Top 5 Tips for Better Sleep

Have you ever considered your sleep hygiene? Sleep is one of the most important aspects of our overall health, but it can often be an afterthought!

Too many people lose out on sleep or experience poor quality sleep and just assume it’s normal. But your sleep quality can affect nearly every facet of your life, including your physical health, mental health, and so much more.

Know How Much Sleep You’re Getting

Before you can adjust your sleep routine, you need to have a starting point. Try keeping a sleep diary for a few days or even a week! Include details about what time you go to sleep and when you wake up. Note what you did before going to sleep, how easily you fell asleep, and if you woke up overnight.

This can be written down in whatever way is easiest for you, from writing down notes in a journal or notebook, to tracking it on your phone. You can also create a simple spreadsheet that lets you track your sleep, including when you started getting ready for bed, when you actually went to sleep, and when you woke up.

Why Are You Missing Out on Sleep?

Just by writing down your sleep routine, you have probably picked up on some habits that are keeping you from getting a good night’s sleep.

Not only will writing down your sleep habits show you how many hours of sleep you tend to get, but what your routine is like, and what bad habits are leading you to lose sleep. Include details like whether or not you had the TV on at night, if you were using your phone, if you read a book before bed, or if you had a lot of stress.

Tips for Improving Your Sleep Hygiene

Sleep hygiene is just about your routine of sleep, including your environment, what you do before sleep, and even how you wake up. Here are my top 5 tops for better sleep.

1. Start by setting up your room to be optimal for sleep. It should be decorated in soothing colors, decluttered, and simplistic. You want a good temperature in your room, along with comfortable nontoxic bedding and pillows. Get a diffuser going with some lavender and frankincense or cedarwood. If you sleep with a nightlight on, make sure to use a red light bulb or red filter setting as opposed to a bright white or blue light.⁠ Speaking of which …
   
2. Try to stay off your phone at least an hour before you plan to go to sleep. The blue light from the screen (or any screen, including the tv and computer!) can mess with your melatonin production. Similarly, keep your phone away from your nightstand and either turned off or on airplane mode. The electromagnetic frequencies emitted by the device are bad for us in general, but especially for sleep. If you wake up in the night, don’t reach for your device! Try a good old fashioned book instead. If you can’t avoid being on your devices or watching tv right before bed, make sure you’re wearing blue light blocking glasses, which are readily available online.
   
3. ⁠Ditch the polyester! As strange as it may seem, the fabric you sleep in can significantly impact your quality of sleep. That goes for both your pajamas AND your sheets! Cheaper fibers, namely polyester, are made from plastic and have a very low vibrational frequency – much lower than that of a healthy human body.⁠ Having this right up against the skin causes our own bodily frequency to lower … which is not good.⁠ Natural fibers like cotton and wool, on the other hand, have very high frequencies and are amazing for our sleep quality, not to mention overall health & wellness!⁠
   
4. Did you know certain herbal teas can help you sleep better at night? Not only are they warm and comforting (especially during the colder months) but certain herbs also have chemical constituents that are proven to support restful sleep! I’m sure you’ve seen the “sleepy time” teas full of chamomile or lavender … but there are all kinds of other herbs to explore as well! My favorite is this organic “sweet dreams” tea from Femallay.
   
5. Relax and clear your mind before bed. Give yourself at least an hour before sleep where you unplug and chill. That might mean a hot shower or bath, reading a book, or perhaps even some meditation or light yoga stretching. Whatever that looks like for you, work it into your schedule each evening!

So there you have it! I always recommend starting with some of these ideas prior to resorting to any sort of medication. Our bodies are amazingly powerful when given the tools they need! Synthetic drugs or supplemental hormones like melatonin should be a last resort. They will inevitably cause even more imbalance, whereas natural remedies work gently alongside our bodies for optimal sleep hygiene.