Getting a good night’s sleep is essential for your health and wellbeing, but it’s a challenge for many of us. When you have trouble sleeping, it can feel like an impossible task to turn things around.
Luckily, there are tons of resources out there to help with this issue. We’ve compiled some of the most useful tips from top experts so that no matter what your situation is.
Whether it’s struggling to fall asleep or waking up too early, we can point you in the right direction. By changing your behaviors and environment before bedtime, you’ll be well on your way to getting the restful sleep that you deserve every single night.
Choose The Pillow That’s Right For You
It all starts with the pillow! To get a good night’s sleep, you need to choose one that fits your body and your needs. You know what feels best for you better than anyone else. So don’t be afraid to experiment until you find what works best for you.
If it’s too soft or too firm, if it doesn’t support your neck and spine properly, or if it just doesn’t feel comfortable when pressed against your face, then it won’t help even if its overall quality is great (or vice versa).
The same goes for things like temperature regulation: there are different kinds of pillows available on the market today that are designed specifically with this feature in mind. Make sure that whatever type of material yours is made out off will keep both sides cool throughout the night; otherwise they’ll start getting warm again after being cooled down by sweat during rest earlier in bedtime!
It should also be noted here that some people prefer thinner pillows while others prefer thicker ones—but these preferences aren’t set in stone either way, so don’t let anyone tell them otherwise!
Set Yourself A Regular Bedtime
The importance of setting a regular bedtime cannot be overstated. While it may seem obvious, the truth is that many people don’t think about their sleeping hours in terms of a consistent routine.
For example, if you go to bed at 2am every night on weekends, then you’ll probably want to get up at 10am so that you can get ready for work and spend some time with your family before leaving for the office.
If this pattern isn’t disrupted by school or other obligations during the weekdays when there’s less time available during waking hours due to work obligations or other commitments, then it’s quite possible that those same late nights will continue throughout the weekend as well.
And before long they’ve become normal behavior, which creates an unhealthy cycle where there isn’t much difference between days off versus days on.
On top of all, this is another important point: consistency matters when creating healthy habits around sleep patterns! This means not only sticking with whatever times are structured into your schedule.
But also being vigilant about staying away from anything else which might throw off those rhythms (such as falling asleep early one day only because something came up unexpectedly).
Don’t Use Electronics Just Before Bed
One of the most common reasons people have trouble falling asleep is that they’re still thinking about the day’s events. And what better way to keep you up than staring at your phone or laptop?
It’s like a never-ending cycle: You can’t fall asleep because you’re still thinking about work, so you decide to check Facebook for 30 minutes… on your phone… in bed… before going back to sleep again.
Many people use their smartphones as an alarm clock, but this isn’t always the best idea. Your phone emits blue light that tricks your brain into thinking that it’s daytime and makes it difficult for you to fall asleep at night (even though some apps claim they’re designed not to cause such problems).
If possible, try setting an old-fashioned alarm clock instead of using electronics as your wake-up call — electronic lights can also disrupt our circadian rhythm (the 24-hour physical cycle) and make it hard for us to wake up early enough each morning.
Get Into The Habit Of A Hot Shower Before Bed
Taking a shower before bed is one of the best things you can do to help improve your sleep quality. A hot shower helps to relax muscles and also encourage good blood circulation, which can aid in falling asleep.
In addition, when you’re finished with your evening shower, it will leave you feeling clean and fresh — like a new person! Consistently taking baths or showers just before bedtime can help your body become accustomed to this routine so that it automatically helps you fall asleep faster when the time comes.
Make Your Bedroom Dark, Cool and Quiet
The bedroom should be a place where you can escape the chaos of the outside world, so it’s important to create a space that feels relaxing and peaceful. To do this, make sure your bedroom is as dark, cool, and quiet as possible.
Make light one of your biggest enemies when trying to fall asleep at night. Light exposure suppresses production of melatonin (the hormone that regulates sleep cycles), which makes it harder for you to fall asleep or stay asleep throughout the night.
If you have trouble getting out from under bright lights in your room, consider investing in blackout curtains or an eye mask—they’ll block light from both natural sources like windows and artificial ones like street lamps or neon signs outside your window!
If there’s noise coming from outside of your home or from within your home itself which keeps waking you up during the night then invest in some noise cancelling headphones so that all those sounds are blocked out!
Stop Drinking Coffee After Noon
Coffee is a stimulant, which means it can keep you awake for hours. Caffeine is also a diuretic, meaning that if you consume caffeine and then drink water to quench your thirst, you’ll end up with a lower blood volume and more water in the tissues of your body. This will make you feel dehydrated and groggy when it hits about an hour after drinking coffee.
Coffee drinkers tend to get headaches or stomach aches when they don’t get enough sleep—and drinking coffee late in the day doesn’t help matters because it may make it harder for them to fall asleep at night!
Some studies have shown that as little as one cup of caffeinated coffee can interfere with getting quality shut-eye—which means avoiding it entirely could be doing wonders for your overall health!
Don’t Eat Too Much Before Bed
The last thing you want to do before bedtime is eat a big meal, because it can make it harder for you to fall asleep. Eating a large meal high in carbohydrates or fat will force your body to work harder at digesting the food.
Which can leave you feeling sleepy and groggy when it’s time for bed. If you have difficulty sleeping because of heartburn or indigestion, avoid eating spicy foods or drinking alcohol after dinner.
Create A Relaxing Atmosphere With Essential Oils And Candles
If you’re having trouble relaxing before bed, essential oils and candles can help. Essential oils are powerful smelling compounds that can be used to create a relaxing atmosphere in your room.
They work by stimulating the brain and inducing calmness, which is what you want when it comes time for sleep! Candles are also important for creating a relaxing environment before bedtime because they help produce serotonin.
Which helps you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. The best part about using these two things together? They won’t cost an arm or leg either—you can easily get everything needed at your local grocery store or online!
Meditate To Relax Your Body And Mind
Meditation is a way of calming the mind by focusing on one particular thing, such as your breath or a repetitive sound like “om” or “one”. The benefits of meditation are vast: it can reduce stress levels, improve heart health, lower blood pressure and boost moods by boosting serotonin levels in your brain (serotonin is known as the happiness hormone).
There are many different types of meditation: you can either do it with a group or on your own; you can learn from an experienced teacher in person or via an app/website; most types of meditation involve sitting down on the floor with crossed legs.
But some also recommend lying down flat on your back; any time that works for you will be fine for doing this exercise – mornings before getting out of bed are ideal as well as evenings just before going to sleep!