How do you feel when you wake up most mornings? Groggy, irritable, and craving coffee, or energetic, cheerful, and ready to take on a new day?
How you feel in the morning largely depends on how you slept the night before, and how easily you were able to slip into dreamland once you hit the pillow. If you could use a little help catching consistently good zzz’s, today we have a few tips to help you nod off with more ease.
Set two bedtime alarms. That’s right — bedtime alarms. The first alarm should go off at least an hour before you’d like to be asleep. That’s your cue to put away all electronics — so no scrolling or streaming. (The light from your phone, laptop, and TV can disrupt your natural sleep rhythms and make it harder for you to fall asleep.)
The second alarm should go off 30 to 15 minutes before you’d like to be asleep. That’s your cue to start your bedtime routine (more on that below).
Put your worries on paper. If you find your mind’s going a million miles a minute, grab a notebook and do a brain dump by writing down whatever could potentially keep you awake. It could be tasks you don’t want to forget to do, thoughts about your day, how you’re feeling about family, friends, work, or anything else.
Getting worries out of your head and down on paper can keep them from running through your mind when it’s time to go to sleep.
Create a bedtime routine. One of the best ways to get a baby to fall asleep peacefully is to set up a consistent bedtime routine — and it works wonders for adults too! It doesn’t have to be long or complicated, but each step will signal to your brain that it’s time to wind down and fall asleep.
Yours could be a bubble bath with a mug of sleepy time tea, followed by reading a chapter of a book before lights out. Or you could do a quick relaxing yoga routine, or list out what you’re grateful for as you apply your nighttime skincare. Find what works for your life and try to stick with it every night to tell your body it’s getting time for lights out.
Wishing you good sleep and sweet dreams!
Emily and the EveryDay Happy Team
Quote du jour
“A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book.” — Irish Proverb
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