Tired of restless nights and tossing and turning all the time? We get it! There are many reasons why your sleep is affected and it’s usually due to stress, anxiety, physical pain, or a poor diet. 

Today we’re going to explore 6 ways for you to improve your sleep, so you’ll never have restless nights again:

1) Reduce your caffeine intake.

Caffeine has many benefits and can enhance focus, energy and performance when you work out. However, it’s been proven that when consumed late in the day, it prevents your body from naturally relaxing at night. 

That means that in order to increase your chances of a better sleep, you need to cut caffeine out of your diet at least 6 hours before bed.

2) Reduce sources of light in the room.

Our brains are designed to associate darkness with time to sleep. Why? Because of our Circadian Rhythm, a.k.a., our very own sleep-wake cycle. The circadian rhythm is our body’s internal clock, which just so happens to run in the background and carries out essential functions and processes. 

When properly aligned, a circadian rhythm can promote consistent and restorative sleep. On the other hand, when it isn’t properly aligned, it can cause minor or major sleeping problems, including insomnia.

Aside from circadian rhythm, the darkness also helps stimulate the production of melatonin, a hormone that helps you fall asleep quickly. 

That said, in order to help your brain understand that it’s time to sleep, you need to turn off all electronic devices and lights. If there are sources of light you can’t remove from the room, then you might want to go the extra mile and:

- Buy opaque or blackout curtains to block the light coming from the windows
- Use electrical tape to block out any ON/OFF lights on electrical devices you have in your bedroom
- Use a sleeping mask

3) Create a sleeping schedule and stick to it.

Being consistent with your sleep schedule will help you in the long run, as studies show that having a regular sleep pattern will signal your brain when it’s time to shut down.

It might not happen straight away, but after a week or two, you’ll begin to notice that you get increasingly tired by the time you’re supposed to go to bed and you’ll wake up refreshed in the mornings.

How can you set up a sleeping schedule? Start by working backwards from the time you need to wake up in the morning. Subtract 6 to 8 hours, a.k.a. your sleeping time, as well as the time you need for your night routine (brushing your teeth, taking a shower…).

For those working night shifts or just working irregular schedules, setting up a sleeping schedule is more tricky, but it can be done:

- Take advantage of your scheduled breaks: even when working long shifts, you are usually able to take breaks. Take that time to enjoy power naps. These aren’t as satisfying or regenerative as an uninterrupted 6-8 hour sleep, but we work with what we got.
- Stay well-fed and drink plenty of water: doing this will help you avoid hitting energy slumps.
- Make your own relaxing playlist: it can be pretty difficult to tell your brain to stop working and overthinking when you’ve just finished a tough shift, so listening to instrumental music that you find relaxing can be a great help.
- Buy yourself a great pillow and mattress: if your work requires you to stand or sit for long periods of time, you will certainly need a mattress and pillow that help relieve any physical discomfort you may have.

4) Take showers in the evening.

Are you used to taking showers in the morning? You might want to rethink that. By showering before bed, your body and muscles will relax and you’ll be more likely to have a good night’s sleep. This happens because the heat stimulates the brain to release a hormone called oxytocin, which is known to be correlated to anti-stress effects, or relaxation.

If you simply cannot give up on your morning showers, then at least soak your feet in warm water before bed and try to warm up your room to a cozy temperature.

5) Start working out during the day.

If you are not in the habit of working out, then you might want to change that. People who exercise regularly tend to sleep better at night and they feel a lot less sleepy during the day. 

It doesn’t have to be a hardcore workout, just walking for about 10 to 20 minutes a day can influence your sleep quality. By working out regularly, you will be stimulating your muscles and in doing so, your brain will automatically signal you that you need more sleep, in order to recover from the physical effort. It will also induce a deeper and more restful sleep, which is exactly what we’re aiming for.

6) Evaluate your current diet.

Your eating habits play a significant role in how well you sleep, especially the last meal of the day.

You don’t have to implement a strict diet, but you might want to cut back on sugary foods and refined carbs, as they can trigger wakefulness during the night, and we have 2 reasons for that:

1. Throughout the night, your cortisol levels (stress hormone) gradually decrease as you sleep. However, when you eat sugary foods before bedtime, you disrupt this process, which consequently leads to restless sleep. 
2. Sugary foods before bedtime lead to high blood sugar levels, making your kidneys have to work overtime. What this means is that during the night, you’ll be making a few trips to the bathroom. You might also wake up often feeling the need to drink water to hydrate. And so there goes the uninterrupted sleep.

Last but not least, you should avoid eating foods and drinks with caffeine, such as coffee, black tea, green tea and chocolate, before bedtime. Another trick is to avoid big meals right before going to bed.

If you follow these 6 tips, you will be fully prepared for a good, restful night, every night!

 

 

Want to take the next step? Try our 21 day mini challenge!

Over the next 21 days, just complete as many tasks from the below list, daily. By the end of our challenge, you can expect seriously improved sleep!

 

TASK LIST 

1) Turn off all electronic devices at least 1 hour before bedtime (yes, we mean smartphones, tablets and TV)

2) Reduce your caffeine intake by half

3) Create a sleep routine (like drinking chamomile tea 2 hours before bed or creating a sleepytime playlist)

4) Every morning, set a goal for the day and then at the end of day check, reflect on your progress (creating simple but relevant goals can help you feel fulfilled and therefore less stressed during bedtime)

5) Take your Sleep Multiplier every night (to improve your sleep quality and increase your energy levels when you wake up)

 

Use our tracker to see your progress!