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Before I dive into simple ways to improve sleep, let’s look at why sleep hygiene is such a hot topic right now.
Improve Your Sleep Hygiene
Improving your sleep hygiene can improve your health. Gallup and Casper partnered on the State of Sleep in America Report to publish findings on what affects sleep quality- found Younger Americans and women have more trouble with sleep than older adults and men.
I spoke with a sleep expert on The Sami Cone Show for advice on sleep schedule, snoring and more.
10 Simple Ways to Improve Sleep
Here are some simple & affordable changes you can make to improve your sleep hygiene tonight:
- Keep a consistent sleep schedule
- Get a new pillow
- Remove electronics
- Get blackout curtains and/or a sleep mask
- Diffuse calming scents
- Take an herbal sleep aid
- Drink herbal tea with honey before bed
- Make it cold
- Practice mindfulness
- Elevate your feet
What to Do Tonight for Better Sleep
Let’s dive into the details of these tips for better sleeping:
Set a Sleep Schedule
Set a consistent sleep schedule. This means going to bed and waking up at the same time every day. Sleep experts say it’s important to do this even on the weekends.
Get a New Pillow
It may be time to get a new pillow for your sleeping style. If you’re going to buy one new thing, this makes the biggest difference.
Think about whether you’re a side sleeper or a back sleeper. You can even buy cooling pillows! Pillows also come in a variety of materials and fibers. We went into a Casper store to choose the most comfortable pillow for each of us.
For example, my son loves his original Casper pillow and has for years. I embraced their newer hybrid pillow that combines marshmallowy soft, unique foam with a fiber design.
Get 10% off a Casper Pillow NOW
Remove Electronics from the Bedroom
I know this is easier said than done, but as much as possible, remove electronics & blue lights. If you must look at your phone before bed, use blue-light-blocking glasses.
You may also want to try blackout curtains or a face mask to let your body know it’s time to go to sleep.
Breathe in Calming Scents
Diffuse calming scents like lavender in a diffuser. If nothing else, you can just open a bottle of lavender essential oil and sniff it before bed.
I also love the Lavender product line from Thistle Farms. Lavender has been proven to help people sleep, especially little ones.
Herbal Sleep Aids
Take an herbal sleep aid like melatonin. You can pick up a bottle for just a few dollars at Trader Joe’s.
Our family has become HUGE fans of a sleep gummy from Unisom. This drug-free sleep aid is made with 5mg melatonin to help you fall asleep fast, wake up less during the night, and feel refreshed in the morning. It also supports brain health with passion flower, lemon balm, and vitamin b6.
It’s also important to note these gummies are not addictive, but are delicious (raspberry-flavored), so make sure your kids don’t eat them as a snack! They recommend taking two before bed, but if you don’t have long to sleep, you can just take one and it still helps.
You can also pick up a box of tea for under $3 to sip before bed. In fact, the herbal Celestial Seasonings teas were just buy one get one free at Publix and that sale happens quite a bit. Stir in a teaspoon of honey for extra soothing, especially during allergy season.
Turn Down the Temperature
It’s easier to sleep in a cool room. If you don’t want to turn down the thermostat, you can get a personal fan for under $15 on Amazon.
Calm Your Mind Before Bed
Practice Mindfulness or listen to a free app or YouTube Video. Just make sure to use a sleep timer or turn over the screen so the light isn’t keeping you up.
Once you do this enough, you can even do it on your own without an App or video.
I also recommend using a yoga block to raise your feet over your heart for 2 minutes before bed. This allows your mind and heart to relax while also improving circulation.
You can buy yoga blocks anywhere from Target to Amazon, but I found one at 5 below for, you guessed it, just $5.
Give Your Bed a Makeover
What better way to look forward to going to sleep than to give your bed a makeover? My friends at Casper sent over some of their best-sellers so I could do exactly that!
I can’t tell you how long it had been since I looked into a new mattress, sheets or mattress base. I do know that in addition to wanting a new pillow and sheets, I really wanted to try an adjustable mattress base.
I’ll be sharing more about our Casper bed makeover. But in the meantime, if you’d like to try Casper for yourself, I have a deal for you! Save 20% off your first Casper mattress purchase when you shop through my referral link.
Watch me share my simple sleep tips on Talk of the Town:
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