better sleep with these 7 daily habits

My sleep has been ALL OVER THE PLACE lately, and I’ve had it. It’s time to instill some better sleep habits in my life.

Because not sleeping through the night is NOT an option.

After tossing and turning all night, or being awake for hours on end in the middle of the night watching TV, I end up being a cranky mom the next day. I’m just not a fun person to be around, and it shows.

Not to mention that bad sleep is bad for your body and overall wellbeing. It disrupts hormones, affects immune function and mental health, and can cause weight gain, heart disease, and other medical problems.

But most of us stumble through lack of sleep for whatever reason.

We give up, thinking “I’m just a bad sleeper.” We try new things and they don’t work. Sometimes honestly, I just want to cram more into my day and think that ditching sleep is the best way to do it. (Even though I prove that to be wrong time and time again.)

Keeping from sabotaging our sleep is a great way to practice self care and honor God with our bodies. Not to mention keeping our relationships strong.

Lately I’ve been attempting new things and actually coming up with some things that work – daily habits that help achieve restful and better sleep through the night.

These are things that are working well for me. I’ve seen such a difference in how I sleep since I started incorporating these habits – deeper and longer sleep, feeling more rested in the morning, falling asleep faster.

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Tea before bed.

Every night before bed, I sip on a big mug of hot tea with lavender and honey. My all-time favorite tea is a recent find – it was a gift from a friend, and now I keep it in stock in our house because I can’t go a night without it. It genuinely calms me and actually makes me feel sleepy.

Blue light filtering at least an hour before bed.

Blue light glasses have been a recent purchase for me as well. Initially I was skeptical – do blue light glasses actually make a difference? Surprisingly, scientific studies back up that blue light suppresses melatonin, a hormone produced by the body that helps you sleep.

Since I ordered my blue light glasses, I’ll wear them whenever I look at a screen – either all day, or as soon as it starts getting dark. I also apply the blue light filter on my phone, setting it to turn on at 10pm. Again, I’m noticing less time to falling asleep, and not waking up in the middle of the night so much.

A bedtime routine.

Consistency is key with so many things. And many people (myself included) preach sleep routines for babies and kids – but don’t really practice that in our own daily ritual.

Set an approximate time you want to be asleep by. It helps to consider how much sleep you want to get (7-8 hours a night is recommended), and when you need to get up. Then consider when you want to start your routine and when to be in bed.

Look into vitamins and supplements.

First of all, I’m NOT a doctor or healthcare professional – you should talk to one before you start anything new. But if you’re looking for a starting point to do some research about, I have a few suggestions.

Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone in your body, but you can also take a supplement to help get you to sleep. It’s natural and non-addictive.

If anxiety is what keeps you up, look into magnesium (which also helps with bone health, PMS and fighting migraines) and ashwaganda (which also helps with energy levels and blood sugar levels).

I also like to include Vitamin C for immune support, which sort-of has to do with sleep, so we’ll allow it.

Exercise.

Naturally, I’m not athletically inclined. However, what motivates me is how good I feel afterwards. And it contributes to a good night’s sleep. Whatever the method, I try to get moving at least a little every day.

My favorite sneakers are super light and comfortable. I’m also a big yoga fan, and like having a comfy mat and great routine.

(Again, chat with your health care professional about what is best for you.)

A non-caffeinated afternoon pick-me-up.

It rarely fails – if I drink caffeine past 12 pm, I either can’t fall asleep, or wake up in the middle of the night. But when 2 or 3pm hits, I’m usually exhausted.

I recently picked up this incredible superfood powder, and it is love. Not only does it have probiotics and antioxidants, but it’s an amazing afternoon pick-me-up for extra energy. It tastes great and is just what I need to get through the second half of the day without affecting my sleep. I look forward to it almost as much as my coffee in the morning.

Massage.

Another recent quarantine addition to my self-care routine has been the use of a Gua Sha stone. What originally perked my ears up is that it is apparently better than Botox for plumping skin and smoothing fine lines. But in addition to its restorative factors for skin, it also prepares body and mind for relaxation. (Get 10% off your Gua Sha stone, and any other skincare needs, at Primally Pure with the discount code: JENN10 !)

Whether it magically puts me to sleep or not, incorporating it into my day has been a great way to promote rest and detoxify. I believe my rest (and my skin) have been better – glowier, plumper – for using it.