Sleep Better Tonight: 20 Tips to Improve your Sleep

A Journey to Great Sleep

Who doesn’t yearn for a great night’s sleep? Waking up every single morning, feeling well-rested and rearing to go, is the ultimate goal. Maintaining energy throughout the day, thanks to the amazing night sleep you received the night before, is the aim. Yet, how often is that a reality in our lives?

Most of the time our alarm goes off in the morning and it’s a struggle to drag our weary body out of bed. Or maybe your battle has to do with falling asleep at night. You feel totally and completely exhausted, but the second it’s time for lights out, your mind races a million miles a minute.

Both of these scenarios can oftentimes be avoided if you set up a restful sleep environment and have a routine that settles your body and mind down before sleeping.

In this blog post, I’ll share some helpful tips for getting the great night’s sleep you so much desire. I’m sure some of them you’ve heard before, but I hope you’ll find some new, interesting tips as well. I will also include links to articles that include scientific research and further information, if that interests you.

I hope you will discover new sleep tips you can implement today, as it’s so important to get yourself on a path to a better night’s sleep ASAP.

Sleep is a regenerative process where we heal and where our neurons build strong connections. It’s like a fountain of youth that we dive into every night.
Mikhail Varshavski

1. Lower the temperature.

Your body temperature naturally drops when you go to sleep, which is an essential natural process. Lowering your thermostat or turning on a fan (or both), will help lower your core body temperature and help keep you at the ideal temperature.

The ideal room temperature, according to Web MD in this article, is between 60-65 degrees Fahrenheit. This is much lower than I originally thought, but since keeping my bedroom cooler, I have been sleeping much better. No more waking up at 2am, ripping off the blankets because I feel overheated.

If your core body temperature gets too high, it can disrupt your sleep, especially your REM sleep. Avoid this at all costs and set the thermostat a tad lower than you previously have.

2. Keep your room clean and clutter-free.

Your room should be a sanctuary meant for sleep and rest. Not for piles of clean (or dirty) clothes. Not a nightstand covered in cups or wrappers. My bedroom is kept pretty minimal, with only the essential items I actually use in my bedroom. I do have a television (my husband’s preference), but rarely use it.

To ensure a great night sleep, aim to keep your bedroom free from “extra stuff.” Your furniture and any decorative items should enhance the restful and peaceful vibe, instead of making your room feel more cluttered. Keep it clean, by dusting and vacuuming regularly to keep the air quality high as well.

3. Practice gratitude.

Is your mind prone to thinking negative thoughts, and especially at night? Try thinking of 3 things you’re grateful for, either good things that happened that day or good things in your life at the moment. If you can fill your mind with the positive, rather than the negative, there’s a better chance your mind can be at rest.

You can make time for this habit in both your morning and evening routines! Start your day with gratitude and end it the same way.

4. Eat a snack.

Eating a small snack can prevent your blood sugar from dropping too low when you’re sleeping at night. I tend to reach for pistachios and a fruit, like grapes or an apple, which are healthy and nutrient-filled options. Three freshly baked chocolates chip cookies will probably have the opposite effect, and you’ll wake up with a headache!

You definitely don’t want to eat a whole dinner right before you hit the hay, but a well-balanced snack will help keep you full and maybe even help you sleep better.

5. Have a set bedtime each night.

9:30pm on Thursday night. 1am on Friday night. 11pm the next night.

Bedtimes that vary this drastically is a sure way to disrupt your sleep! Try to stick to a time that will work a majority of the time. 80% of the time I aim for a 9:30/10pm bedtime, while maybe 20% of the time (weekends) the bedtime will be slightly later.

This again goes back to regulating your circadian rhythm. If you go to bed at approximately the same time each night, your body will learn when to start releasing melatonin each night.

5. Keep water next to your bed.

Many times, I’ve woken up completely parched in the middle of the night. To avoid having to actually get out of bed to grab a glass of water, I keep my water bottle on my nightstand. That way, I have water easily accessible if I wake up thirsty or for first thing in the morning.

Obviously, you don’t want to drink a bunch of water before going to bed, as this will have you up multiple times using the restroom. But you want to be prepared for middle of the night thirst!

6. Pray.

Praying goes along with the idea of gratitude. 1 Peter 5:7 says to “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” We don’t have to let our anxieties and worries weigh us down and rob us of a great night’s sleep. Give them to God and pray for a peaceful sleep.

7. Wear comfortable pajamas.

Treat yourself to a new pair of pajamas that are soft and comfortable! Nothing worse than trying to sleep in pajamas that are too snug or itchy or just plain awful.

Find pajamas you love and wear them on repeat or invest in one of each color. There’s nothing better than being comfortable in your pajamas, with your comfortable pillows and your comfortable mattress. Sensing a theme here?

8. Block out all light.

Make sure your room is as dark as possible, as this can help with melatonin production (the sleepy hormone). Light=time to wake up and darkness=time to sleep. So, when it’s time to sleep, ensure all the lights are turned off and when it’s time to wake up in the morning, turn extra lights on to signal to your body, “its wake-up time!”

Your body and brain will learn to recognize the signals as to when it’s time to be alert and time for relaxation and sleep.

9. Read.

Save 20-30 minutes at the end of your day to read your favorite novel or non-fiction book. It will probably make you sleepy and is a much better option than scrolling on your phone for the last half hour of your day. You may even learn something!

If you don’t love reading or the idea of reading, you could also listen to an audio book.

10. Listen to calming music or sounds.

I personally prefer the silence! However, if you enjoy calming music or white noise or ocean sounds at the end of the day, definitely utilize them. At the very least, turn off the television and cut out any extra noises that can prevent productive sleep.

11. Take a hot shower or bath.

Taking a hot shower will lead to cooling your body temperature down. As mentioned above, it is important that your body temperature decrease to get good sleep.

Another option is taking a hot bath. You can even add some lavender bath salts to make it even more relaxing.

According to the Sleep Foundation, taking a hot shower/bath is backed up by scientific research, which you can read more about in this article. The ideal time to take either a hot bath or shower is about 1-2 hours before sleep.

12. Unplug from electronics.

Have a certain time each night when you disconnect from social media and from electronics in general. For me, this is at 9:00pm.

I still read on my Kindle if I don’t currently have a hard copy book from the library, but I don’t consider this to be electronic time. If a certain electronic device helps you relax, like listening to a music or a podcast, then by all means, do that!

Just don’t let social media or YouTube or anything similar commandeer your time at night. Scrolling through the latest Instagram posts will most likely not be helpful in calming your body and mind down for an effective night’s sleep.

13. Put your phone in another room.

Adding on to number 12, actually putting your phone in another room, like your bathroom or in the hallway can be a helpful way to stay off it! Once I put my phone on my bathroom counter, I will get snuggled up in bed with a good book and simply turn off my nightstand lamp when bedtime rolls around. I very rarely feel motivated to get up again and get back on my phone, so I’m telling you, it works!

This will also help you in the morning, by having to physically get out of bed to turn off your alarm.

13. Eat dinner earlier.

Eating too close to bedtime can definitely hinder how well you sleep. If you are eating dinner at 8:30pm and going to sleep around 9:30/10, that really isn’t enough time for your food to digest properly before you lay down for the night.

For dinner, try to eat somewhat smaller portions and eat earlier if possible. I understand that this might not be possible for some people, but it’s definitely worth experimenting with to see if it helps with your sleep journey. I’ve also heard that making lunch your biggest meal of the day is a good idea, as it allows adequate time for digestion.

14. Create your to-do list for tomorrow.

You may wonder how this tip will help you sleep better! If you are a person who tends to overthink everything or if you have a continual fear of forgetting something, make your plan the night before. You can write everything down or have everything all set out in your calendar or planning app.

When it’s time to sleep, you can actually sleep. You’ve thought about the next day already so that when your head hits the pillow, sleep can (hopefully) come more easily.

15. No caffeine after a certain time.

For this tip, you need to figure out what works for you individually, as it differs from person to person. Some people can tolerate caffeine after 2pm and still sleep great. While others of us really shouldn’t consume caffeine after 10am, because it interferes with our sleep in a small, or large, way.

A good rule of thumb is to not consume caffeine for at least 8 hours before going to sleep. To avoid insomnia especially, please consider your caffeine intake and whether you consume too much or consume it too close to bedtime.

16. Take a magnesium supplement.

I have found that using many of the other tips has greatly improved my sleep over the past years, so I do not currently take a magnesium supplement or any other sleep-related supplements. However, if ever necessary in the future, magnesium would be my first choice. You will want to consult with your doctor if you decide to go this route.

Check out this article about how magnesium can help improve your sleep HERE. There seems to be multiple benefits to taking magnesium!

17. Practice deep breathing exercises.

Breathing exercises can help calm you down, which in turn can help you sleep. There are various techniques you can use before bed, one of the most common being the 4-7-8 breathing technique. It’s basically breathing in through your nose for 4 seconds, holding your breath for 7 seconds, and then breathing out through your mouth for 8 seconds. Repeat for 3 times.

If you’d like to try some different breathing techniques, check out this article which explains some more.

18. Get morning sunlight.

Yes, morning sunlight exposure can help set up your night’s sleep. My Healthy habits blog post explains more about how this can set your circadian rhythm for the day. It’s amazing that what you do in the morning upon waking, can affect your sleep that night!

Also, evening night exposure during the sunset hours can also help. It signals the production of melatonin, which is the sleepy hormone.

19. Stretch

Do some stretching that will help relax your body and get all the kinks out before laying down all night. There are some great nighttime stretch videos on YouTube that you may want to check out.

I will also note here that you should not complete an intense exercise routine for at least a couple hours prior to sleeping. Light stretching can be beneficial, but intense exercise can have the opposite effect.

20. Figure out your sleep number.

How many hours do you require each night? I’m sure you’ve heard that the average is 7-9 hours a night for adults. But each individual has a number of hours that is “just right” for them. Not getting sufficient sleep can be a problem, but did you know that oversleeping can also be a big problem?

I have found that if I get 7 ½ hours of good, solid sleep, I feel the best the next day. It’s amazing that on the weekend when I may sleep 9 hours, I feel more tired and sluggish all day long. Find what works for you and try your best to stick to it on a daily basis.