This post contains affiliate links.
Whether you have trouble sleeping or not, these simple tips can be used by anyone and are sure to make your night routine more streamlined and help you get better, healthier sleep.
1. Keep a Notebook by Your Bed
Fall asleep faster by writing down whatever thoughts are running through your mind and keeping you up. Whether that's what you plan to do tomorrow, ideas or things you just want to google, write it all down! (Bullet points will suffice. This doesn't have to be an elaborate journaling session.) By offloading your thoughts onto paper your mind is cleared and freed from the burden of having to remember things until the morning, leaving you with only one thing left to think about: sleeping!
2. Read Instead of Looking At Your Phone
The blue light from your phone's screen can disrupt your sleep. Once you're settled in bed, resist the temptation to look at your phone. Even if you have night settings turned on that reduce the amount of blue light being emitted, using your phone to browse social media, check your email or answer late night texts will keep your brain "turned on" and prevent it from properly relaxing.
Opt for a more calming, passive activity instead, such as reading a book (ideally not on your phone if you find it hard to resist the temptation of opening up other apps). A good fiction book will help shift your thoughts away from real world concerns and put those worries on the back burner.
Most of us don't do enough reading during the day, so scheduling your bedtime as reading time is a great way to get some in.
3. Eliminate the Toxins
Sleep is supposed to be a time for rest and reparation. Set yourself up for success by investing in one of Essentia's non-toxic mattresses. They've got many styles to choose from - including one for pets!
All mattresses are required to have flame retardants, which means - you guessed it! - that even "healthy" mattresses might not be as healthy as you think; flame retardants have been linked to a whole slew of health issues such as skin irritation, cancer and organ damage. Some companies might opt for wool instead, as it's a natural fire retardant, although definitely not a vegan-friendly one. What people might not realize, however, is that the only way wool can pass fire proofing tests is by being treated with a fire retardant.
This is why we're grateful Essentia exists. Instead of using chemical flame retardants, they use Kevlar, which is the same fabric found in bulletproof vests. What's more, their mattresses help keep your body cool, ensure proper spinal alignment, increase blood circulation to prevent soreness, and are allergy-friendly and impervious to dust mites.
With an Essentia mattress you can sleep easy knowing you're truly getting a good and healthy night's rest! Plus, the mattresses
4. Keep a Water Bottle By Your Bed
If you get thirsty in the middle of the night, getting up to grab a glass of water from the kitchen is sure to disrupt your sleep. Hydration is important, but you have to be smart about it! Keep a reusable water bottle on your bedside table so that you can stay in bed while you take a few sips and quickly drift back to sleep. We recommend a water bottle with a straw for the convenience of being able to use it with just one hand and preventing spills.
5. Use a Salt Lamp
Salt lamps are associated with a whole bunch of benefits, like purifying the air, reducing allergies, boosting your mood, and promoting health and relaxation. Whether or not they actually do all these things is up for debate, but why we recommend them (besides being great decor pieces) is that they make for amazing "nightlights". The soft orange glow salt lamps emit is super gentle on the eyes and won't blind you or jolt your brain awake in the way typical table lamps will when you turn them on in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. Salt lamps provide just enough light to let you see where you're going, but are dim enough to keep you in "sleep mode" so that when you return back to bed you can easily drift back into a restful slumber.
If you're looking for an actual nightlight that you plug into the wall, we recommend this Himalayan salt one.
6. Eat Pistachios
Why pistachios? According to Dr. Greger, just two pistachios contain enough to give you a physiological dose of melatonin. So whether you're having trouble sleeping or you're just wanting to improve your sleep, this is a yummy, healthier alternative to taking melatonin supplements, which are often contaminated with impurities and contain different doses than what the label actually says.
We hope these tips help you. If you've got any tips of your own, be sure to leave them in the comments below!
Written by: The Change District