Insomnia and sleeplessness affect many more of us than you might assume. Up to one-third of all adults experience insomnia, a number that rises higher the older that you get. What’s more, women are as much as 40% more likely to experience it than men. However, that doesn’t mean that there’s nothing that can be done about it. There are a lot of remedies that some might find effective to help get a good night’s sleep.
The sooner you start preparing for bed, the sooner you can fall asleep. It’s a good idea to establish a proper bedtime routine that involves turning off any screens up to 40 minutes before bed, getting dressed for bed, and tidying the bedroom of any distracting clutter. If you simply hop into bed while you’re still wide awake and your brain is active, it will take much longer to slow things down.
Take a moment to stop
One great thing that you can incorporate into your bedtime routine is that of mindfulness meditation. This is a practice that involves sitting in place while using slow breathing techniques and focusing on the sensation of your body to quiet the thoughts in your mind. Apps like Headspace can help you get practising immediately, which can calm the mind and slow your thoughts so that you can fall asleep much more easily.
The supplemental options
When it comes to taking anything inside the body, it’s recommended you talk to your doctor if you have any health conditions you are managing or medications you are using. However, there are a few thought to work on. Lavender has been used as a home sleep aid for centuries. There are also more modern options, like magnesium supplements or CBD oils from places like Simply CBD. It might be a matter of testing each of them to see which works best for you.
Work it out
If you’re feeling antsy around bedtime, then one of the best ways to get that stress out of your body is to work it out. Exercise is excellent for helping you improve your sleep in the long term, but the short-term release of happy hormones like endorphins can help quell stress before bedtime, as well. Apps like Sworkit can make it easy to do quick bodyweight exercises right before your bedtime routine, putting you in a better frame of mind for resting.
It’s important to try out more than just one approach, as often, the solution differs from person to person since the causes can differ so much, too.
