Remember when you used to wake up for school at ridiculous o’clock and just… not feel tired? I can’t remember the last time I went a whole day without stating how badly I need a coffee, and I also can’t remember when it started, but I would assume it was around the time I hit 20. And it makes sense; I started socialising more, staying out later (despite what time I had to be up the next day) and began to have less of a routine in life, so my sleeping pattern quickly went flying out the window. It’s an age of making new friends and starting new jobs, and that kind of social pressure combined with the amount of time we actually have in a day or a week, leads to a social jet lag that comes from putting sleep at the last of our agenda. And then comes the vicious cycle of not being able to sleep when we get the chance of a full night’s rest because our body clocks are so off. So, on those nights where you get a chance to sleep like a normal person, here’s what to do.
AVOID NAPPING
I understand this is an obvious but hard one. I’m a serial napper, and find it so hard not to go for a cheeky snooze when I can. But it just makes it so much harder to sleep at night. If you really have to nap, keep it to 20 minutes or less, as this is seen as an effective amount of rest, and won’t take away from a proper big kip.
CUT DOWN YOUR CAFFEINE
There’s no doubt we all need a coffee, or two… or three in the morning to get us up and ready for the day, but consider cutting down on caffeine intake after midday, and even cutting it out completely past 6pm will make a huge difference. Try going for a walk instead to perk you up.
EXERCISE
Going for a walk during the day also tires you out ready for the evening. Any kind of exercise also helps with this and will use up the energy that springs upon you in the evening. Try and avoid exercising to close to bedtime though because it will just raise your heart rate and stimulate you nervous system which will keep you awake. Instead, try doing some yoga before bed to relax, even if it makes you feel silly.
NO ALCOHOL BEFORE BED
Although the sleepy affects of alcohol initially seem like a good way to wind down, drinking alcohol before bed will make you wake up more often overnight. Sorry about that.
CREATE A BEDTIME ROUTINE
This seems virtually impossible at our age to create an evening routine when there’s just so much going on. People to see, work to do; I don’t think I’ve felt routine since I was in school. But until we have children and they need a routine, the only way it’s possible is to be strict on ourselves. On the evenings when you’re in and don’t have anything in your schedule, create a routine to go through before going to bed so at least you know on the one night you have the chance of not being out until ridiculous o’clock in the morning, you don’t end up falling asleep at ridiculous o’clock in the morning anyway. Run a bath, do some nice skincare, read a book… whatever floats your boat.
HAVE A HOT SHOWER
This is super easy and scientifically proven to help you sleep at night. The dip in your body temperature between when you get out of the bath or shower and going to bed, can trick your body into thinking it’s gone from daytime to night- time, as it mirrors the outdoors.
SWITCHING OFF
Blah blah blah, we’ve all heard this one before, and it seems virtually u impossible to come away from electronics when our whole lives revolve around what’s on them, but it really does make such a difference to just try and put them away, both on your mind and your eyes. There’s nothing worse than seeing something bad on your phone or on TV just before you try to sleep… it’ll be all that’s on your mind and not to mention the blue light of the screen keeping your brain active for longer!
SLEEP REMEDIES
Nope, not drugs, just herbal remedies that are said to help sleep naturally. Valerian, chamomile, passionflower and lavender are all natural herbal sources that you can find in products like sleepy tea to aid in sleeping. Non- caffeinated hot drinks full stop are helpful to drink before bed, but careful not to drink too much or you may be disturbed in the night from needing a wee.
HORMONE HELP
Melatonin is a sleep hormone produced in the pineal gland in your brain that regulates your sleep-wake cycle. The levels of melatonin in the blood should be highest just before bedtime, but you might need a little help producing it. You can buy melatonin pills from shops like Holland and Barrett, and they are very natural and safe to take.
AROMATHERAPY
Another herbal one – aromatherapy comes in the shape of smells. From lavender pillow sprays to diffusers, there’s many aromatic bedtime helpers. Whether the smell itself is actually useful I’m personally uncertain, but the association with a certain smell with sleeping is useful in letting your body and mind know its bedtime.
EAT DINNER EARLIER
Eating a big meal close to bedtime can shift your sleep-wake cycle, and releases insulin which aids the body in releasing energy from the food, keeping you up!
DON’T WORK IN YOUR ROOM
Keep your bed for sleeping only, and if possible your bedroom. If you work from your bed, your mind will associate that area with a place to keep awake and active, thus falling asleep will prove very difficult. Aim to keep your bed associated with sleeping, and other areas associated with being awake and active.
GET YOUR MIND READY
If you struggle sleeping because you are worried, or have deep thoughts, put aside some time before getting into bed to actually think about those things, so that you’re not pushing them away whilst you try and sleep.
ADD SOME NOISE
This won’t work for everyone as many find noise distracting whilst trying to fall asleep, but for others, this is a good way of distracting your mind from intrusive thoughts, whilst not having to engage with the blue light of a TV or phone.
SILENCE THE ROOM
On the other hand, if noise bothers you, try investing in some earplugs, or actively engaging in things that will silence the room, such as shutting the window. You may not realise it, but even the faintest noises could be affecting your sleep.
TRY FENGSHUI
It’s understandable if you don’t beleve in fengshui, but simply just moving your bed, or buying a new mattress (if you can afford it!) can make a huge difference to your concept on sleeping. Not only is it introducing a new way of sleeping, you may find new arrangements are more relaxing, and help stop exterior distractions such as light from the window affecting you.
LIGHTING
Being in the dark is the best for sleeping as the pineal gland responds to the darkness by producing melatonin, which as we learnt earlier, helps with sleep. Being in the dark also lets the brain know that it is nighttime, so the sleep part of your sleep-wake cycle is ativated. If you find that being in complete darkness is not possible for you, have a low, warm light, rather than a bright white light, as this helps mimic nighttime to the brain.
WEIGHTED BLANKETS
Weighted blankets are easy to find online and are said to help relax the body and reduce anxiety. They don’t work for everyone but some people swear by them, so it’s worth a try.
STAY AWAKE
This one seems random and against all advice, but if you are really struggling to sleep, trying to stay awake helps to reduce the anxiety around falling asleep and will help to relax you quicker. Try reading a book to try and stay awake and you may find yourself more tiredthan you realised you were.
CONTACT YOUR DOCTOR
If none of these tips are helping, and not being able to sleep is a real issue for you, don’t be ashamed to seek help. Getting a good night’s sleep when you can is really important, so get professional advice.
Follow us on Instagram to tell us what you think.