11 Easy Ways to Sleep Better Tonight
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy here.
Sleep and I have a love/hate relationship, which is the main reason I chose to establish a regular sleep schedule as a habit. Because if I don’t get my sleep, I’m a grumpy girl — and that doesn’t make for a happy marriage, let alone a happy life!
The main problem is, I cannot turn my brain off. It runs constantly, and even though I’m focused on specific projects throughout the day, the minute my head hits the pillow, it’s instant go-time thinking about all the things I forgot to get done that day and what I need to add to my list for the next.
In the meantime, I was barely functioning, and so I knew I needed to make a change. I made it my mission to find proven sleep methods that work, and if you struggle falling asleep (and staying asleep) at night too, these 11 tips are ones I’ve been using over and over again with huge success.
Now that I’m finally finding my nighttime bliss, I can’t wait to share how you can too!
1. Start with a Pitch Black Room
I didn’t realize light would make such a difference, but even just a sliver coming through the door is enough to make me turn like a rotisserie chicken in my bed.
For those of you that live in a city with streetlights pouring through your windows, I would recommend investing in a pair of black-out curtains to help make the room even darker. And if all else fails, you can always wear a cute eye mask!
2. Limit Screen Time
My sleep improved significantly when I finally put a limit on my screen time. You would think mindless surfing will help relax your brain before bed, but the bright lights of your phone, tablet, and TV, do just the opposite.
Decide on a time for when all devices get turned off or put away, and try to do this at least an hour before you actually go to bed. I shut down my computer and phone fairly consistently at 9:3o pm every night, and it makes a huge difference!
3. Create a Nightly Routine
After that 9:30 pm mark (when I turn all my screens off), is when I start my nightly routine. Here’s what it looks like right now:
- Practice Evening Pickup (if I didn’t do it earlier in the day)
- Make my to-do list for the next day, and look at iCalendar to see if I have any appointments or activities I need to work around
- Wash my face, brush my teeth, and put on PJ’s
- Snuggle in with a good book until it’s time for lights out (10:30pm)
Doing the same exact thing every evening before bed, signals to your body that it’s time to prepare for sleep, and will start your day on the right foot come morning.
4. Read Before Bed
Speaking of reading before bed, this is an excellent way to help your brain relax and slow down before turning out the lights. Just don’t grab anything too exciting or thought provoking! And if you have a hard time putting books away, set a timer so you’re not up until 2am.
For those that love to read but never seem to get the chance, take this opportunity to sneak in a few extra chapters every day. You’ll work your way through books in no time!
5. Take a Warm Shower or Bath
I mostly take my showers in the morning, but when I’m feeling particularly restless, I’ll turn on the hot water and lather on my favorite smelling soap to help me relax and get ready to sleep. It forces me to slow down and just enjoy the moment, rather than think about all the things that still need to be done.
You could also sprinkle some good-smelling bath salts into a hot tub of water, and let the stresses of the day melt away. Don’t forget to light a candle!
6. Keep a Notepad Nearby
For nights when I have too many ideas swirling around in my head, I have a handy notepad on my nightstand to help capture those thoughts. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy (sometimes I’ve even been too lazy to turn the light on), however, I would try to avoid using your phone’s note taking app for the sake of Point #3.
At first glance, this might seem a little silly, but when my ideas and to-do’s are out of my mind and on paper, I don’t have to use precious brainpower to try and remember them. And that alone helps me sleep so much better at night!
7. Turn Down the Temperature
I’m cold by nature and love to snuggle under piles of blankets to fall asleep, but if it’s too warm in the house, I’m absolutely miserable. We try to keep the AC somewhere between 75-76 degrees, which I know probably sounds too warm for you Northern folks, but is the perfect temp for us Floridians!
Another option is to pop open a window depending on the time of year, or use a fan. Bonus: the extra droning noise might actually help you sleep.
8. Exercise Earlier in the Day
Although I can’t say I love to exercise, I do love the mood-boosting benefits I feel afterwards, and I’m sleeping a whole lot better too. A brisk walk around the neighborhood or my favorite Jillian Michael’s DVD is enough to get my heart pumping, without the cost of a gym membership.
If you decide to start exercising every day, try to avoid a sweat-inducing workout right before bed, as you might be wired for the next couple hours, and that totally defeats the purpose of sleep. A little yoga is okay.
9. Drink a Warm Glass of Tea
I’m not a huge tea drinker, but a warm mug is sometimes just what I need to wind down from a stressful day. Pick a tea that doesn’t have caffeine (chamomile is best), and try to drink it a little bit before you go to bed so you’re not up all night in the bathroom.
A classic work-around to tea is a warm glass of milk, but I have yet to try this one since I am adamant that milk only be allowed on my cereal!
10. Listen to Soothing Music or a Podcast
If nothing else works, I’ll grab my set of headphones and listen to a specific sleep playlist I have on my phone. The key is to play it super soft so it’s just background noise lulling you to sleep. Think soft, classical music, or light contemporary hits. I like to put on soothing worship music because it seems to have just the right tempo.
I’ll also put on a podcast if I’m just wanting to listen to people talk for a while.
11. Go to Bed and Wake Up at the Same Time (Even on Weekends!)
You knew this one was coming, right? Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day is something I’ve worked really hard on, and whenever I’m consistent, I see a huge difference in the quality of my sleep.
Your internal body clock (also known as your circadian rhythm) needs to be on a set schedule as much as possible. By going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, you’ll experience a much deeper and restful sleep, which is essential to waking up the next day with renewed energy.
Do you bullet journal? Make improving your sleep habits fun with this sleep tracker, available now from the Brainbook Library!
These 11 tips are (thankfully!) what has finally worked for me after months of restless nights, but now it’s time for you to work your way through through this list and try them for yourself. It might be a combination of one of these tips or many, but don’t give up! Sleep is absolutely critical for a properly functioning body. Be diligent in giving it the rest and care it needs!
What are your best tips and tricks for a good night’s rest?
Disclosure: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. Read my full disclosure policy here.
The last one is the one that gets me with all of these… it’s hard to do because I have a work schedule that rotates shifts. So I work 3 morning shifts, 3 evening shifts, then get 3 off… The mornings are 7am to 3pm while evenings are 3pm to 11pm. It’s that 11pm that makes all of my routine options for going to bed and waking up at the same time hard… I can’t wake up at 6am and hope to be functional still at 11…
Do you have any thoughts for that sort of situation??
Rotating shifts are probably one of the hardest things to overcome for good sleep cycles. A friend of mine who is in a similar situation to yours set up a weekly routine instead of a daily. So while his sleep time isn’t the same every day all week, each weeks sleep pattern is identical. (Does that make sense?)
He is in bed at the same time on Monday that he was last Monday, each Tuesday as last Tuesday, etc. Their family schedule takes this into account as well. For instance if his schedule has him sleeping late on Thursday, they make sure they they don’t plan things for that time.
It’s certainly not ideal but it’s one way to work with a rotating schedule. It’s even harder though if the rotating schedule is inconsistent.
Love this! My husband has many medical problems that are taking a good deal of my attention. That stress contributes to my sleep difficulty. I found the Sprayable Sleep most helpful to lull me to sleep and even helpful when I did not use it. Perhaps just knowing I had help readily available relaxed my mind and let me fall asleep!
I use an app called Nights Keeper. It allows you to program certain people in a White List. At bedtime or earlier – I activate Nights Keeper. No one or other app “noises” except those (my kids, my family, etc) can disturb you with the app on. Those on the white list come through for both phone and text (if you want text) without issues. This app sets my mind at ease that I want miss an emergent call from someone who needs me. There is also a fail safe – that if someone calls 3 times – the third call is allowed to go through the app.
Thanks for that suggestion, Tess! I know that my husband puts his iPhone on “do not disturb” which has some similar features, but it sounds like Nights Keeper has more functionality. I’m going to have to give it a look!
noisli is a great app that provides a range of sounds to help relax the mind. It has ambient colours so for those who find their mind races in the dark it might be helpful and can be used on phone, tablet or computer.
I find it great for sleep, studying or as a background noise if the neighbours are being raucous!
http://www.noisli.com/#about
I’m going to try that app — thanks, Kat!
Great list. I like to read on my iPhone before bed. No idea why, but it really relaxes me and helps me sleep well. π
I need to get my insomnia under control, so I think I’ll buckle down and give these a go. π
It never hurts to try something new! π
Like some of the others, I have trouble staying asleep. I’ll wake up and start thinking about things that happened the previous day or what needs to be done. I’m going to try the notepad trick to see if that helps calm my brain.
One technique I did pick up from my doctor as treatment for chronic insomnia was to take a magnesium supplement. Turns out that some of us Type A personalities are magnesium deficient. That’s helped me quite a bit, in that I’ll maybe have a bout of insomnia once or twice a month as opposed to several times a week.
That’s interesting that certain personalities are magnesium deficient! I would like to try a magnesium supplement again — we tried the gummies, but they didn’t help {I think because the first ingredient was sugar} — the tablets look promising though.
I’m constantly telling myself to get rid of my electronics by a certain time at night, but I can’t seem to do so.
It’s such a hard habit to break, isn’t it? I am SO addicted to my phone, but when I do resist the urge to look at it after a certain time, I fall asleep noticeably faster!
What great tips! Getting a good night sleep is so important
Getting to sleep is not usually my problem. It’s staying asleep. I wake up a lot in the night, very light sleeper.
Great tips! I utilize a lot of these myself. I also really like using some lavender essential oil to help me relax and unwind before bed.
Sarah
I have thought about trying lavender in a bath to help relax and put me to sleep. I did try a lavender lotion one time, and that seemed to help a little. π
My secret: live at such a level of stress that when you get home at night the only thing you can possibly do is stumble toward your bed and pray the morning doesn’t come too soon.
Might not work for everybody though… π
That does not seem healthy – lol — but does sound like it’s pretty effective. π On a more serious note, Joseph and I have been praying for you and for your church family through this difficult time.
Great tips, Kalyn! I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who has trouble quieting my mind at night. I need to get back in my habit of reading before bed. The list making strategy is very helpful to me as well!
Nope — you’re not alone! Sometimes I wish I could just “turn it off” as my husband so easily seems to do. π I hope you get back into your reading habit. That’s one thing I really missed doing, and am finally making it through all these books I “never had time” to read!