Do you know what to do if you can’t sleep? How can you handle a night of tossing and turning?
After a night spent wrestling with your bed sheets, you wake up feeling like a couple of the Seven Dwarfs – Sleepy…and Grumpy.
As you grow older, it is typical to experience less sleep. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine reports that change in your circadian rhythms can make it harder for you to fall asleep and stay asleep through the night.
Chances are, you go to bed excited about the day ahead—maybe even planning your grocery list for tomorrow. But instead of zipping right through dreamland and sleeping like a baby, you're waking up feeling strained or exhausted before 8 a.m.
We all occasionally have trouble sleeping, but if ongoing insomnia persists day after day, it can lead to serious health problems.
You need to know what to do if you can’t fall asleep.
Luckily, we put together a list of 4 sleeping tips you can use to improve your quality of sleep — even learning how to fall asleep when you can’t!
Sleep Tip #1 to Try Tonight: Straighten Up Your Room
Many people say, "I'll try anything to get a better night of sleep.”
Unfortunately, many don't even consider one of the simplest things that can make for better rest — cleaning up the bedroom!
One of the best ways to get good quality sleep is by keeping a clean sleeping space.
Buying all kinds of sophisticated bedding, mattresses, and other accessories won’t necessarily guarantee a great night of sleep. But the secret many forget about is simply tidying up.
Why is this so important? We can give you 3 reasons:
- Lower Stress Levels: A clean room gives you the space to relax and sleep without worrying about clutter or mess. When your bedroom is neat, it creates a tranquil atmosphere. The lower your stress levels are, the easier it becomes to sleep soundly at night when you have a clean environment to rest in every night.
- Fresh and Clean Air: Maintaining a clean and tidy bedroom can improve your sleep quality. If you suffer from intense allergies like a stuffy nose, sneezing, wheezing, runny nose, and sore throat, then Dust, dirt, and allergens in your sleeping space can make it nearly impossible to get any rest at night.
- Comfortable Clean Sheets: Great sleep is reliant not only on entering a comfortable environment, but also tactile sensation. Making the bed with fresh clean sheets not only makes it more comfortable to lie in, but it will greatly improve your chances of sleeping well every night.
It's important to create a clean oasis where you can doze off knowing you’ll start your day set up for better productivity tomorrow. Plus, a cleaner room can help improve your health, breathing, allergies, and help you learn how to fall asleep when you can't.
So make a habit of cleaning up – even if just for a few minutes at the end of each day – in order to have a restful night's sleep.
Sleep Tip #2 to Try Tonight: Use Mindfulness Techniques
For many people, sleeplessness is related to stress. Because stress can cause anxiety and tension, these issues make it hard to fall asleep when you're under a lot of pressure.
Sometimes this feeling worsens your already existing sleep troubles.
Meditation may help you sleep better. As a relaxation technique, meditation can quiet the mind and body while promoting inner peace. When done before bedtime, meditation has been proven to reduce insomnia and sleep troubles by promoting overall calmness.
Meditation basics are easy. All you need to do is take a few minutes for yourself and close your eyes in a calm place.
Making time for meditation is the key to experiencing its benefits — and learning how to fall asleep when you can't!
Here are the basic steps of meditation:
- Find a quiet space. This can be anywhere in your home where you feel calm. Sit or lie down, depending on what feels most comfortable. Lying down is preferable at bedtime.
- Close your eyes and breathe slowly. Inhale and exhale deeply. Focus on your breathing.
- When your mind wanders, gently guide it back to focus on your breathing. Practice this simple technique for 2 or 3 minutes, and you will feel calm and clear. You can do this at any time during the day by taking a few deep breaths.
As you practice meditation, be patient with yourself. It will take time for your brain to quiet itself and let go of its thoughts.
If you meditate daily, over time you'll notice you have more positive sleep results.
Sleep Tip #3 to Try Tonight: Identify the Cause of Your Sleeplessness
Sleeping disorders become chronic when it's always difficult for you to fall asleep or stay asleep. So you need a solution – you need to know what to do if you can’t sleep.
Perhaps your body and mind don't feel comfortable, which causes you to wake up often during the night.
Most people find it difficult to get a good night of sleep at some point in their life. Six or seven hours may be enough for most people, but adults require eight hours of sleep every night for a rested feeling.
If you want to get your sleep schedule in order, it's time to figure out why it's off.
This means you have to rule out possible causes including:
- Aging
- Stimulation before bedtime, like watching television
- Too much caffeine
- Noise disturbances outside
- A feeling of excitement or another strong emotion
There are many possible causes for sleeplessness, including your sleeping habits, lifestyle choices, and medical conditions. Some causes are minor and may improve with self-care; others may require you to seek medical attention, like sleep apnea.
Signs of sleeping difficulty may include an inability to focus during the day,
- Frequent headaches
- Irritability
- Daytime fatigue
- Waking up too early
- Taking several hours to fall asleep
- Low energy during the day
If you want to sleep more soundly, the first step in eliminating the problem is identifying it.
Sleep Tip #4 to Try Tonight: Use Aromatherapy with Essential Oils
If you're having a hard time knowing what to do if you can’t sleep, essential oils for aromatherapy may be the perfect sleep solution for you to try tonight.
Many people have found that aromatherapy may be an alternative to pharmaceutical interventions for mild sleep disturbances.
Aromatherapy is a holistic healing treatment that uses natural plant extracts, like essential oils, to promote health and well-being.
Essential oils are extracted from plants, keeping their original properties. They can be stored in a part of the plant like flowers, leaves or seeds.
There are many different ways to use essential oils, depending on your personal preferences:
- Rub a few drops on certain parts of your body such as your chest, wrist, neck, forehead, hands, or feet.
- Light aromatherapy candles, which have wax infused with essential oils.
- Pour a few drops in an air diffuser, which disperses the fragrance in your room.
- Add essential oils to water and spray in your room or your pillow.
- Add essential oils to a pot of boiling hot water and inhale the steam coming out of it.
Essential oils are known for their soothing features that can help calm the mind and promote better sleep when used before bed.
A few of the most common oils include:
- Sweet Marjoram Oil. The sweet fragrance of marjoram is thought to be calming and many people say it helps them sleep. If you're calm, your body will be able to prepare for sleep.
- Lavender Oil. Lavender is well-known for providing an aromatherapeutic effect that promotes relaxation and restful sleep!
- Chamomile Oil. Chamomile has been used in ancient herbal medicine to reduce stress and anxiety. It also smells like chamomile tea!
Prioritize Sleep using Quality Sleeping Tips
Getting a good night’s sleep is important for your mental and physical health. Research recommends adults get six to eight hours of sleep per night.
If you are not getting enough sleep, your fatigue will significantly decrease your mental awareness over time.
To improve the quantity and quality of your sleep, practice these 4 sleeping tips to improve your sleep and your quality of life.
