Although I am a personal development blogger by profession, I am in no way a mental health professional. See my disclaimer for more info.
Your sleep is sacred and important. I’m going to give you my top tips for better sleep so you can get the rest you deserve.
Don’t you hate it when you climb in bed after a long day at work or school, only to still be wide awake several hours later?
Yeah, I’m not too fond of sleepless nights, either. My sleep schedule definitely changes every few weeks. For a while, I’ll go to bed at a decent time, like 10PM. But other times, I won’t even think about sleep until 3AM. That’s pretty darn bad.
I certainly don’t have the best sleep habits, but I’m working on them. I will say, I know exactly what to do to get a good night of sleep. I can’t keep these tips to myself, so I’ll be giving you ALL of them in today’s post.
Keep reading to learn all about my top tips for better sleep. Are you ready? Let’s get into it!
THIS POST IS ALL ABOUT tips for better sleep.
Why is sleep important?
For you to care about getting better sleep (and going to bed earlier), it’s good for you to acknowledge the importance of sleep.
Prioritizing a good night’s rest is important because it sets you up for the following day. Not only that, but it also:
- Improves your mental health
- Helps with concentration and focus
- Gives you energy
- Supports immune function
Tips for Better Sleep:
Morning Tips for Better Sleep:
1. IT ALL STARTS IN THE MORNING
You might think the journey of sleeping better starts at night time. In a way, it does — BUT it actually begins in the morning.
The later you wake up, the later you’re going to hit the sheets at night. It just happens naturally!
Try to get up earlier and you’ll set yourself up to be able to go to sleep earlier (and get better night of rest).
2. HAVE SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO
I’m not too sure about you, but I love having something to look forward to when I wake up — whether it’s breakfast, my morning routine, a family gathering, or some other exciting thing.
When this happens, I tend to wake up earlier out of excitement and anticipation.
Don’t let yourself believe that you can’t have something worth getting up for, either. You can look forward to something as simple as playing with your pets.
3. DON’T USE YOUR PHONE AS AN ALARM
Time has gone on and technology has continued to advance. One of these changes is the ability to set an alarm on your phone.
It’s really convenient — you simply go on your phone’s clock app and set the alarm. It seriously couldn’t be any more straightforward.
But here’s the problem with that: if you have a something like Do Not Disturb on or your phone is on silent mode, you likely won’t hear the alarm. Then what? You end up sleeping in!
I’m sure your body would be happy to get the extra rest, but mentally, you probably won’t be as thrilled. Especially when you have something important like work, church, or school.
Instead of using your phone, consider using a smart-home assistant (like Google Nest or Alexa) or, better yet, an actual alarm clock!
You’re less likely to use the Do Not Disturb mode on these, so you’ll surely hear (and ideally wake up to) your alarm.
4. SET A SOFT ALARM
Have you ever set a loud alarm and then woke up with your heart pounding? Yeah, that type of feeling isn’t great first thing in the morning.
I know you might think that it’s helpful, but consider using a softer, quieter alarm. You want to wake up peacefully.
5. ALLOW YOURSELF TO SNOOZE
Did you think I was going to say something along the lines of NOT snoozing your alarm? Nope — gotcha!
I actually encourage snoozing because sometimes you simply need more rest, even if it’s just 5 extra minutes.
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Evening Tips for Better Sleep:
1. NO CAFFEINE AFTER NOON
We’ve covered the things you should do in the morning. Now let’s switch gears to evening time.
If you’re an avid coffee drinker, this might be a hard pill to swallow. BUT, if you drink caffeine too close to the time that you go to bed, it’s going to be hard falling asleep.
Why? Because you still have quite a bit of energy from the caffeine.
Try to cut off your caffeine intake around 12PM so you won’t be as energetic at 9PM.
2. KEEP YOUR NAPS STRATEGIC
Naps, naps, naps. We all want and need them every so often. There are lots of opinions about timing your naps.
Here’s my take: try not to take a nap too close to the time that you usually go to bed. If you like to hit the sheets at 9PM, don’t take a nap any later than 3PM.
I know that’s a 6-hour difference and it may seem like it won’t do much. But trust me: you’ll feel it, especially if the nap is an hour or longer.
Consistently taking long, late naps can negatively affect your sleep schedule and sleep pattern over time.
3. DON’T GO TO BED HUNGRY
So… you probably eat dinner at a decent time, but my eating schedule isn’t exactly the best. Some days, my last meal is at 8PM. Others, it’s at 6PM.
The problem is that when I try to go to sleep, all I can hear and think about is my empty stomach that’s crying for food. (OK, “crying” might be a little excessive but you get the point!)
4. START YOUR NIGHT ROUTINE EARLY
The earlier you go to bed, the earlier you’ll go to sleep. That will give you more time to rest, which should be your ultimate goal.
5. ONLY SLEEP IN YOUR BED
Beds are mainly used for sleeping, but we often use them for other things, like watching TV, scrolling on our phones, and even eating a snack.
If you do all this stuff in your bed, it can be hard for your brain to register the fact that you’re trying to go sleep. So, try to save all of those other activities for your living and dining areas.
6. PUT THE DEVICES AWAY
I know you’re probably tired of hearing the old, “Get off your phone an hour before you go to sleep.” But it’s a good piece of advice.
I notice that whenever I just lay in bed and stare at the ceiling rather than watching TikToks for 30 minutes, I fall asleep much quicker. I like to sleep in the dark, so I don’t need any kind of device to provide light.
But, if you need some type of light, try to get a night light or keep your bedside lamp on until you feel yourself falling asleep.
Nighttime Tips for Better Sleep:
1. MAKE (AND STICK TO) A NIGHTTIME RITUAL
Routines are everything — especially your night routine. At the very least, your night routine should consist of brushing your teeth, and washing and moisturizing your face. Of course you can do other things like eating dinner or taking a shower.
2. GO TO BED WHEN YOU START TO FEEL TIRED
Have you ever felt yourself dosing off, but forced yourself to stay awake? Yeah, I do it too. Usually it’s because I don’t want to miss anything from the show I’m watching.
But this can be bad for your sleep health. When you feel yourself falling asleep, you should allow it to happen. Don’t try to force yourself to stay up if it’s not worth it.
3. SLEEP IN THE DARK
Like I said earlier, I love sleeping in the dark. If anything, I can’t sleep with any type of light whatsoever. Going to bed without lights allows you to focus on sleeping and not deal with any distractions.
4. FIND YOUR IDEAL SLEEPING POSITION
If you’re having a hard time sleeping, it might be because you haven’t found your ideal sleeping position. There are many different positions you could sleep in, like:
- On your back
- On your stomach
- On your side
5. KEEP A WATER BOTTLE NEXT TO YOU
I know I’m not the only one who has woken up around 3 in the morning feeling super dehydrated! It’s definitely not the best feeling.
I always keep my water bottle on my night stand in case this happens. And for some reason, that 3AM water hits different. Why does it taste so good?
6. INVEST IN GOOD BEDDING
Look — even though it can get expensive, good bedding is SO worth it. And by “good bedding,” I mean everything: sheets, quilts, blankets, comforters, pillows, and pillow cases.
FREE SELF CARE ACTIVITIES LIST
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7. KEEP YOUR ROOM COOL
Temperature plays a major role in your sleep quality. For me, it’s impossible to fall asleep if it’s too hot but it’s also hard to go to sleep if it’s too cold. I like to keep my room at a good temperature.
Even if that means turning on the fan, so be it!
8. USE A HUMIDIFIER
For those winter nights where the air in my room is dry, I like to use a humidifier. This puts moisture into the air and allows me to breath better.
Here’s the humidifier that I use — check it out!
9. LISTEN TO CALMING SOUNDS
I don’t do this, but I know it can be helpful to some. If you’re having a hard time falling (or staying) asleep, go on your phone and search for some calming sleep sounds.
These can include:
- The ocean
- A box fan
- A thunderstorm
- Sound bowls
- The sound of nature
If you want to follow an earlier tip and not use your phone, consider buying a sound machine. They don’t cost much and produce all types of calming sounds to help you sleep better.
10. STICK TO A CONSISTENT SLEEP SCHEDULE
Last but certainly not least, stick to a consistent sleep schedule. This is probably the best way to fall asleep easily and at the same time every night.
Don’t go to bed at 11PM one night and then 9:30PM the next. Your body will have a hard time adjusting, so try to hit the sheets at the same time.
Let’s recap!
We made it to the end of the post!
Today, we talked about tips for better sleep.
You should prioritize your sleep to improve just about every aspect of your life. I hope these tips help you get a better night of sleep!
Please remember to take time to take care of yourself!
I know, in this economy, it can be hard to find free things to do that are fun. That’s why I put together a list of 7 free self care activities to enjoy today!
In the midst of chaos, don’t forget to smile,
DeMarcus – your self care buddy
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