I used to suffer from mild insomnia when I was a teenager, it took me what felt like forever to fall asleep at night. But after I had my baby I had to learn to fall asleep fast, or I wouldn’t get much sleep between feedings. Since then I had done a bunch of research to see what causes insomnia. I found out that there are unfortunately several different factors, and even foods can be the cause. What we eat before bed and even what we eat that morning can have an effect on our sleeping.

And in the winter time, with our weather changing so much, people are having more and more trouble falling asleep and staying asleep.  So I wanted to share my tips for better sleep, with hopes that it will help you, if your having difficulty.

 

Tips to better sleep.

 

 

~  Go to bed at the same time everyday, or near the same time within a half hour. My head hits the pillow by 8:30pm usually.
Get at least 7 hours sleep. Studies show that between 7-9 hours nightly is best for the body as this is your body’s recovery time, time to heal and regenerate. We want to help your body out by giving it the time to do that.

~  Keep a food journal. What did you eat that day?, every little thing. I promote a food journal for everything, there is so much you can tell from it, including sleep, stress, digestion, allergies, the list goes on, but let’s focus on sleep right now.

Keep the journal and write how you felt, how many times you woke up in the night, and stress that occurred that day, things you thought about before you fell asleep, and when you woke up. These can all play a part in your sleep patterns. Sometimes we have allergies to food that can cause us to lose sleep, keep us awake, etc. This is super important if you want to learn the cause.

~  Make it pitch black in the room and turn the t.v off or any other electronics. This helps the body to relax and know its time to sleep. Otherwise you won’t be in a complete relaxed state to sleep, you tend to wake up more often in the night if there are any lights coming in to the room. Even invest in black out curtains.

~  Have a hot epsom salt bath (two cups epsom salt) to relax before bed. I know I know you have probably tried it all before, but how consistent were you? Did you try it every day for a month? or even 5 nights a week for a month? Consistency is key when trying anything new with your body.

~  Take a magnesium supplement. this can not only help you to sleep better, but also help to eliminate and regulate your digestive system… nothing like a good morning poop to start the day off right!

~  Use essential oils.  I use essential oils daily and they are a game changer in many ways. Lavender, Cedarwood, Roman Chamomile, Orange, Madarin, Valarian and Goldenrod.  These are common to help you relax and sleep, you can even one up it, with adding a few drops of an oil to your epsom salt bath to help you relax deeper.  Use a diffuser, put a few drops on your pillow, or your wrist.  Sometimes I even rub a diluted drop underneath my nose.  Then it is all I smell while falling asleep.

~  Mediate.  This helps to quiet the mind and focus on your breathing. There are some great youtube videos out there for beginners to get started.  But all you need to do is sit quietly in a seated position and focus only on your breath, slow in and out for 5 minutes… even 5 minutes can help you go to sleep.  Or try this as soon as you lay down in bed, focus completely on your breath.  I am confident in this one helping immensely.  I do it every night and its a game changer.

~  Use the 4-7-8 Breath Technique. I use the “Breathe” app for this. and do it twice daily.  Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, exhale for 8 seconds. Four sets. Twice daily. It takes one minute per time. There are many studies on the benefits of using this technique other than improved sleep, try this before going to bed.  Then one up it and do this in the morning as well, its a great way to start your day and calm any anxious thoughts.

~  Try an Acupressure mat. I use ‘Spoonk’ and love mine dearly.  It’s super affordable for a combo, a regular mat, travel mat and an acupressure ball. I know several people that this has helped get a better nights sleep, and some have even said it helps you to “sleep like the dead” it also increases circulation and promotes relaxation in the body, so this would make sense for sleeping.  They are on amazon.  Walmart sells a different brand that are even more cost effective.
~  Read before bed, reading has the sleepy effect on most people, and its a great way to get into a bedtime routine , grab that book, and snuggle up in the warm blankets and enjoy that great book.

~  A heat bag.  In the winter, this is my go to!  Every. Single. Night.  I have a wheat bag or flax seed bag (not even sure anymore) that I have had for about 15 years or more, and it’s still going strong, I warm it up and put it in my bed to preheat it, then grab it close and enjoy the impending slumber.  (there’s just something about that warmth)

 

I know there are a lot of medications, natural and chemical that you can take, but I do advise trying alternatives to them first.  And I know you have probably heard all of this before, but the journal really is the one that will show you so much more about your patterns than anything else.
If you really want to figure out why you’re having difficulty sleeping, I would truly advise doing the food journal, it will be a game changer for you. Try it and see.

 

Also BE CONSISTENT!  Consistency is key when trying anything new. Do 1 or 2 things different for 1 month, so you’ll be able to tell what works best for you.

 

I hope one of these suggestions work for you if you’re having trouble, let me know which is your favourite.

Have a beautiful weekend,

With love and gratitude, 

Jackie