Can’t sleep? Don’t worry – it happens to all of us. Instead of counting sheep, check out these simple tricks to falling asleep quickly. Number three might surprise you!
Can’t sleep? Don’t worry – it happens to all of us. Instead of counting sheep, check out these simple tricks to falling asleep quickly. Number three might surprise you!
Three Simples Tricks for a Good Night's Sleep
We’ve all heard it at one point in our lives: count sheep if you can’t fall asleep. Apparently, the idea is to produce boredom to help you sleep.
But if you’re anything like us, boring ourselves to sleep isn’t something we particularly enjoy doing.
Fortunately, there are better ways to fall asleep than focusing on those fluffy little animals.
Healthy Habits for Healthy Sleep
Here’s a few things you shouldn’t do before bed:
1) Stimulating Activities
Who would have thought running around outside would make it harder to catch some z’s? Jokes aside, thrilling activities do keep you up at night. Here’s why: (prepare for some science) things that are stimulating may cause spikes in what is known as cortisol, your body’s stress hormone. In turn, cortisol tells your brain to stay alert – something you definitely don’t want before bed!
Now, being active isn’t the only thing that’s stimulating to your mind. Electronic devices like computers and television are also problematic.
Hey, we get it. Curling up in bed with your tablet or phone is a fun way to unwind before bed…
But it’s counterproductive to falling asleep.
The artificial light from your device will block your body’s ability to produce melatonin, a hormone that helps us drift off to sleep. This also applies to other lighting in your home. Any type of light tricks your mind into thinking it’s daytime, thus totally ruining what could have been some awesome sleep!
So, DVR your zombie show, dim the lights in your home, and stick to reading a good book before bed.
For those of you who just can’t part with late night Facebook, consider dimming your device’s brightness or buying one of those nifty blue light blocking glasses.
2) Sugary Food
Yeah, we see you scrolling past this one. But here’s the thing, that late night bowl of chocolate ice-cream isn’t doing you any favors. The rise in blood sugar from sugary food makes it difficult to sleep and if you do manage to fall asleep, you might wake up later in the night.
The solution? Try to avoid sweets a few hours before bedtime.
3) Warm Baths
Avoiding artificial light and sugar before bed is usually quite effective if you’re having troubles sleeping. But if you need a little extra support, consider taking a warm bath. A sauna, jacuzzi, steam room, or even shower works well too.
When your body temperature begins to drop after heating up, it’s a signal to your brain that it’s time to fall asleep.
All the above are actionable tips that you can use to improve your sleep tonight. So, don’t wait – try them out. You might just be pleasantly surprised on how fast you fall asleep!