Things I do to get better sleep
Good sleep quality is a vital ingredient to feeling good, feeling present and grounded each day.
I don’t know if you can tell but I’m a sleep enthusiast, even once being told I treat sleep like an olympic sport!
Naturally I’m quite a high energy person, my mind has mostly been on the busier side and through the years sleep is one thing I’ve really prioritised because I know when I sleep well I just feel soooo much better and when you’re not feeling great, it’s one of the first things to go out the window.
So now I want to share with you the simple things I do to get better sleep.
1. Keep a regular sleep and wake time.
You’ve probably heard this one before so I won’t delve any deeper.
2. Movement throughout the day.
Your body craves movement! Especially if you, like me, are quite a high energy person, without movement throughout the day you’re likely to feel quite restless. If you know you have quite a busy mind too you need time to get out of your head and into your body.
Gauge your energy levels before starting, you don’t have to go all out if you’re feeling tired. If you are full of energy though, go for it! This could be anything from a walk to an intense yoga practice or something else you enjoy.
3. Sleep teas.
Anyone who’s been to my house knows I looove herbal teas - especially in the evening to bring me down. I prefer loose herbs rather than ready made tea bags.
My favourites are lemon balm and valerian root. Valerian root in particular is pretty strong so if you’re taking any medications, check they don’t interact.
4. Blue light blocking glasses.
I put these on as soon as the sun goes down. Exposure to blue light can delay your body's natural melatonin production so get these on to fall asleep faster. I got mine from Foxman frames, I got the heavy duty ones with orange lenses since they block almost all blue light and found they really make a difference to my sleep!
5. Practices to create deep relaxation in the evening.
Now this one is key. I feel a big difference in my sleep quality when I fit in these practices vs when I don’t because I’m priming my body for rest. It’s so valuable to set out time to relax each evening and get familiar and comfortable with what that feels like. Try some yin, restorative, nidra meditation or slow pranayama (the sleep practice I sent out last week is perfect for this!).
6. Magnesium in the evening
This is known to increase relaxation and there’s lots of different ways to take it, find one that works for you.
I’ve tried magnesium bath salts, magnesium spray and tablets at different points and they all work well! Currently I take it as a supplement for convenience but a soak in the bathtub with magnesium salts is always dreamy! The spray can be itchy so I don’t love it!
7. Mouth tape at night.
This one might sound weird to the uninitiated but trust me on this when I say it will change the quality of your sleep! Have a read of The Oxygen Advantage or Breath by James Nestor if you want to learn more.
8. No devices in the bedroom.
Your phone carries so much information and distractions in it. If you’re currently using your phone as your alarm, buy yourself an alarm clock - I’ve had a lumie for years and can’t recommend it enough, it basically wakes you up with a gentle sunrise.
9. Nidra meditation before bed.
This is a game changer for your sleep. I practise this every night to get me ready to rest. Whenever I teach this too I hear again and again from those who join that they never knew just how relaxed they could feel. You can learn to self guide or I’ve got a whole library of nidra meditations you can access, just click here to find out more.
