More Tips & Tricks to Help You Fall Asleep Faster
Quick Facts:
Things to help you relax
- Aromatherapy
- Meditation/Yoga
- Don’t move so much
- White noise
- Comfy pajamas
- Plan your next day
- Put your PHONE down
I get it. We all can’t get 9 hours of sleep in every single night. We’re usually too busy, whether it’s because of homework, sports, stress, etc. Especially if you’re in high school or college during exams, it can be pretty hard to actually stop studying and stressing, and actually go to sleep.
To help you all out, I’ve made a list of tips and tricks for sleep, and how to get more of it.
Tips and Tricks
1. Try doing aromatherapy.(1; 2) Aromatherapy uses plant substances and essential oils to help calm a person. Many believe that if you smell or apply certain oils to your skin, it can actually have a calming effect on your body. Lavender is usually considered the best essential oil for relaxation and sleeping purposes. Other oils that you might know are tea tree and rosebud oil. These oils have also shown to have positive effects of the body. WARNING: Check with your doctor before using specific oils, like rosebud oil. Rosebud oil and a couple other oils can cause skin irritation and can be harmful to pregnant women.
2. Meditate and do yoga.(3) Yoga is not only one of the best methods for sleep, but it’s great for your health overall! Yoga is known to be a “stress-buster”, and stretching regularly helps release muscle tension. Meditation is a series of breath exercises and is used for clearing the mind, which helps your mind finally shut down and rest.
3. Don’t Move So Much.(2) I know this is really hard not to do, but tossing and turning at night isn’t going to help you at all with sleeping. The whole reason why we toss and turn is because we are restless, but if you try to not move, that restless feeling will pass. Get into a position that will be comfortable and supports your body, and try not to move.
4. Listen to white noise.(2) What I mean by this is listen to calming music or nature noises. But don’t listen to birds tweeting or things with sudden sound. Instead listen to rain noises and ambient music. This has helped me a lot personally with falling asleep.
5. Wear comfy pajamas.(2) I know this is probably a given, but comfort is a big part of sleep. For example, say it’s summertime and you’re about to go to bed. Where something that is cool to the touch and light, so you don’t get to hot. Do the same thing in the winter, and wear cozy, warm clothing.
6. Plan for the day ahead. Before you go to bed, plan your day out and lay out the things you know you’ll need. Lay out school clothes, sports gear, make your lunch, and pack your bag for school or work. This way you won’t be worrying about things you have to do and the morning, and you’ll sleep more soundly.
7. Put your phone DOWN.(4) I know I mentioned this in my last article about sleep, but it’s the most important in my opinion! I cannot tell you how much trouble I have with this. I feel like most of us have kind of an addiction to our phones, and I personally am checking instagram and sending snaps all night long. But studies have shown that the blue light generated by the phone’s screen light will actually hurt your eyes, and it’s a lot harder to fall asleep. *If you want to read more about this, then head to the bottom of the article and check out this great study on blue light and how it can affect your sleep habits and health.
These are the best tips and tricks that we would recommend, and we hope you try them out!
Hopefully you’ll sleep better, and overall will be less stressed.
IF WE MISSED ANYTHING, LET US KNOW!
WE WOULD LOVE TO KNOW WHAT TIPS YOU HAVE TOO!
RESOURCES:
1. Coles, T., 2014. Benefits Of Essential Oils: 10 Natural Ways To Heal Yourself [Online]. The Huffington Post Canada. Available: HTTP://WWW.HUFFINGTONPOST.CA/2014/07/02/BENEFITS-OF-ESSENTIAL-OILS_N_5536808.HTML [Accessed September 21, 2017].
2. How to Fall Asleep FAST! 20 Life Hacks for Sleep Everyone Should Know!!, 2015. Directed by Wengie. YouTube.
3. Pizer, A., Yoga for a Better Night’s Sleep: Yoga for Insomnia [Online]. VeryWell. Available: HTTPS://WWW.VERYWELL.COM/YOGA-FOR-A-BETTER-NIGHTS-SLEEP-3567209 [Accessed September 21, 2017].
4. 2015. Blue light has a dark side: Exposure to blue light at night, emitted by electronics and energy-efficient lightbulbs, harmful to your health [Online]. Harvard Health Letter. Available: HTTPS://WWW.HEALTH.HARVARD.EDU/STAYING-HEALTHY/BLUE-LIGHT-HAS-A-DARK-SIDE [Accessed September 21, 2017].
