7 Tips For A Soothing Night's Sleep

If you don’t get enough sleep each night, you’re well aware of the impact it has on your life. Not getting a restful night’s sleep on a regular basis can have disastrous impact on your day to day life.

Lack of sleep can seriously inhibit your ability to think, reason and concentrate, can have a tremendous effect on your personal and professional relationships and can lead to some serious health problems.

Ever notice how easy it is to be cranky with the kids or short with your significant other when you don’t get a restful night’s sleep? Did you know that one study even found that insufficient sleep can affect the body the same way as alcohol consumption, seriously impacting cognitive function and motor performance?

Getting a good night’s sleep is essential if we’re to thrive and live healthy lives. If you’re one of some 70 million American adults that suffer from chronic sleep problems and are getting less than seven hours of sleep each night, there are ways to naturally get a restful night’s sleep. Following you’ll find seven tips to help with a soothing night's sleep. 

Top 6 Tips To Get A Full, Restful Night’s Sleep

1. Stay Mindful Of What You Drink And Eat Before Bed

What you drink and eat before bed can have a serious impact on your sleep. While some foods and beverages will cause sleep disturbances (or full-blown insomnia in some), others may help inspire a restful night’s sleep.

Following you’ll find what’s good to consume and what’s best to avoid before to get a good night’s sleep. As a general rule, it’s best to avoid eating or drinking anything for at least two hours before you plan to go to sleep.

Best Foods to Eat Before Bed

• Bananas: High in magnesium, which can help relax muscles. Also contain L-tryptophan, an amino acid that converts to melatonin and serotonin in the brain.
• Oats: Another source of melatonin and full of healthy carbs and fiber, oats are known to cause drowsiness when eaten before bed.
• Honey: A teaspoon or two of honey stimulates the release of melatonin and tryptophan in the brain. It also blocks orexin receptors, which are responsible for feelings of alertness and wakefulness.
• Almonds: Contain high levels of magnesium and tryptophan, which can help naturally relax the nervous system. Consider snacking on a piece of whole-grain toast with almond butter and honey for the perfect bedtime snack.

What to Avoid Before Bed

• Caffeine: Coffee and other caffeinated beverages should be avoided for up to 8 hours before bed, as this powerful stimulant can remain in the system for up to 12 hours after consumption.
• Alcohol: Although a couple drinks at the end of the day may be relaxing, alcohol is known to cause serious disruption to your sleep. It’s a sedative, so it can make you fall asleep faster, but it disturbs REM and slow wave sleep which results in increased sleep disturbance and decreased total sleep time.
• High-Fat, Heavy Meals: When we sleep, the digestive system naturally slows down. Rich meals heavy in fat will activate digestion, which can disrupt your sleep and make you feel uncomfortable.

2. Unplug From All Electronics For At Least One Hour Before Bed

If you’re anything like the majority of people, bringing your phone, tablet or laptop to bed with you is part of your evening routine. Catching up on social media or surfing the internet are normal pre-sleep pastimes. Here’s the thing, though. Using our electronics before bed can have a serious effect on our sleep.

Research has found that the blue light that emanates from our phones and other electronic devices disturbs our natural sleep/wake cycle by repressing the production of melatonin, a hormone released by the pineal gland in the evening that makes us feel sleepy.

3. Set Your Room to the Ideal Temperature

The temperature of your bedroom is an important factor when it comes to getting a restful night’s sleep. According to experts, the ideal temperature is close to 65 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing room to give or take a couple degrees.

The ideal temperature of your bedroom when sleeping all comes down to science and is largely connected to our circadian rhythm. The body cools down when you go to bed, reaching its coolest temperature before dawn at approximately 5am. 

If the room you sleep in is too warm or too cool, it can disrupt the body’s natural internal temperature which can ultimately disrupt your sleep.

4. Consider A White Noise Machine

White noise machines, also referred to as sound machines, are a popular option for individuals interested in naturally getting a good night’s sleep. White noise essentially creates a sound blanket, blocking out other sounds (such as barking dogs, car alarms or the sound of a slamming door) through playing every frequency audible to the human ear in a random order.

White noise machines can be a huge benefit for those who have a hard time falling asleep in complete silence. Research shows that these machines can reduce the time it takes to fall asleep up to 40%! White noise machines can also be hugely beneficial to get babies and young children to fall asleep faster.

Some white noise machines also come with an option of nature sounds, such as waves, rain or thunder. Many prefer these nature sounds to the frequency of white noise which can sound similar to radio or television static. White noise machines are also portable, meaning you don’t ever have to skip on a good night’s rest, regardless of where life takes you.

5. Plan for Tomorrow Before Going To Sleep

Have you ever gone to bed exhausted, only to lay there wide-awake thinking about everything you have to do the next day? There’s a lot to be said about planning out your next day the night before it happens. We’re busy people living busy lives, and our to-do lists can become overwhelming. 

Unfortunately, this overwhelm often keeps us up at night worrying about how we’re going to get everything done. If you want to get a restful night’s sleep, one of the best things you can do is plan ahead accordingly.

Planning out your next day before you go to bed can save you the stress about thinking about what needs to be done. Making a plan the night before will not only help you put your mind at ease and allow you to get a restful night’s sleep, but can also make you more productive the next day. Imagine how much more you might get done on your to-do list if you planned out how you were going to do it and slept like a baby the night before it needed to get done.

6. Sip On Some Herbal Tea

A warm cup of herbal tea can be the perfect nightcap. Drinking a warm cup of tea can be excellent to help calm the mind, soothe the senses and promote a restful night’s sleep. Keep in mind that herbs work in different ways for different people, and an herbal tea that works for one individual might not work for the next. My favorite sleep-promoting herb is passionflower, but it’s all about finding the best herbs that work in harmony with your individual chemistry.

By far, chamomile is the most popular sleep promoting herb that exists. Some even suggest chamomile to be a mild tranquilizer. The sleep-promoting properties chamomile is praised for come from a flavonoid known as apigenin, an antioxidant that binds to receptors in the brain known to promote sleep and decrease anxiety.

Other popular herbs for sleep include magnolia bark, valerian root, lavender and lemon balm. You can also find plenty of herbal tea sleep blends at your local grocery or health food store. Stay away from teas that contain caffeine and consider making teatime a part of your nightly bedtime routine. Savor the stillness of the moment and slowly sip your way to bedtime bliss.

While getting a restful night’s sleep might feel like a fantasy, it is possible to fall asleep quickly and stay asleep through the night. By establishing a regular bedtime routine and following these simple tips, you’ll soon find yourself counting less sheep and getting good sleep.