Sleep: the only thing we crave every morning when our 8 a.m alarm sets off. Yet, when it’s time to sleep, we’re wide awake and can’t seem to fall asleep. Sound familiar? My sleep schedule is nowhere near perfect- there have been some nights when I’ve literally searched “how to fall asleep fast” and nothing works. From trying different teas, to taking a warm shower, to searching “videos that will put you to sleep” on Youtube, nothing did the trick. Why wasn’t anything working?
Get a Routine
I didn’t have a set sleep schedule for a long time and always struggled with insomnia. Some days I would go to sleep at 11 pm, and other days at 3 am. I would want to take naps in the middle of the day, so when it came time to go to bed, I wasn’t be tired anymore. Picking a set time to go to sleep will help you incredibly in training your body and mind to know when it’s time to go to bed.
Put Social Media on Pause
I know this may sound difficult for some people, especially if you like to go to sleep checking social media- but try not to use your phone so much at night. Of course, use it to set your alarm, but try not to be scrolling too late since the light emitted from your phone restrains the hormone that controls your sleep cycle- and can even worsen your vision. In fact, this is one of the reasons you feel so groggy and tired when you wake up.
Think about Your Dreams
Try to relax your mind and forget about everything happening around you. If you need to write down everything that you’re worried about, do it. On nights I’m feeling anxious or nervous, one of the things that helps me is thinking about something I want to dream about. It sounds a little childish now that I type it, but this little exercise has truly always helped me get excited to go to sleep when I feel like my body can’t. Who knows… maybe that night you’ll get lucky and dream about being in Bora Bora:)