Five Tips for a Great Night's Sleep

Did you know that anxiety affects 40 million people in the US? It’s one of the most common mental health issues in the country.

For many people, anxiety brings with it problems with sleep, and they may experience insomnia or other sleep disturbances. Unfortunately, when you can’t fall asleep, that can trigger more anxiety and make you feel even more anxious, making it even harder to get your needed rest.

If you find that it’s hard for you to get a good night’s sleep, read on for five tips that can help:

1)      Have  a Nighttime Routine

Create a routine that you can do every night, starting about an hour or so before your bedtime. Since electronic screen time can affect your sleep, use a blue light filter for the screen, or consider skipping electronics altogether and doing some light reading. Your routine might be that you put on comfortable pajamas, then wash your face with soothing scented soap or face wash, then climb into bed and read a few minutes before going to sleep at the same time each night. Whatever the ritual, make sure it’s one that you can do consistently before bedtime, so that your mind is cued that it’s getting time to sleep as soon as you begin the habitual ritual.

2)      Soak Up the Daylight

Research has found that daylight helps us set our sleep patterns. If you can spend 30 minutes or so a day outside during daylight hours, that can help you sleep later on. If you have trouble sleeping at night, it is crucial for you to get exposure to daily sunlight, as it can help reset your circadian clock, the internal system that helps your brain know when it’s time to sleep and time to be awake.

3)      Have a Cozy Bedroom

To sleep well, it can be important to set the stage for rest. Make sure that you bedroom is dark, quiet, and cool. People tend to sleep better in cooler temperatures than warmer ones, so try to set the temperature to be on the cooler side, but not so cold you are uncomfortable. Setting a soothing sound machine to ocean waves or night sounds helps some to sleep, while others sleep better with soft music playing, or in complete silence. You can experiment to see what works for you. A comfortable mattress and pillow, and freshly laundered sheets, can round out the scene for sleep.

4)      Get Exercise

Research has shown us that we need regular physical activity for our health and well-being. When you exercise, your brain makes special chemicals that helps to decrease your stress and anxiety and improves your mood, helping to make it easier to fall asleep later.  The exercise itself will also help you sleep because the physical exertion will help your body be more tired.

5)      Eat Healthy

Studies show that when people eat foods that are unhealthy, they are likely to have sleep disturbances.  On the  flip side, when people eat healthy foods, their energy remains more stable throughout the day and this helps them better regulate anxiety and stress, setting them up for a good night’s sleep. Interestingly, although some people report that drinking alcohol makes them feel tired and helps them fall asleep, because it is a depressant, alcohol before bedtime actually hinders deep sleep because the body’s liver is working to metabolize the alcohol.