4 Ways You Can Help Yourself if You Aren't Sleeping Well at Night
We all need a good night's sleep to do and be our best every day. But sometimes things happen and we find ourselves not sleeping well at night. While you might be tempted to rush straight off to the doctor to determine a cause, there may be a much simpler fix closer to home. Try these easy ways to help yourself sleep better at night.
Increase Your Exposure to Bright Light During the Day
Your circadian rhythm is what determines when you sleep and when you wake. It affects many hormones in your body, including a sleep hormone called melatonin. Bright light shuts down your melatonin production while dimmer lighting ramps it up to prepare you for sleep. Try getting outside into some bright sunshine for a couple of hours each day. Combine this with some exercise for a double impact on your sleep.
Take a Supplement
There are lots of natural supplements that can help improve your sleep, including over-the-counter and prescription strength melatonin if your body isn't producing enough. But melatonin gives some people very vivid, sometimes troubling, dreams. So before you try it, try other natural supplements first. A great one you might try is some CBD gummies with valerian root and chamomile. Valerian root and chamomile are both long-known for their relaxing effect and helping people sleep. And CBD has begun to prove itself as an excellent relaxation aid that can also help reduce pain and improve sleep.
Skip the Nightcap
Alcohol helps many people relax, so when they have trouble sleeping, they turn to a nightcap or two. But this can have the opposite effect of the one intended. It can increase sleep apnea symptoms, snoring, and sleep disruptions. Not to mention increase wakings for trips to the bathroom. If you feel desperate for a drink of some sort before bed, trya warm milk drink made with herbs and adaptogens that can help you sleep better.
Avoid Eating Close to Bedtime
Sometimes the reason you can't sleep is because your stomach is upset or busy digesting your last meal or snack. Eating too close to bedtime can disrupt your hormones and otherwise make sleeping a difficult, or even impossible, dream. Try finishing your last meal/snack of the day at least 3-4 hours before bed. Studies have found that a high-carb meal about 4 hours before bed can help you sleep faster and better.
Insomnia or trouble sleeping happens to everyone at one time or another in their lives. But before you assume it's your new normal or rush to get a prescription sleep aid that might make things worse, trying some natural methods just might have you heading back to dreamland in no time at all.