Sleep is important, but we all have different requirements. Some need eight or nine hours a night, while others can survive on much less.
One thing that remains steadfast, however, is the importance of the quality of sleep. You can feel great after a short night of high-quality sleep, but sluggish after a night of tossing and turning.
But what can you do if you are having trouble getting to sleep at night? You’re not alone. Studies report that more than 60 million Americans struggle to get quality sleep.
We have the answer for you. Any of these ingenious life hacks will help you fall asleep in seconds and have you waking feeling refreshed and ready for the day.
1) Baths Before Bedtime are Great Life Hacks for Getting Sleep
Going to sleep does not start when you get into bed, but long before that. It starts in the evening, with getting yourself ready. If you have been having problems falling asleep, you can try adding a long bath to your evening routine.
If you use the right products, you can turn it into a relaxing aromatherapy style experience that will have your mind relaxed and ready to slide ride into the dream world.
To top it off, there is a physical reaction that comes from taking a bath. The warm water will raise your body temperature, getting out will lower it and this change will help promote that drowsy, ‘let me sleep’ feeling.
2) Reading a Good Book Will Lead to Sweet Dreams
There is a reason why a lot of people read a book before they go to sleep. It’s not just because it’s one of the few peaceful moments many adults get in the day. It is because reading has a relaxing effect on your brain and will help you drift off to sleep easier and faster.
Providing you are ditching the Kindle or the reading apps for a real, physical book, you will see your mind slipping away from the pressures and troubles of the real world, relaxed by your chosen fictional world.
3) We Are Creatures of Habit and Routine is Important
Us humans are creatures of habit. We adapt and operate better when we have a set schedule for things. Bet giving yourself not only a set bedtime but also a pre-bed routine, you are helping to programme your body and mind to sleep when you say it is time to sleep. Thus helping you slip off to the land of nad quickly and effortlessly.
4) Cut Back on the Caffeine After Lunch
Caffeine is a sleep killer. That’s why cutting down caffeine is one of our most important life hacks for getting good sleep.
We all drink coffee to give us a bit of a boost. If you want to start sleeping better, you need to consider cutting out all caffeine after lunch, or depending on your bedtime, early afternoon at the latest.
The trick, however, isn’t just cutting out coffee. Did you know that tea also has a lot of caffeine in it, and even chocolate! Yes, if you want to start sleeping better, make try to make sure that if you need something sweet, you don’t eat it after 3 pm.
5) Meditate for Peace of Mind and Restful Sleep
If the secret to a good night sleep is all about relaxing your mind and letting go of your troubles, then meditation and mindfulness are also great life hacks.
Meditation is not just a fad, it passed through that phase many years ago. It is a genuine and valid form of relaxation. Sitting there, clearing your mind, letting go of the stresses the day placed upon you. You just need to focus on your breathing, let your mind go, and your dreams with surely be sweet and lush.
6) A Glass of Warm Milk Never Fails
Is a glass of warm milk really a life hack? Yes, of course. It’s a movie trope and something we might do for our children, but many people don’t realize that it actually works.
Why does it work? What makes warm milk such a successful hack?
According to some scientists, drinking warm milk is a trigger for us that takes our mind back to the days of breastfeeding, and thereby triggers a sleepy response.
7) A Pair of Socks Could Help Your Sleep Soundly
If this doesn’t count as a life hack, then nothing will.
We all know the jokes and the stories about people who sleep with their socks on. It’s odd that none of them ever include the punchline about getting good sleep.
When you fall asleep, blood flow gets redirected and triggers a sleep response. If your feet are cold, then this inhibits blood flow, making it harder to fall asleep. Wearing a nice pair of socks to bed will keep your feet warm, your blood flowing, and sleep deep.
The real question is, what about putting on a pair of gloves too?
8) Stop Watching the Clock
We’ve all done it. The sleep calculation.
If I fall asleep now, I’ll still get enough sleep. Focus on the math for another half an hour then repeat.
Your clock is a sleep killer. You become focused on what the time it, and how long until we wake up, and it activates our brain and kills off the sleepy vibes you have been searching for. Of course, this counts for clocks, radio alarms, watches, phones, and tablets.
Getting a Good Night Sleep is a Recipe for Success
Life hacks are great because they break things down into small chunks that are easy to digest and implement.
However, at the end of the day, getting enough sleep is about your state of mind. There are a lot of things in life to distract us, and that can weight us down during the day. Finding a way to let them go, to destress is imperative.
The above tips are a great starting point and can help you improve the quality of your sleep, but there are other ways to fall asleep as well. You could argue that planning a good night sleep starts as soon as you wake up.
Once you get better sleep, you can work on other areas of your life. Check out these 15 self-improvement tips to get started!