Hi friends!
Today were going to talk about how to get better sleep. Not how to get more, but how to make your current sleep count. Let’s check out the five tips to do just that. And we will start with the one you’re most likely to avoid.
1. Move your TV out of room.
I’d encourage you to get rid the TV all together but I don’t think you’d like that. So we will compromise. Keep a TV in your living room, your family room, guest room, or whatever TVs go. But don’t keep them in your bedroom.
You are more likely to stay up watching something and fall asleep far after the time you intended to go to sleep with a TV in the room. And depending on what you watch, you now have invited stress or anxiety into your bedroom due to the type of show. We don’t want that.
Remove the TV. Put a book you enjoy on your nightstand or even a magazine. When you need to wind down before bed, read those rather than flip on the television.
2. Use a Weighted blanket
If you have trouble falling asleep, or even trouble staying asleep I would recommend trying a weighted blanket.
I ordered mine like I’m sure most people do, around 2 AM on Amazon when I was having the hardest time sleeping. I’ve now had it for about 8 months and it’s done wonders for my sleep. I notice I fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer than without it.
If you have anxiety in any way, this could also be helpful. I’m not a doctor so I won’t say this will work for you no matter what but I can speak for myself in that it’s been incredibly helpful for my anxiety as well.
There’s a bunch of options online. Know that the heavier the weight of the blanket, the more cocooned you’ll feel.
Pro tip – folding a weighted blanket in the morning is a workout. So get a weight you can comfortably move around.
3. Listen to the Calm App Sleep Stories
I delayed purchasing the calm app for two years. I’d listen to the free sleep stories over and over until I could about memorize the lavender fields and waterfall story.
I finally purchased it when there was a sale and I now have listened to the featured sleep story every night for about 2 straight months.
If you’re not familiar with the app, it has meditation, stories to fall asleep, background noise, music, and daily mindfulness exercises you can choose from.
I’m here for the sleep stories. My anxiety peaks before I go to bed. So after I’m all nestled in my bed with no TV and my weighted blanket around me, I turn on my sleep story for the evening. They tend to be 20-40 minutes and I have only once not fallen asleep in that time in the last two months.
To purchase it yearly is about $69.99 but sometimes there will be sales through them or places like Groupon. Heck you could always ask for a subscription to it as a gift.
4. Have a Consistent Bedtime
Maybe you don’t like this one either. You’re like but I like to stay up and watch the Bachelor some nights or your football team has a late night game on. I hear you. That’s fine, just know you’ll be tired and likely have a harder time sleeping when the time you go to bed is inconsistent.
Saying up for an occasion every so often isn’t a big deal. It becomes an issue if you just go to bed whenever you feel like it every night and don’t set your body up with clear expectations.
I encourage you to plan on a regular bedtime. For me it’s 9:30. Since I’d like to be asleep by 9:30 that means I have to be in bed by 9. Which means I need to start getting ready for bed around 8:45.
Do I fall asleep and stick to this with rigidity every night? Nope. But especially during the week this is my intention and I can then much more easily gauge what I may have to say no to in order to get to bed at a decent hour.
Set your bedtime for the next dat before you even go to bed. Write it down. You’re much more likely to stick to it.
5. Don’t Nap in Bed
But it’s comfy! Yeah I know. Mine is too.
But when you nap in bed, your body thinks you’re going to bed. It is preparing to give you 6-9 hours of sleep. So when you try for only a 30-60 minute nap, it gets confused
What doesn’t get confused? The couch. Or your oversized loveseat. Set a place for napping. Where you only sleep for short time periods.
Even if napping in bed had worked for you, I’d guess sometimes you wake from your nap completely disoriented and have no sense of time or place. Yeah, that’s likely because your bed nap confused your body.
Alright friends, there you have it. My 5 suggestions for how to get better sleep. Take out the TV, get yourself a weighted blanket, listen to a sleep story, set a consistent bedtime, and don’t nap in your bed.
Sweet dreams friends!
