Sometimes the stress of worrying about things can lead to higher anxiety and not feeling as grounded which can cause us to not sleep as well as we’d like.
When we are stressed or tired (or both), we can sometimes fall into bad habits that compound the effect, like:
🍵 Drinking too much coffee to stay awake during the day, but then you are wired and can’t sleep well that night.
☕ Drinking coffee in the morning and then 🍷switching to a glass of wine (or 2!) to help you sleep. (Pro tip: Alcohol inhibits your sleep overall – it doesn’t help it!)
🍨 Indulging in a late-night snack for some self-soothing (which actually inhibits sleep).
⏱️ Delaying going to bed, just to get one more thing done today.
Here’s what to do when you can’t sleep.
💤 Create a reasonable bedtime and stick to it. Don’t just crash & burn. Making sure you are in bed at a certain time is one of the best daily ways to take care of yourself!
💤 Try a cup of therapeutic tea before bed. I like chamomile or Sleepytime herbal tea.
💤 Stop all blue-light use 2 hours before bed. This means no TV, phones or iPads. Read a book, talk with your partner or journal instead! (Yup, it will make a difference!)
💤 Indulge in something soft, comfortable and luxurious for bed like super soft PJs, satin sheets, satin pillowcase, fuzzy socks and more so it can feel like a treat when it’s finally time to lay your head down.
💤 Engage in breathwork. The Sleep Foundation has many good breathing exercises here. Find one to try and stick with it for just a few minutes a day for 7 days and notice the difference.
💤 Take a warm bath. Use bath balms or scented Epsom salts. Not only is a bath forced relaxation time, but a warm bath at night augments the natural drop in body temperature at this time and helps make you sleepier.
💤 Use lavender essential oil. Lavender essential oil contains potent natural chemical components that act as anxiety relievers and sedatives. I love a good essential oil from doTERRA or Young Living. Dab some on the bottom of your feet, on your chest or on your wrists. You can even diffuse it in your bedroom.
💤 Try over-the-counter CBD gummies. CBD can aid in reducing anxiety, relieve pain and stress so you can relax into sleep. However CBD can potentially interfere with some medications so be sure to talk with your doctor first.
💤 Try a magnesium supplement. Magnesium may help regulate neurotransmitters that are directly related to sleep as well as relax your muscles.
💤 Use a guided meditation app like Calm to guide you into a restful sleep.
Try one or many of these to help support good sleep hygiene and let me know how they work for you!
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DISCLAIMER: This information is being provided to you for educational and informational purposes only. It is being provided to you to educate you about nutrition and as a self-help tool for your own use. It is not medical advice. This information is to be used at your own risk based on your own judgment. For my full Disclaimer, please click here.