Sleep issues have become increasingly common. 30% of adults worldwide suffer from insomnia symptoms. Sleep apnea affects roughly 20% of the population, 85% of whom don’t even know they have it.
It’s easy to compromise sleep to deal with the challenges of work and family responsibilities. Owing to technology, we have 24/7 access to work, entertainment, and social media. The continuous desire to be “in the know” contributes to staying up later than we should.
According to the National Sleep Foundation the recommended number of hours of sleep is seven to nine hours for young adults and adults, and 7-8 hours for older adults. If you’re already not taking good care of yourself, self-care might mean shaking things up and doing things differently. It is especially important if you experience issues related to the quality of your sleep. We know that a good quality slumber has a ton of benefits for your health and wellness, so you are able to show up as the best version of yourself.
What Sleep Remedies and Strategies Can Help?
Fortunately, there are solutions to help improve the quality and quantity of sleep, many of them deserving to be better utilized. This approach entails both a mindset and strategy shift.
1. Get Your Investigative Hat On
The best way to start getting the quality sleep you’re after – sometimes the only way – is to approach the situation the way a detective approaches a crime scene. Don’t just think about how you can get better sleep, find out why you have sleep issues. It could well be because you have a busy mind, worries and anxieties, or you’re stressing about something that is keeping you awake. It could also be that what and when you eat and drink is affecting your body’s natural ability to rest. You might discover that there is more than one issue leading to a poor-quality sleep.
2. Do a Brain Dump – Write It All Down
Does your to-do-list look like an ocean with no end in sight? Is that keeping you awake at night?
Your brain might be in overthinking mode. The more you think, the larger your thoughts and worries become (very common at nighttime). Ironically, nighttime is not usually a practical time to do anything about things that worry you.
Is it about your to-do-list? Write down anything you need to remember or get done the next day. If it’s thoughts and worries keeping you awake at night, write down one or two things you can do the next day to deal with those worries and anxieties. If it’s something that has already happened and you have no control over, write down what you’ve learned from the experience.
Externalizing your thoughts helps get them out of your head, down onto the paper and easier to let go. You may find it helpful to keep a journal and a pen near your bed.
3. Switch to The Positive
Whether it’s writing in a gratitude journal or just going over them in your head, think of three positive things that happened for you during the day or the past week. Perhaps your family loved the delicious meal you cooked for them. Maybe someone complimented you on your clothes or hair. Or it could be that you managed to put a checkmark against all the items on your to-do-list that day. Recalling good fortune, remembering the conversations and connections, even a smile helps switch your mind away from going in circles with unwanted thoughts.
4. Establish and Use Bedtime Rituals
Having a set sequence of things “to do” and “not to do” before going to bed can help calm a hyperactive mind.
What are some relaxing things you enjoy doing at the end of the day? Perhaps it’s listening to a podcast, reading your favorite book, taking a bath, meditation or getting intimate with your significant other. Relaxation methods like Jacobson Relaxation Technique can help relax your muscles and release tension.
To enhance body’s healthy rhythm for better sleep, it’s critical to go to bed and wake up at a similar time each day. Also, make your bedtime routine include avoiding the use of computers, cellphones, videogames, or tablets at least an hour before you go to bed. The artificial blue light emitted by these devices can affect your body’s production of melatonin, and consequently the quality and quantity of sleep.
5. Keep Track of What Enters Your Digestive System
Living off of an unhealthy diet can lead to hormonal imbalances and increased risk for diabetes, obesity and mood disorders. Digestion requires energy. So, consuming snacks or large meals at night diverts your body’s focus on digesting food and can get in the way of its ability to rest and relax. It is best to eat the largest meal in the middle of the day and the lightest meal in the evening. In addition, limiting sugary, caffeinated, and alcoholic food and beverage intake can help improve sleep quality. This strategy supports us to take full advantage of our body’s natural nighttime healing and repair mechanism.
6. Monitor Your Environment
Good nutrition is critical to a good quality sleep, but it is only one component. An additional factor is creating a peaceful environment where we sleep. For example, you can paint the walls of your bedroom a calming color, keep the bedroom dark and quiet, or invest in a new mattress or a sleep mask. Cleaning out the clutter from your bedroom is another effective way to make your bedroom more sleep friendly. The old saying “A cluttered space is a cluttered mind.” is so true! Your body and mind often sense the energy of clutter in the form of stress. When you make your bed or clear the junk out of your room, you feel mentally clearer. And a clear mind makes it way easier to sleep.
7. Try Orange Blossom Water
Orange blossom water made from distilling orange blossoms has traditionally been used to treat anxiety and insomnia. These aroma-kissed flowers have mildly sedating effects on the nervous system. Their scent is relaxing and helps reduce stress, calm your mind and improve sleep. There are not a lot of side effects recorded. However, rare allergic reactions might occur in people who are hypersensitive to citrus plants. Always make sure you consult a healthcare professional before taking orange blossom water if you have hypersensitivity, are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Stressing about sleep is just as unhelpful as stressing about anything else. The missing link to your healthy lifestyle may be in a good night’s sleep. So, it’s crucial to start taking small steps towards a deeper and more restful snooze.
Sweet Dreams!