Jumpstart Your Self-Care Routine with a Sleep Makeover

One of the most basic forms of self-care you can engage in is rest. If you don’t rest, your mind and body cannot recharge and support you throughout the day. But for many people, sleep is something that may be working one day and hard to come by the next.

It’s not harmful if you have trouble sleeping once in a blue moon. But when you begin suffering from chronic sleep problems, it can be something that harms your physical and mental health.

There are three ways to go about fixing any sleep issues you may have. They consist of developing the right sleep habits, practicing proper sleep hygiene, and utilizing any sleep assistants whenever necessary.

Developing the Right Sleep Habits

The first thing you need to do is analyze your current sleep habits. What happens on most nights when you get ready to go to sleep? Is it later than you should be going to bed?

The right amount of sleep is crucial to your body and mind being able to adequately repair themselves. Some people claim they can “run on 4 hours of sleep,” but what your body is forced to run on doesn’t mean it’s what it needs.

What about your bedtime routine? Are you eating a big meal right before bed – one where it causes acids to haunt you through the night as you suffer from heartburn? Large meals aren’t best right before bed.

Do you exercise before trying to go to sleep? While it’s admirable to try to sneak in some exercise during your day, try to rearrange your schedule so that you’re not increasing your heartrate right before trying to drift off to sleep.

How about technology – has it become a pre-slumber companion? If you take your phone or laptop to bed and stay online for half an hour or more before trying to fall asleep, you’re setting yourself up for failure.

Good sleep habits mean you take time to get ready for a restful night. You want to turn off your gadgets an hour before bedtime. Try doing something relaxing, like taking a nice, hot bubble bath or reading a book before it’s time to turn off the lights.

Go to bed without being full from a big meal. Make your last meal around 5-6 PM and then enjoy the feeling of being lighter as you drift off. Let your fitness routine get squared away earlier in the day, too – so that you’re aligned for a proper night’s sleep.

Practicing Proper Sleep Hygiene

Every day, you practice smart hygiene. You brush your teeth, wash your hands, and so on. But did you know there was a method of engaging in proper sleep hygiene, too? Using these tips, you might be getting your best night’s sleep ever!

Start by setting the temperature of your bedroom up properly. Your body actually induces sleep when you are colder. It doesn’t mean you have to lie there shivering as you drift off.

Your blankets will keep you warm, but the room itself should be kept cooler, at a number like 68 degrees. As your body’s temperature diminishes, you should feel sleepy. If it’s kept too warm in your room, you could have trouble drifting off.

The sheets you sleep on should be designed for the most comfort. Try getting sheets with a high thread count. These will be softer and more comfortable for you as you try getting to sleep.

Make sure you wash your sheets on a regular basis so that any debris or germs are rinsed out and you don’t have any bacteria building up where your body is trying to repair itself.

You have many options for the blankets you use. You might want to choose something light or something heavy. Some people enjoy using a heated blanket, while others like something cooler.

There are also weighted blankets that are made specifically for people who are undergoing a lot of stress in their lives who like the feeling of being cocooned in a cozy blanket of comfort.

Invest in a good mattress and box spring set for your bedroom. It’s best to buy it in person (or at least try it in person and find a good deal online). That way, you’ll know if the mattress is too soft, too firm – or just right!

You always want to have a rotation schedule or flipping schedule for your mattress, too. This routine ensures that your mattress won’t sag in certain spots, causing you discomfort.

Anything you can do to elevate the surrounding and ensure a comfortable, relaxing environment falls under the umbrella of sleep hygiene. For example, if you find a comfortable pillow that supports you neck, that’s good hygiene.

Another thing to consider is the use of lavender spritzes on your bedding. This sleep-inducing scent will help you drift off to a deep, relaxing slumber quickly.

Utilizing Sleep Assistants When Necessary

If getting into the right sleep habits and practicing the proper sleep hygiene aren’t enough to help you get (and stay) asleep, then you may need to invest in some other helpful sleeping aids.

Try to pinpoint the source of your sleep frustrations. If you’re doing everything right, then it may be something outside of your immediate control in terms of how you’re living your life.

Is there too much noise going on that keeps you awake? Oddly, adding more noise to the situation might be just what you need! If the house is quiet, but you can hear a steady source of noise, such as traffic, outside animals or insects, or even the house creaking, then it can keep you wide awake.

There are white noise machines that you can invest in that cover up those sounds, yet give you a relaxing environment to fall asleep in. The noise might be anything from a fan to the sound of wind and rain, if you prefer.

Or maybe it’s not noise at all, but the inability to get a good night’s rest due to a light source? Sometimes it’s natural light from outside, but other times it might be a streetlamp or something else impeding on your slumber.

There are different light dimming tools you can use to help you get rest. You can start with some affordable black out curtains. These will keep both natural and manmade light from entering your room and they come in a variety of colors.

You might also want to get a sleep mask. Sometimes, a simple sleep mask can help you achieve the best rest possible by blocking out any and all light sources. This comes in handy if you have a partner who has to wake up earlier than you and you don’t want to be disturbed by any lights they turn on.

Sometimes it’s an internal issue that can’t be altered by sheer habits and hygiene alone. Sleep supplements can come to your rescue if this is the case. First, get your doctor to run a blood panel so you can pinpoint any deficiencies.

You might be able to take a 3, 5 or 10 mg dose of melatonin. This is not like a sleeping pill, but it does act as a tool to help your body get ready to naturally drift off – and more importantly, stay asleep throughout the night.

Magnesium is another supplement that helps ready your body for sleep. It helps regulate the hormones in your body that help you achieve sleep and get rest consistently.