Not being able to sleep in the middle of the night is one of the worst experiences we can go through. You toss and turn all night. Then, when you finally drift off to sleep, mostly from sheer exhaustion, your alarm goes off in what feels like five minutes later, and it’s time to start another day.
You’re exhausted, worn out, and not prepared for another day after the night you just had. It’s looking bleak, we understand, and you need to get better sleep fast.
Well, we are here today to tell you that a good night’s sleep is on the way, and we are going to get you or the kiddos to sleep tonight so you can get your tomorrow back on track. Nothing beats a full night of rest and help is on the way!
Why Sleep Quality Matters
There are a few reasons why our bodies need and require enough sleep. Our physical and mental health can deteriorate drastically without proper sleep habits, and you need to know why.
If you and the kids are dealing with sleeplessness and you think it’s not that big a deal, think again.
Here are a few reasons why you need to get a good night’s rest all the time:
Mental Health
Without a proper sleep schedule, your mental health can suffer. Studies show that trouble sleeping can leave you with the inability to deal with anxiety, stress, or sadness properly.
This means that you are more easily saddened or prone to higher levels of stress compared to those that sleep well every night. Your brain works hard at resetting each night while you sleep so you wake up with a clear head and ready to tackle anything that gets thrown at you.
When you’re dealing with chronic insomnia, your mind isn’t prepared to handle the next day. Consequently, you will “stress out” faster and at more intense levels.
Physical Health
In the same way that your brain suffers without sleep, your body will also feel these issues. A well-rested mind will lead to a well-rested body.
When your mind stresses out, your body will feel it as well. You’re likely to experience increased heart rate, spikes in blood pressure, acne, and other issues that show themselves physically. Sleep problems can be some of the primary causes of all these issues.
With a full night of rest, your mind and body are prepared for little stressors that occur during the day. You won’t wear yourself out worrying about the little things.
Six Reasons Why We Can’t Sleep
There are plenty of things that can creep up daily, weekly, or monthly that keep us from sleeping.
If you’re having trouble pinpointing what is causing you to toss and turn each night, examine these stressors that could be the culprit:
Kids
While we love our children and would do anything to see them happy, healthy, and thriving, there are many times that kids can keep us up at night. Kids are not yet expert sleepers, especially when you combine factors like growth spurts and infrequent nap schedules.
Younger children go through many sleep regressions, which can keep us from sleeping through the night. Other times kids are just not sleeping well. Of course, that means we stay up through the night with them.
Chores
Maybe there just aren’t enough hours in the day to complete your to-do list, and you find yourself waiting till the kids go to bed to finish all those chores. Instead, you’re supposed to be getting ready for bed, but that extra hour at night is prime time to get the dishes done or the bathroom clean.
While we do have these responsibilities and we need to get them done, don’t delay sleep just to get them done. It might seem like the right time, but giving up an hour of sleep to clean the house at night just puts you at a disadvantage.
Stressors at Work
Work can be stressful, and even if you don’t realize it, you’re bringing that home. In fact, it may be the reason you’re up all night.
If you’re worried about an upcoming project or a client meeting that didn’t end well this week, your mind could be racing when it comes time to relax. You might struggle to put away your laptop and stop reading those emails, making it even harder to sleep.
Relationships
Whether it’s friendship or marriage, sometimes those connections aren’t going well, and you’re up at night worrying about what’s going to happen. Even if you know things will be okay, it can be hard to let the worries of a relationship out of your mind.
Until the situation is resolved or communication is repaired, you could find yourself pacing the halls of your mind at night when you should be sleeping.
Financial Issues
Money is one of the biggest things we worry about as adults and as parents, but sometimes when things get tight, we worry about it more. It starts to take a toll on our minds. When that starts to happen, it will keep you from being able to relax enough to drift off to sleep.
If you’re dealing with financial struggles, it’s not easy to take them out of your mind to get to bed at night. Working on solutions to your situation will help you know that it’s going to be okay, and you’ll be able to get to sleep faster and sleep more soundly.
Anxiety or Depression
If you suffer from anxiety disorders or depression, studies show that an issue with sleep can be one of the tell-tale symptoms. Medical conditions like depression and anxiety mess with your brain’s timing, as well as the receptors that trigger responses to everyday activities.
When this happens, your brain won’t be able to tell when it’s time to release melatonin to help you sleep or allow your brain to shut off to help you drift off to sleep.
11 Sleep Tips To Get Better-Quality Sleep
The above reasons are just a few of the problems you could be facing that keep you from sleeping each night. There are plenty of other reasons you lie awake each night, but regardless of the reason, you need to get to sleep tonight.
Here are a few tips to help you fall asleep tonight:
Meditation and Relaxation Techniques
Meditation teaches you to breathe and calm your mind to get you to the perfect zen state. Using these techniques daily helps you to clear your head and get you ready to go to bed.
Even if you’re having trouble settling down, you’ll be able to use meditation techniques to get your mind in the right space and relax. It’s a way better solution than scrolling on social media before bed, which can cause poor sleep in and of itself. Electronic devices can release sleep-disrupting blue light.
Yoga
You need an ample amount of movement and exercise every day to feel great and sleep well at night. Yoga allows you to learn stretches, practice deep breathing, work on muscle tone, and gain the ability to settle your mind. A few stretches before bed will help your body relax and your brain and bring on sleepiness as well. Now you’re free to crawl into bed and drift off to sleep.
Stay Hydrated
Dehydration can keep you up at night, so make sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day to keep your body going. Getting sluggish during the day due to a lack of water can lead to excessive sugar intake and extra cups of coffee, which keeps you from getting to sleep on time.
Get adequate water daily to avoid this problem altogether. Plus, there are plenty of extra health benefits to drinking enough water!
Go for a Walk and Do Other Physical Activity
Your body needs to get out all that energy it makes every day. A leisurely walk or another form of regular exercise can help you get to sleep faster. Even if you are active during the day, sometimes you have that little bit of pent-up energy left that can keep you from relaxing properly when you get into bed at night.
A walk can help you clear your head, get out a little leftover energy and get you to sleep in no time.
Plan Balanced Meals
A proper diet is critical to giving you adequate and healthy energy all day. When your diet lacks some of the healthy fats, proteins, and whole grains it needs, you look for those holes in unhealthy places. Sugar and caffeine are stimulants that fill those voids during the day when we need a pick-me-up because we aren’t getting the stamina we need from a balanced diet.
These unhealthy outlets for a boost of energy mess with our natural rhythms and keep us from getting to sleep at night. Eat the right amounts of fiber, protein, and whole grains every day to keep from needing boosts to get you through the day and keep your sleep on track.
Try Some Aromatherapy
Essential oils are an all-natural way to help your body trigger the melatonin it needs to get to sleep fast. The qualities of essential oils can be utilized through the practice of aromatherapy.
This is when you use the scents and aromas of various oils to help your body naturally calm down and fall asleep. When you inhale the scents, the receptors in your brain trigger the right responses you need to treat whatever is ailing you.
Use our SleepyPatch to help trigger your brain to get you sleeping soundly. It is a sticker full of enough essential oils to last up to eight hours, so you can get to sleep on time and stay asleep all night.
Cool the Air in Your Sleep Environment
If it’s too hot in your house, you won’t be able to sleep soundly. Warmer temperatures at night in your home can make you sweat in your sleep and cause you to wake up or not sleep soundly and wake up fully rested.
Lower the temperature in your home at night so you can snuggle into bed comfortably and sleep all night without any disruptions.
Get Into a Routine
A nighttime routine will help you get to sleep faster. When your body and mind go to bed at the same time every evening, your brain knows when it’s time to be up and awake and when it’s time to hit the hay.
By getting into a good bedtime routine for yourself and your kids, your brain will release melatonin at the right time, and you will be in dreamland so fast.
Try Not To Take Naps
One of the biggest things to cut out of your daily routine is the midday nap. That nap throws your brain off its circadian rhythm. You won’t be able to get the right amount of sleepy-time chemicals to stay on your sleep cycle.
When you’re ready for a cat nap, your brain still creates melatonin that helps you fall asleep. But it throws off your brain. It might not make it on time that evening, which leaves you lying awake in bed waiting for sleep to come. Instead, have some water in the afternoon and push through until bedtime.
Don’t Stress About the Time
One of the biggest things to remember at bedtime is to keep calm. Even if you’re having a moment of restlessness and can’t sleep, don’t stress. If you’ve taken the Sleep Hygiene steps to get to sleep and put the right routine in place, your body will comply.
Worrying about the time and how long you’ve been waiting to go to sleep will make it harder for your body to calm down enough to actually sleep.
Avoid Snacks Before Bedtime
Bedtime snacks sound great, but they will keep you from getting the shut-eye you need. Eating snacks or a meal right before bed can have some uncomfy side effects, including keeping you up at night. Make sure to give your stomach at least an hour before bed to digest food before you try falling asleep.
Get the Zzz’s You Need
With these tips and tricks, some practice, our patches, and good luck, you have the perfect recipe to get you to sleep tonight — getting you the right amount of rest you need to be ready for anything the day may hold.
Sources:
AASM Sleep Quality Measures for Sleep Medicine Specialists | American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Sleep and Sleep Disorders | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
How Sleep Deprivation Impacts Mental Health | Columbia University Department of Psychiatry
Physical Health and Sleep: How are They Connected? | Sleep Foundation
Sleep disorders as core symptoms of depression | NIH
Benefits of Drinking Water: How It Affects Your Energy, Weight & More | Healthline
