How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep

Have you ever had problems sleeping? Do you find yourself unable to get to sleep or waking up in the middle of the night? I know how you feel.

For several years, I suffered with insomnia. I would go to bed but not be able to get to sleep, or I’d go to sleep and wake up in the middle of the night, unable to get back to sleep. During those years, I had significant personal and professional problems. Being sleep deprived left me less equipped to address my issues.

So, I read books and articles to figure out how to get to sleep. Finally, I learned to sleep well most nights. I learned how to use good “sleep hygiene” which simply means creating and following a bed time ritual. Use these tips or a combination of these tips to create your sleep hygiene, and you should consistently be able to sleep 7-9 hours every night.

1. Eliminate caffeine 12 hours before bed. Caffeine can affect you for up to 14 hours after you consume it. Keep in mind that there is caffeine in many teas, chocolate, desserts, and decaffeinated coffee. This is not a permanent restriction, but you will need to regulate your consumption while you’re establishing a good sleep pattern.

2. Establish a bedtime ritual. If you raised a child, you had an evening ritual. Dinner, bath, story, bed, etc. Your child knew what to expect. You must train your brain and your body to expect rest in the evening. Here is a suggested procedure:
• 45 minutes before bed, have a small, protein based snack such as yogurt, turkey, cheese or nuts (nothing chocolate covered)
• 30 minutes before bed, brush and floss your teeth, wash your face, turn your bed back
• 15 minutes before bed, turn the temperature down in your bedroom about two degrees lower than normal
• 10 minutes before bed, read, knit, practice yoga or do any other activity that is relaxing

3. Turn your bedroom into a sanctuary. Don’t pay bills or do any work in your bedroom. If the unused treadmill is a source of stress, move it to another room. Remove the TV from your bedroom. Choose calm colors for your linens and walls.

4. Drink chamomile tea an hour or so before bed. Everyone’s body is different, but some studies suggest that this tea helps you to relax and sleep. There are also some “sleepy” teas that you could try.

5. Try lavender essential oil. Rub some on your wrists and under your nose. Inhale deeply as you’re going to sleep. You could also try an aromatherapy diffuser. I like the Good Night aromatherapy.

6. Turn off the electronics. Two hours before bed, turn off the TV, cell phone, and computer. Yes, this one is probably tough, but the blue light in these devices, that you can’t see, can disrupt your natural sleep cycle. You could also try getting glasses that block the blue light. But part of turning off the electronics is eliminating the stress connected to them (email, annoying social media posts, etc.).

Try a few or all of these techniques for a couple of weeks, and you should see a big difference. If you consistently practice the good sleep hygiene described, and you still are not able to sleep well, discuss the issue with your medical provider. Your problem could be health related.