10 TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR SLEEP
Nov 01, 2022
Often times our sleep is the first thing to suffer when stress builds.
Expectations are high and your mind is filled with “what-if” and “what-next” thoughts. Even though sleep is a requirement for survival it is the most common struggle and complaint among adults.
The common most frequent recommendation is to develop a sleep routine. To go to bed and wake-up at roughly the same time each day. Agreed this is a key to developing, healthy sleep habits, but easier said than done.
In this video we are going to give 10 tips for a better sleep.
HERE IS A LIST OF 10 TRIED AND TRUE TIPS TO HELP WITH FALLING ASLEEP.
1. SET AN ALARM
Alarms are not just for waking up, but also for going to bed. Set your alarm for a reasonable time to start winding down. Between family demands, and streaming tv it can be easy to lose track of time in the evening. An alarm is an external reminder that you need to start heading to bed.
2. USE PARENTAL CONTROLS ON ELECTRONICS.
What is originally intended for parents to supervise the volume of media their kids use, setting the parental controls on your phone, tablet and streaming accounts is a great reminder to unplug and go to bed. Laying in bed playing on the phone or scrolling social media is temping and can feel like relaxation. However, the light emitted from devices prevent the sleep hormone melatonin from producing and can impact our quality of sleep. Adjust your phones settings to disable apps and streaming at a certain time as an additional reminder to turn off the devices and break the habit of laying in bed and watching a screen.
3. TALK WITH YOUR FAMILY
It is much harder to go to bed when your spouse is awake, busy about the house or watching your favorite show. Talk with your family about changing your sleeping habits and make a plan together. This will create accountability and support.
4. PREP FOR TOMORROW
Take a few moments to prepare for the next day. Prep breakfast, make your lunch, pick out your clothes, pack your bag, etc. Taking some time to prepare for the next day may prevent you from lying awake thinking about the morning’s to-do list.
5. LOWER THE LIGHTS.
Our bodies are designed to have a sleep and wake cycle that follows the sun. With electricity, we are more exposed to light after the sun goes down. Exposure to light can make it difficult to fall asleep so dim the lights in the evenings to trigger the body that it’s time to sleep.
6. EATING BEFORE BED
There are a lot of different opinions on whether eating before bed is good for you or not. But common sense tells us that drinking caffeine or having high carbs/sugary foods do not promote positive sleep. However, when you are forced to eating late, due to meetings or hunger try to choose foods that don’t cause indigestion, or are on the lighter side.
7. EXERCISE
Research reports that those who exercise report better sleep. However, getting up early to exercise is the last thing someone struggling with sleep wants to do. But I have good news! It’s found that exercise at any point of the day shows to improve sleep. So get out and have walking meetings. Ride the stationary bike while watching tv. Or play basketball with your kids after dinner.
8.NAPS
Being awake during the day and sleeping at night is key to maintain a healthy sleep routine however, there are times when a nap is critical to productivity. Naps longer then 20min can leave people feeling groggy and naps later in the day can interfere with bedtime. So set an alarm, keep naps short and earlier in the day.
9. DAILY EXPECTATIONS
It can be incredibly anxiety provoking to be lying in bed thinking of all the things you didn’t get done today and all the things on your list for tomorrow. By keeping reasonable expectations for a day’s work decreases stress and anxiety while lying in bed. Remember you are only one person with no superpowers. Keep work expectations reasonable.
10. MEDITATION
Meditation is a great way to bring calm to the body and the mind and it’s benefits and written through out the bible. If your new to meditation I have created a cheat sheet in the show notes for you to download. Also A favorite sleep tool of mine is Abide. Abide is a Christian meditation app. Abide has meditations that are specific to bedtime and have proven results in lowering stress and improving listeners sleep. Click the link below for your free trial
These are just few of the tips and strategies that are offer in the course Sleep is not a Dream.
If you are interested in more information about improving your sleep click the link below.
DOWNLOADS:
Meditation Cheat Sheet
