I have been working on getting back to the basics over these last few months. Life has been crazy for all of us, to say the least, but I still have a responsibility to be a wife, mother, friend, sister and employee to the best of my ability. To help me get through these times, I have been eating healthier, exercising more and really focusing on my sleep. While my sleep may be interrupted and not as dreamy as I would like (thanks to my adorable 8-month-old baby), I’ve found these 5 tips to get more sleep helpful.
1. Stick to a sleep schedule.
Decide on a consistent time for you to go to sleep and to wake up. When you go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, your body develops a strong sleep-wake cycle. The Mayo Clinic says to limit the difference in your sleep cycle to no more than one hour on weekends. Set an alarm for when it is time to go to bed and make sure you plan for 7 to 8 hours every night.
2. Keep your room cool.
3. Be smart about napping.
I love naps and I refuse to give them up! They help me catch up from lost sleep. But I have found that if I nap after 2pm, it interferes with what time I am able to fall asleep at night. If you must nap, keep it to a short power nap and try to make sure it happens closer to lunch time so that it does not make it harder to fall asleep at night.
4. Get in your daily exercise.
The more you exercise, the more powerful the sleep benefits. Helpguide.org says “People who exercise regularly sleep better at night and feel less sleepy during the day. Regular exercise also improves the symptoms of insomnia and sleep apnea and increases the amount of time you spend in the deep, restorative stages of sleep.” It is even better if you can exercise outside to increase your bright light exposure during the day. One thing to remember though is to time your exercises for the right time of day. If you do it too close to bedtime, you may find that it interferes with your sleep.
5. Unwind in the evening.
We can get easily overstimulated during the day which can make it harder to sleep at night. Begin to relax one hour before bed by reading a book, listening to soft music or doing yoga stretches. Disconnect from social media and screens, as blue light can block your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle.
We hope you found these tips to get more sleep helpful for improving your overall well-being. We are always looking for ideas to make our customers' lives a little easier. If you have any thoughts about your favorite blankets to sleep with, we’d love to hear from you! Reach out to us at help@stickytoffeetextiles.com.
Nicole
Sticky Toffee Brand Manager
