9 Rules Good Sleepers Swear By
Recently, I came across the BEST post on about sleeping. I don’t have my sleep mojo back yet. I know. I know. It has been several years since treatment; however, the thing of it is that the f-bomb collateral damage of cancer treatment lasts a long, long, LONG damn time! Thankfully, Lindsay Holmes a HuffPo Healthy Living editor is helping us all figure it out!
Hope that you enjoy these helpful hints as much as I am!
1. Take a hot shower or bath. A hot shower or bath will help your body relax and start to unwind before bed.
2. Wear actual pajamas. As much as I love them, yoga pants are not pajamas. They are for lounging and lunges. That’s it! By having a specific clothes (namely, pajamas!) you send a sign to your mind and body that it is time for rest.
3. Turn your bed into a haven. Your bed should only be used for its intended purposes which is sleep and sex. It should not be a place you go in and out of throughout the course of the day. By only allowing yourself to sleep there, your body will know as soon as it hits the sheets that it is bedtime!
4. Create realistic limits. Sometimes prioritizing sleeps means getting rid of bad habits like staying up an extra hour to watch House of Cards. Don’t worry, that episode will still be available the next day, so shut off your tv and go to bed.
5. Set a sleep alarm. Yes, as in set an alarm for when you want to start getting ready for bed. This will help you not lose track of the time at night.
6. Don’t go to bed hungry. If you go to bed hungry your body will have a much harder time falling asleep. Instead, grab a healthy snack and hit the hay!
7. Write everything down. Have you ever layed down to sleep and then couldn’t fall asleep because your mind was racing with worries and thoughts? Put those thoughts to rest by jotting everything down that is worrying you before you go to sleep. This will give your mind some closer, and don’t worry…. the thoughts you had before bed will probably still be there in the morning.
8. Tap into your inner child. When children don’t get sleep, they can be pretty cranky the next day. Well the same logic goes for you too! If you don’t get enough sleep you will most likely be lathargic all day and then probably won’t be as productive as you should be.
9. No phones. This is probably one of the oldest phone rules in the books. Many parents ask their children to turn their phones off before bed. Well, I would encourage you to do the same! I have a rule for myself that I must turn off all electronics an hour before bed. It has helped me (immensely!) prioritize my sleep.
Do you have any sleeping tips to add? Which work best for you?