Can’t sleep? Don’t worry. Insomnia is more common than you think.
Since sleep is an important part of our overall health and happiness, it is essential to develop some strategies to combat insomnia. After all, we sleep for around 1/3 of our lives. So, let’s take insomnia more seriously and change some of the bad habits we have that prevent us from getting a good night’s sleep.
Here is a list of 20 easy solutions you can try to help cure your insomnia, fall asleep faster, and even wake up in a good mood and fresh in the morning.
1. Fix your sleeping schedule.
It all starts here. Our body and mind needs to know when it is time to go to bed and when to wake up. It is ideal to have a routine and go to sleep at the same time every day.
You can slowly get into the right sleeping schedule by waking up a little earlier every morning. This will make you sleepy a bit earlier.
2. Exercise.
The benefits of exercising daily, even if it’s a quick workout at home, are amazing. It has a therapeutic effect and can help make us naturally tired in the evening.
However, try not to exercise at night. Work out in the earlier part of the day so your body has time to wind down before bedtime.
3. Have a bedtime ritual.
Have a set of actions that you can do each evening that will tell your mind it’s time for sleep.
This may be preparing your food and clothes for tomorrow, taking a long bath, or listening to some relaxing music.
4. Track your sleep.
Keep track of when you go to sleep and the time you wake up. Write down things like how you feel in the morning, what you did before bed, and so on.
Then, go back and analyze the results and see what causes your insomnia and what helps you sleep better.
5. Eat better.
Needless to say, junk food won’t help you sleep like a baby. Processed fats and sugar will ruin your rest. Instead, choose foods that give you energy and are nutritious.
6. Try a weighted blanket.
A weighted blanket can help insomnia and anxiety. Learn more about this unusual trick, that’s backed by research, here.
7. Read to get yourself to sleep.
Going to bed with a book is a great way to finish the day with a habit that many successful people share and to let your mind turn off in a natural way. Give it a try.
8. Use apps that track the quality of your sleep and wake you up at the best time.
Sleep Cycle is one such example. It analyzes your movements during sleep and wakes you up when you’re in a lighter sleep phase.
SleepBot also keeps track of your behavior while sleeping and even records sounds to check if you have any breathing problems. Then, it makes sure you get up at the right moment.
9. Avoid caffeine in the second part of the day.
For the best results, stop drinking coffee after lunch. It may be hard for some coffee lovers to do that, so start small and ditch it just an hour earlier today.
10. Meditate.
It’s proven that meditating, even a short daily session of a couple of minutes, helps you empty your mind, alleviate stress, and leaves you feeling more peaceful in general. All of this leads to better sleep as well.
11. Skip naps during the day.
Napping during the second part of the day in particular can lead to disturbed sleep at night.
12. Get a better mattress.
It’s crucial for your body to feel comfortable in bed so that it can rest properly. It’s worth investing more in a better mattress.
13. Don’t get too emotional in the evening.
Heavy noises and parties before bed won’t help you get to sleep anytime soon. The same goes for having important conversations or watching highly emotional movies. When you get worked up, your mind isn’t allowed to rest. So, leave it for tomorrow morning and save your peace of mind tonight.
14. Eliminate noise.
Make sure there’s no noise in your bedroom. If you can’t prevent the noise, try wearing earplugs at night.
15. Ditch technology at least an hour before bed.
Using devices right before bedtime is bad for you. The light that comes from them doesn’t let your brain turn off, and they make noise even when you’re not using them. So, make sure you put all your devices away from your bed when you’re about to go to sleep and stop using them an hour before bedtime.
16. Use a sleeping mask.
Sleeping in a quiet place is important, but so is darkness. The best way to eliminate light is to get a sleeping mask.
17. Drink some hot tea or milk in the evening.
These two beverages can help you feel calm and get sleepy. Just make sure your tea is decaf!
18. Have a light dinner an hour or two before bed.
You won’t fall asleep easily if you go to bed on a full stomach, but an empty one isn’t the solution either. So, have a light dinner a couple of hours before bedtime for optimal rest at night.
19. Let go.
After the day is gone, make sure you leave behind all your problems, worries, and the stress of the day. Even if it was a good day, excitement can keep you from falling asleep. So, let go of all your thoughts. Accept everything that happened and free yourself from it.
20. Journal your thoughts.
You may want to write down a few things you’re grateful for or what happened during the day and how you felt about it. Share your vision for the next day too. That’s an easy practice that will help you move on and even look forward to what tomorrow might bring.
Which of these hacks will you try first to solve your insomnia problem?
