Nowadays, it almost seems like everyone struggles with some form of insomnia and poor quality of sleep. Here are some tip that works for me, and hopefully they’ll help you sleep better as well.
I never used to believe this because I refused to believe the blue-light nonsense, or maybe I just really loved using my devices in bed – Netflix and chill right? I was wrong. I’m not going to bother going into the scientific explanations just take my word for it, you can read a book (but not one that’s exciting, god forbid) or drink a cup of tea to wind down instead. Else it will only be more clutter for your mind, preventing the good night’s rest you need.
This means shutting out noise, like ripping out the batteries in your wall clock if you’re painfully aware of its presence. Make sure that you can’t see the clock easily if you choose to have it up. Otherwise the anxiety of sleeping past your alarm will keep you from sleeping well. Invest in some black-out blinds too to allow your body to ease into “night” mode and similarly, pulling those blinds up in the morning to get the sun in. This helps your circadian clock (your body’s internal clock) to better register day and night so that it knows when to release the sleep hormone, melatonin, when it’s night time such that you’ll gradually feel sleepy after a certain time. Also make sure you’re not too cold or warm – 18 degrees is a good temperature.
To date, I’m still unsure if I’m sensitive to caffeine or if it’s all in my mind. I make it a rule to avoid caffeine after 2pm as a result and that includes bubble tea, kombucha and any other possibly mildly-caffeinated product that you might not have been aware of. Avoid alcohol at night, but if you can’t miss out on a night of socialising, drink plenty of water. Also avoid spicy or big meals at night because you want your body to rest, not work its hardest trying to digest your heavy meals.
This ties in with your circadian clock. Avoid sleeping in even during the weekends, maybe an extra hour, max. Don’t nap in the day even if you’re tired too, make it a point to sleep earlier instead. If you know you’re one to procrastinate even sleeping like me, make detailed plans to prepare for bed. For example, you have to bathe at 9pm and be in bed at 11pm even if you’re not sleepy.
Also scientifically proven, plus it tires you out because your muscles need rest or time to recover if you’re pushing hard at the gym. But make sure to not exercise before bedtime, it only increases the endorphines and does the opposite of relaxing.
Try sipping on a cup of non-caffeinated tea, such as chamomile or peppermint or any sort of herbal tea. Not only are they good for our health and stomach, but they (though debatable) have also been suggested that certain teas help people relax and fall asleep faster. If anything, they just provide a warm cuppa which doesn’t hurt so give it a shot.
I know this sounds gimmicky but there have been several studies that suggest that various types of essential oils help with anxiety, insomnia and so on. The few common and readily-available ones that you can easily get from k-mart, target and the like are:
Even if they don’t believe that the mere inhalation of something can alleviate your sleep issues, it works as something fresh smelling regardless. You can choose to apply it topically, so mix it with a carrier oil such as coconut oil, then smear it around the areas where you would apply your perfume – back of ears, insides of wrists, and then use the remaining for your body. Otherwise, you can use a diffuser too and I find that helps clear my nose, especially when the weather gets too dry.
It’s important to also check if you have any form of sleeping disorders, which might be the case even after you’ve been practising the above for a good period of time. Otherwise, I think a cultivation of these good sleeping habits would definitely improve your sleep as long as you consistently keep to them!
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