Late in 2019, I started writing some blog posts on Wellness as it is a huge area that I am interested in. Who would have thought Wellness would have become such a big focus from 2020 onwards.
A good night’s sleep is so important for your health and well-being. I used to be able to survive on 6 hours of sleep a night & now I need an absolute minimum 7.5 hours of sleep per night. My perfect sleeping time is 8 hours of sleep a night or even 8.5 if I have a really busy day. I know this is easier for me as I don’t have kids to juggle, however, regardless of your situation, these tips for a good night’s sleep will help with your night’s sleep overall.
Talking to some friends recently, I realize I am lucky in that I fall asleep within about 5 minutes or even less of closing my eyes. I implement lots of different rules and rituals to prepare myself for a good night’s sleep. I’ve learnt in the past what works well for me if I want to have a good night’s sleep & feel rested in the morning. They are simple things to do in the evening which are so relaxing and will make sure that you don’t just throw yourself into bed after binge watching TV.
Hope these 12 tips help you in you in getting a good night’s sleep.
Tip 1 for a good night's sleep: Put your phone away an hour at minimum before you go to bed
Staring at a screen and scrolling before you go to bed is not the best way to tire yourself out & will result in a poor night’s sleep. Make a rule that you put your phone away at least an hour before you go to bed so you ease into winding down. The more time you have away from your phone’s bright light, the better. Also if you are awake with the lights out & start scrolling in the dark, prepare to be very tired in the morning.
Tip 2 for a good night's sleep: Light a candle beside your bed
Lighting a candle is one of my favorite things to do before I go to bed. Candles before I go to sleep firstly make me turn off any bright lights and also remind me of the spa and relaxing times.
Tip 3 for a good night's sleep: Play some spa music
What better to add to a candle than spa music. Spotify have loads of great playlists that you can select. This is the only reason to go near your phone for a quick moment.
Tip 4 for a good night's sleep: Stop watching TV or anything that will make you more alert
I am trying to limit TV time after work as I stare at a screen all day for my job and now even in meetings I’m staring at a screen so I want to limit screen time in my life. I also use a laptop to blog so that is even more screen time. The less screen time before bed, the better.
Tip 5 for a good night's sleep: Meditate
I started using the Headspace recently and love it. I admit I am not doing it every single day and thoughts pop in to my mind all the time as I meditate however it is just a few minutes that I take to relax in the day and it helps me to wind down for the night. Others have also recommended the Calm app which is also another meditating app. Top performer, CEOs & athletes swear by meditation.
Tip 6 for a good night's sleep: Refrain from checking emails just before you go to bed
I used to have this TERRIBLE habit of checking emails right before I went to bed. I mean what was I really going to do about anything at 11pm at night? Everyone knows my number and will generally text/call if they need me urgently for a reply late at night. I’ve learnt to stop doing that as it used to be the last thing I would do before I went to bed & the first thing I checked in the morning.
Tip 7 for a good night's sleep: Eat dinner early
Eating dinner earlier and having time to digest the food results in a better night’s sleep. Being incredibly full going to bed is not going to help anyone have a good night’s sleep. Try to make sure that you have a couple of hours after you eat your dinner before going to bed. This will ensure a great night’s sleep & minimum tossing & turning.
Tip 8 for a good night's sleep: Exercise during the day
I always have a great night’s sleep the days that I go for a long cycle or take some time for a walk. The exercise gives me fresh air and makes me tired so I sleep well. There are so many benefits to exercise including proven results of better health & sleep quality.
Tip 9 for a good night's sleep: Write a to do list of what you need to do if it is circling in your mind
If you have problems sleeping because you are lying awake thinking of all you have to do at work or in your personal life, then make lists and plan when you will do the tasks. This helps stress because you know you have a plan and have more of an idea of any real time problems. I swear by lists and have lists for everything whether it is related to work, my blog, groceries. Lists, lists, lists. I am also a paper person so crossing things off as I do them is also a love of mine. I am a little old fashioned with this.
Tip 10 for a good night's sleep: Have a bath, shower, pamper time to ease into bedtime
You probably know by now that I love pamper time. I love using products or giving myself mini facials before I go to bed. This allows me to have time away from my phone, the TV and really relax without thinking of anything else. If you have kids, this is something that you can do when they are in bed. It also can be 5-10 minutes, it doesn’t have to take a tremendous amount of time.
Tip 11 for a good night's sleep: Refrain from reading the news late at night or in bed
At the beginning of the Coronavirus, I was checking the news for updates multiple times every day. Now I check once per day (if even) and I never check this late at night. Regardless of the Coronavirus or not, checking the news late at night will never result in a better night’s sleep. I rarely find out joyful information from the news so avoid reading it late at night or too often at all.
Tip 12 for a good night's sleep: Think of all the positives and what you are grateful for
There are silver linings to every situation. Focusing on what I am grateful for makes me think of all the positives & instantly makes me happy. I could focus on the negative things that have resulted in changing a lot of my plans and things that I can’t do anymore. Instead, I am grateful that I have a job, a blog that keeps my mind occupied and the technology to be in contact with my family in Ireland. On the other hand, allow yourself to have some days where you don’t do 100 things and feel like a rockstar. It’s all about balance and taking one day at a time.
These are just my simple tips for a good night’s sleep. There are lots more rituals and tips for having a great night’s sleep however these are what work best for me.
A bonus tip 13 for a good night's sleep: Have bedding that feels like a cloud.
In 2020, I started using Cozy Earth products. They are the softest bedding that I have EVER tried at home. They are so luxurious and make the world of difference to my night’s sleep. Cozy Earth bedding is so comfortable and worth it.
I have a full blog post review here.
You can get 40% off using my Cozy Earth discount code LORNA40 for a limited time.
Hope you can implement some of these changes so that it will help you sleep better.
Pin for later
READ MORE RECENT BLOGPOSTS:
