10 Tips for Getting More Sleep

I have some sleep issues.

Some nights I just can’t get to sleep, no matter what I do. Often, it’s because I just can’t shut down my brain, and it feels like the minute my head hits the pillow, my brain—and all of my thoughts—go into a swirling overdrive.

Other nights I can go to sleep, but I’ll wake up during the night and can’t go back to sleep.

It can be a vicious cycle.

One bonus to having difficulty sleeping is I’ve been reading lots of books. You gotta’ find the silver lining, right?!

I learned several months ago, through a bit of a scary experience, just how sleep deprived I was, and I’ve been making it a priority to get more AND better sleep.

So, besides feeling sleepy a lot of the time, which can be annoying all by itself, what are the side effects of not getting enough sleep? Sleep deprivation can cause the following issues (and this isn’t a complete list!):

• More accidents: Traffic accidents, workplace accidents, any accident, really
• Health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, heart attack, and heart failure
• Depression
• Aging skin
• Forgetfulness and memory issues
• Fuzzy thinking
• Lowered immune system
• Increased risk of dementia

Let’s talk about one more since “lose weight” is a popular goal. A lack of sleep can cause weight gain. When you don’t get enough sleep, a hormone called ghrelin, which makes you feel hungry, can increase, and leptin, a hormone that tells you when you’re full, can decrease.  So, when you’re sleepy, you want to eat more and you’re less able to tell when you’re full. That’s a problem if you’re trying to lose weight OR maintain a healthy weight.

So, how much sleep is optimal?

Experts say adults should aim for 7-9 hours a night. If you’re among the 33% of people who struggle to get enough sleep (me!), here are some tips to help you get more of that valuable shuteye time.

Ten Tips to Help You Get More Sleep

1. Set an alarm to remind you it’s time to get ready for bed.
2. Give yourself plenty of time to get ready for bed so when bedtime hits, the lights go out.
3. If you have a hard time sleeping, try using a sound machine. “Waves” is my favorite sound!
4. Exercise regularly. Working out has been shown to help you sleep better! But if working out later in the day or at night will keep you awake (me!), then plan your workouts for earlier in the day.
5. Go to bed at the same time every night. This one is hard for me. I do fudge this a bit on the weekends, but then I don’t need to get up as early on the weekends either.
6. If caffeine will keep you up, skip it later in the day.
7. Drink some calming herbal tea.
8. Take a bath.
9. Limit the use of electronics before bed. The blue light used in electronics—anything with a screen—can decrease melatonin, a hormone that helps you sleep. I struggle with this one since I read on my Kindle app before going to sleep.
10. Make sure your bedroom is cooler. We started keeping our temp at 68° at night, and it’s made a world of difference!

And here’s a bonus tip: If you’re having trouble going to bed earlier (me!), aim to go to bed just 15 minutes earlier for a week, and then increase that time week after week until you hit your optimal bedtime. 15 minutes still won’t work? Aim for 5, and then increase the time from there.

What are your tips for getting more Zzzzzzs? Please share them below!