bed too.
Many people like to read on their phone’s before bed, which brings me to my next point-
9. Read
Reading is a great activity to do before bed to wind down from the day. Not only is it relaxing but reading has a whole slew of benefits for our brains and overall well being. I will admit that I am not the greatest reader but over the last month I have been getting in bed about 20 minutes early to read before bed and it’s honestly been great. It’s definitely a habit I want to keep up with.
Now just a few tips ago I mentioned not to use your bed for anything other than sleeping, which I don’t always listen to myself. I do use my phone in bed and I have been reading in bed but I am trying not to! If you have the space, making a reading nook in your bedroom would not only be ideal, but delightful. If you can’t commit to a whole reading nook then maybe try a comfy Chair near your bed. You can read a few pages or chapters then easily slip into bed to dreamland.
10. Meditation
Clear your mind of any negative or stressful thoughts by taking even just 5 minutes to Meditate before bed. I personally like to turn an app on and fall asleep to it. I never sleep deeper than when I listen to my meditation app. I am out in 5 mins flat and sleep like a rock all night. Highly recommend!
11. Gratitude Journal
I recently watched a Ted Talk and Netflix Special: The Call to Courage by Brene Brown. Renowned social worker or “researcher-story teller” as she likes to call herself, Brene explains that from her years of research she found that “wholehearted” people live their lives with gratitude. Giving thanks and acknowledging what you are grateful for can literally change your life.
Try writing in a gratitude journal each night and see how it changes your mindset and perspective.
Try all or just some of these 11 easy steps and watch your life change before your very eyes. All changes come from taking one single step.
What are your nighttime habits? If I missed any good ones, let me know if the comments below!
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http://wpexpertasia.com/dev/how-to-start-your-day-off-right-in-11-easy-steps/