Stress and anxiety have always been the culprit to sleep disorders. I know it’s going to be so frustrating if you are not getting a night of good sleep and I’m throwing jargons like melatonin and how does it regulate our sleep cycle. Well, I will stop the torment but if you are the jargon-loving-type, do check it up here.
People often think that startup entrepreneurs are notorious for their sleep deprivation. Well, maybe that’s true but let’s not forget about nappy changing parents, programmers working through the nights to fulfill promises made by the sales team, or bloggers like me stressing over the fact if this post would even hit 100 page views.
The fact is, most of us will probably have sleep disorders or in a serious case, insomnia at some point in our life. It’s ok to brush it off once in a while, but long-term sleep deprivation will lead to obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even early mortality, according to this article from the Harvard Medical School
I’ve had my fair share of a sleepless night and managed to find some way that works (and I’ve never taken a single sleeping pill in my life). So here are some ways to get a good night sleep naturally.
21 Ways – How To Get A Good Night Sleep Naturally
1. Leave Your Gadgets Out
If you are carrying more than one smartphones, leave them out of your room. The same with tablet PC, or your working laptops. You’ll sleep better without them constantly reminding you of the fast-paced schedule you have in your life. Oh, if you have been using your smartphone as the alarm clock, consider getting a proper one instead.
2. Write Your Worries Down
I know that some of you would have thousands of things going on in your mind, especially during bedtime. The unfinished proposal, the angry clients, or simply what to cook for your kid tomorrow? Just start a “bedtime journal” and write it down one hour before you sleep. You could even plan your next day ahead if it would give you better peace of mind.
3. Read something light and simple
This is one of my favorites. No “Blogging for Dummies” or anything that would stimulate your brain cells into hyper mode. Leave all that for the next day. Probably a light read on some fictional novel or lifestyle magazines. Reading will help to transition your mind from busy mode to a more relaxed state if you read the right stuff.
4. Exercise
Most people sleep well after a late night exercise. But if you belong to a small group of 3% (according to this study), then schedule your work-out few hours before bed, and wait for your body to cool down and the adrenaline subsides before going to bed.
5. No Alchohol
Yes, you tend to fall asleep easily after a few drinks. But ever wonder why you woke up feeling more tired than usual? Like you never really rested? That’s because alcohol is disrupting your REM sleep that is thought to be restorative. (That’s the part of the sleep where dreams occur).
6. Don’t Smoke
For smokers, the fact is nicotine could disrupt your sleep pattern even more than alcohol does. Nicotine makes it difficult to fall asleep and robs you of the deep sleep cycle. It totally messes up your sleep process. Oh, did I mention it could lead to insomnia? Check this out.
7. No Caffeine
Caffeine is also another no-no, at least 4 hours before bedtime. The after effects vary for different people, as the time to clear the caffeine from our system differs. Fancy a cup of espresso on your night reading? Try changing it to warm milk or check out point number 8.
8. Chamomile Tea
A favorite bedtime tea, chamomile tea contains no caffeine and has a soothing quality that calms the mind. It has been used for thousands of years ago due to its medicinal properties. Recent studies have suggested more health benefits than inducing sleep alone.
Check out these https://mindfulnessdojo.com/best-chamomile-tea-sleep/best organic chamomile tea for uninterrupted sleep.
9. Late night snack?
Blogging is hungry work, especially working on a list like this until the wee hour of the night.
If you have late night snacking habits, either you get rid of the habit, or you could try foods like ham and cheese rolls, walnuts, spiced popcorn or a small bowl of rice. Fancy why these foods work? Check out this article by Jessica Migala.
10. Total Darkness In Your Room
Have you tried sleeping with the light turned on? I’ve done so a couple of times dozing off while reading. And the next day I woke up? It feels like I’ve lost a few hours of sleep. In fact, if you are constantly exposed to unnatural light sources when you are asleep, it could lead to a risk of depression. So get those light-blocking drapes or an eye mask. It’s your choice for good night sleep.
11. Get The Right Pillow
I’m fussy about pillows. For me, it’s more than getting comfortable. It’s about preventing joint problems or aches in the shoulders, back or serious spinal issues. (I’ve got to an age that these things start to bother me). Bet you didn’t realize how much problems getting the wrong pillow could cause.
12. And The Ideal Mattress
Same as above (This is where I’ve had my regrets.)
Only thing is getting the wrong mattress could affect your network of blood vessels as well. More about this here.
13. Keep Your Room Tidy
I’m not sure is this the same for everyone, but I feel more comfortable when my room is clean and tidy. Even if you don’t make your bed in the morning, do take some effort to make it clean, neat and tidy before you sleep. You will feel the difference.
14. Scents
Having the right scent in your bedroom could help you ease into a good night sleep. And research has shown that these four scents do have a positive effect on your sleep.
– Lavender
– Valerian Root
– Peppermint
– Lemon
It just takes a couple of drops of essential oil to turn your bedroom into a stress-free sleep inducing zone.
15. Taking A Bath
Many articles suggested taking a warm bath before sleep. It doesn’t work for me. A cold bath works better. That’s because when you are having insomnia, your body’s core temperature is higher at night. Guess what a warm bath will do? If a warm bath doesn’t work for you, try a cold bath. You could be surprised.
16. Melatonin
Ok. I knew I said I won’t spout jargon in this post. But cherries and oats are foods that contain melatonin which helps regulate your sleep. Melatonin is a naturally produced compound in the body when it senses darkness to make sleep easier.
17. Right Temperature For Your Bedroom
You have to find your ideal bedroom temperature. The vague guideline is not too warm or too cold. The science is that a cooler temperature not only induces sleep but also affects how well you sleep. That’s because when you sleep, your brain is telling your body to reach a cooler temperature, according to this article from WebMD.
18. Your Favourite Pajamas
Dress up for your sleep. Get into your favorite pajamas. Subconsciously, this tells your mind that you are out of your battle suit a.k.a. your everyday clothes and you are ready to sleep. If you hate pajamas, then get some comfortable clothes just for sleeping.
19. White noise
Some people are light sleepers, they woke up at the slightest noise. In this case, I would suggest using some white noise, like water dripping or a table fan blowing at full speed. I used to use the latter to drown out conversational noise that’s disrupting my sleep.
20. Relaxing Music
Not all music can help you sleep, some have the opposite effect. A search on Youtube shows millions on hit. If they suit you, by all means, go ahead.
But I listen to none of them.
I prefer something deeper than merely relaxing music. This Abundance Relaxation Music is what I’m listening to right now. It’s calm, relaxing, hypnotic and it’s totally FREE for download.
21. Meditate
I can’t end this list without mentioning meditation as a good way to give you a better sleep. Does counting sheep work for you? If not, try meditation. I’ve tried countless times and it works. How? Subscribe and download a simple mindful meditation guide or you can check out Master Your Mind online meditation course in my review here.
How do you prevent stress from robbing you a good night sleep? Do you have sleep problems? What other ways you have tried for a night of better sleep? Share your thoughts in the comment below.
You may like:
I agree, getting that sleep is super important for your well being. I usually try and get 7 hours of sleep and sometimes it’s a struggle for me , but I will definitely try some of these tips to help get that 7 hours in. Thanks!
Hi Ralph,
Hope these tips will help your to get the sleep you need.
Thanks for reading.
Cheers,
Kenny
Great tips. I thought that I have tried everything but I have yet to try passion flower tea. It is now on my shopping list!
Hi Rachel,
Thanks for reading and hope passion flower tea works for you.
Cheers,
Kenny
Love it, Kenny. Some great tips here!
A little more than a year ago I really made sleep a priority. I knew I wasn’t getting the restorative time I needed and would have a difficult time accomplishing the things I wanted if I didn’t change it. I resolved to start waking earlier each day, and then set about doing a lot of things you mentioned in your article, including taking the TV out of my bedroom, making sure to read something light before I go to bed, and getting exercise each day. I also had quit drinking alcohol completely after years of thinking I had to drink a few beers to “settle myself down.”
It’s amazing what can happen when you put your attention to it and make it a priority. It’s now rare that I have a poor night’s sleep, and I’ve never felt better.
Your article is going to help a lot of people, as is your site in general. Keep it up!
Kevin
Hi Kevin,
Thank you for your sharing your thoughts on how these methods gives you a better quality sleep. Sometimes even a big difference could be felt by leaving your phones out of the room. I don’t drink beer prior to sleep, I find it invoke more negativity and that deprive me of a good night sleep.
Thanks for reading.
Cheers,
Kenny
Sleep is pretty essential, but man is it hard to simply stop certain activities such as smoking because your body always craves it (I vape though so I’m not sure what the difference is between a cigarette and an e-cig.)
I don’t always have problems falling asleep but when I do it’s almost always because I have something in the back of my mind that I can’t get out. The thing will getting good sleep is that it’s so different for a lot of people. Some people take a few shots and then go to bed without waking up in the middle of the night.
I like your suggestions though. Meditation is something I should be doing more before bed.
Hi Darren,
The trick to getting a good sleep is different for each of us. That I agree. There’ s no harm trying out some of the suggested method and see which works best.
Thanks for reading.
Cheers,
Kenny
Hi there Kenny,
Fab article and thank you ever so much for sharing it with us, really appreciated.
Sleep, and good quality sleep is very important for our health and you are right when you say poor sleep and insomnia in severe chronic cases can lead to heart problems and eventually death. For getting the attention of men who has sleep problems here is one simple fact,– poor sleep can cause erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation! This is due to the imbalances in the endocrine system caused by little sleep.
Hi Derek,
Thanks for sharing the extra information here.
Sleep deprivation is often overlooked because you only felt the complication after quite some time.
Cheers,
Kenny
Excellent suggestions you have offered for a hearty healthy night’s sleep. White Noise is especially noteworthy. I have downloaded a White Noise ap for my tablet that helps me through the nights with a large selection of pleasing sounds. It is also wonderful for those of us who are paired with partners that SNORE!
This is a great website you have dedicated to those of us [entrepreneurs] who suffer from sleep deprivation because of our over-active brain activity.
Personally, I also find working crossword puzzles and quizzes actually relaxes and soothes me enough to mellow out for a good night sleep, also.
Keep up the good work. A great website.
Hi Loretta,
I’m glad white noise works for you. IT worked for me in the past. Entrepreneurs are a bunch who forgot about sleep when they get their work rolling.
But let’s not accumulate wealth at the expense of our health. Puzzles and quizzes are good suggestions.
Thanks for reading.
Cheers,
Kenny
You have some good suggestions. Things I have not thought of. I don’t get enough sleep. And I also like to sleep with the light on when I do go to sleep. I have heard yoga and meditation is good for sleeping and many other health benefits.Your article seems very thorough on how to sleep naturally. I can’t think of anything else to add. Good work.
Hi Loretta,
Thanks for your thoughtful comment.
Cheers,
Kenny
Haiz. I can testify that nicotine makes you a vampire.
Hi,
Maybe it’s time for a change?
Cheers,
Kenny
Wow! I love the ideas shared here Kenny! =)
I think the main one for me is keeping away from gadgets before going to bed.
I will then read a few pages of a spiritual book + meditate which puts me in relaxed state!
Thanks a lot
Hi Lawrence,
Thanks for reading. Yes, gadgets is one bad habit that many of us have. I’m trying to keep my phones out of my room now.
Cheers,
Kenny
Have really been looking for a natural way to help my sleep deprivation and this is indeed very helpful for me. Thank you for the useful tips and suggestions.
Hi Enrique,
Glad you’ve found this article useful.
Cheers,
Kenny