“Your future depends on your dreams, so go to sleep.”
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Tips and equipment to help you sleep better
Getting a good night's sleep is essential for your overall health and well-being. Quality sleep can improve your mood, boost your immune system, and enhance your cognitive function. However, many people struggle with getting the rest they need. There’s a good chance that if it takes you a long time to fall asleep, or you find yourself waking up frequently during the night, you could use some help with your sleep hygiene. Sleep hygiene means habits that can help you get better quality sleep, like having a consistent sleep schedule or nightly routine, and good sleep hygiene is as important for your overall health and well-being as a balanced diet and regular exercise. Sleep hygiene isn’t just a consistent bedtime routine – preparing for a good night’s sleep starts long before you turn in for the night. Making mindful decisions about your sleep during the day and making small changes to your routine can lead to much better rest and more energy throughout your day.
Below I'll share tips and products to help you achieve better sleep and wake up feeling refreshed.
1. Stick to a morning routine
Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, even on weekends, helps regulate your body's internal clock. Consistency reinforces your sleep-wake cycle, making it easier to fall asleep and wake up naturally.
Eating a hearty, healthy breakfast can also fit into a good morning routine. Having large meals earlier in the day and smaller meals before bed can help you fall asleep.
2. Get some sunshine and Limit Exposure to Blue Light
Natural daylight plays a big role in your circadian rhythm. Daylight makes your melatonin levels drop, helping your brain know that it’s daytime and you need to be alert. Then, when the sun sets, your body will know to produce melatonin, a natural sleep aid, which can make it easier to fall asleep. Plus, just being exposed to nature can have a range of positive health benefits.
The blue light emitted by phones, tablets, and computers can interfere with your sleep hormones. Try to avoid screens for at least an hour before bed. If necessary, use blue light filters or apps that reduce blue light exposure..
3. Limit Caffeine After Lunch
A cup of coffee in the morning or a soda on a lunch break can put a little pep in your step, but it might be affecting your sleep more than you think. Do your best to finish drinking caffeine before noon. And try to limit yourself to 200 mg of caffeine daily— the equivalent of two cups of coffee.
Switching to decaffeinated coffee or tea in the afternoon and evening can help you enjoy your favorite beverages without the sleep-disrupting effects of caffeine.
4. Get Regular Exercise
Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster and enjoy deeper sleep. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days, but avoid vigorous workouts close to bedtime as they can be stimulating.
If you have trouble waking up in the morning, get moving a few minutes after you get out of bed to help you feel more alert.
If you enjoy more intense exercise like weightlifting, speed walking, running, or high-intensity sports, do these at least four hours before bed. The temperature boost you’ll get from these activities may make it difficult to sleep.
5. Avoid Naps Late in the Day
If you can’t sleep at night, you might have to say goodbye to your afternoon nap.
While short naps can be beneficial, long or late-afternoon naps can interfere with nighttime sleep. If you need to nap, try to keep it under 20 minutes and avoid napping after 3 p.m.
A 20-minute power nap may be just what you need to improve your alertness during the day.
6. Watch Your Diet
Avoid heavy meals, caffeine, and alcohol close to bedtime. These can disrupt your sleep cycle. Instead, opt for a light snack if you're hungry before bed, and drink herbal teas like chamomile to promote relaxation.
Many foods have vitamins and nutrients that can promote better sleep. Magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron, omega-3 and vitamin D can all help you sleep.
Snacks like yogurt with bananas, apple with string cheese, hummus, almonds, or peanut butter with whole-grain crackers are all good late-night choices.
7. Consider Your Sleep Position
Your sleep position can impact your quality of sleep and overall health. Side sleeping is generally considered the best for most people, as it can reduce snoring and heartburn. Ensure your mattress and pillows support your preferred sleep position.
Also, Adjust your thermostat so the temperature in your home is slightly different than what it may have been during the day. Cooler temperatures can help you fall asleep faster, too.
It’s normal to have difficulty sleeping for a few days here and there. However, pay attention if certain sleep issues last for three weeks or more. They could be signs of a sleep disorder.
Some common symptoms of sleep disorders include:
Excessive daytime sleepiness
Snoring
Morning headaches
Mood changes and irritability due to lack of sleep
Difficulty falling or staying asleep for more than three weeks
Regular nightmares or night terrors
Waking up choking or gasping.
If you have been having trouble sleeping for weeks, or if you notice any symptoms of sleep disorders, make an appointment with a care doctor It can help determine if you might benefit from supplements, medication, or seeing a sleep specialist.
Achieving better sleep often requires small adjustments to your daily routine and environment. Following these tips can create a more conducive atmosphere for restful sleep and improve your overall quality of life. Remember, good sleep is not a luxury but a necessity for optimal health and well-being. Sweet dreams!
Here are products to fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and wake up well-rested
Hatch’s aptly named Restore 2 Sound Machine is the most advanced sound machine, offering the same features as a traditional device but kicking it up a notch with a handful of other bells and whistles. The Restore 2 model starts with a pleasing design that looks great in any bedroom. It comes with an intuitive button design that makes setting your alarm, hitting snooze, and adjusting volume and brightness easy. Last, and perhaps the best part about the Restore 2, is its boatload of features that can be activated through the Hatch Sleep membership app. Some of those features include light and sound matchups, over 10 sunrise sounds, and over 20 deep sleep sounds.
The Restore 2 uses a built-in ambient light to help take you through your entire sleep in different intensity levels, from bedtime to wake-up. You can use it to unwind with a “sunset” light setting while simultaneously falling asleep to a natural sound, followed by a transition to a white noise during sleep, and then ending with a wake-up light and morning sound. The result is an experience like no other.
The Restore 2 comes with a small library of soundscapes, guided meditations, and sleep stories, but the Hatch Sleep membership essentially makes it so you get the full value of your investment.
No more spa! now you can experience the benefits of near infrared and red-light therapy from the comfort of home. With two light settings, you’ll feel the relief in as quickly as three weeks. Red-light therapy is known for its ability to improve skin issues such as wrinkles, acne, and symptoms of rosacea over time. Near infrared light reaches the deeper tissues and aids in muscle repair, joint stiffness, pain, and inflammation. The red light therapy wrap sits comfortably on the body while sitting, lying down, or walking around, allowing your hands to be free to do what they need to. Remember to remove all jewelry, under the desired area of use. The infrared belt with remote control conveniently plugs into the USB port on your computer or laptop or a 5V-1A charging adapter into a wall outlet. Every purchase includes a lifetime warranty, with caring customer service and community support.
If you value the look of everything that goes into your bedroom just as much as how well it helps you sleep, the Snooze might be for you. The sleek, minimalist aesthetic blends seamlessly into any décor with a look that’s more like a compact Bluetooth speaker than a traditional sound machine. Inside, it’s filled with a working, built-in fan to provide real white noise, rather than a looped, recorded track. The Snooze features 10 levels of customization too, so you can dial in your preferred level of ambient whoosh. An optional companion app unlocks additional features, like a timer, a nightlight, and a remote control.
Homedics has long been a favorite brand of ours for its affordable, niche home products, including everything from foot massagers to portable humidifiers. This sound machine offers only the essentials, including a volume knob, a timer, and just six built-in sounds (White Noise, Thunder, Ocean, Rain, Summer Night, and Brook). It’s incredibly lightweight and compact, making this a decent solution for travel, too. Plus, it runs on wall (AC) or battery power.
If you’re looking for something simple and budget-friendly that gets the job done without an over-the-top design, then is your pick.
A side sleeper? You need to straddle a body pillow to keep your knees from knocking into each other and align your spine. Coop Sleep Goods Memory Foam Body Pillow, is the best body pillow. It provides the comfort and support you need, you can easily mold it to your body.
Designed to provide an immersive cooling experience, the eye cups on our cooling eye masks are large enough to block out 100% of light for most people. The result: total sensory relief, every time - and quicker recovery from headaches that are exacerbated by light.
Filled with ceramic beads that stay frozen 20% longer than other bead masks, Manta Cool Mask stays ice cold for duration of 10 minutes: long enough to nix discomfort, but brief enough to prevent skin damage.
Experience relief from pain and inflammation in any position.
Manta Cool Mask gently conforms to the contours of your face whether you’re on your back, side or stomach.
This highly-rated comforter is warm, soft, and breathable — both versions allow you to settle into bed more quickly than ever because this blanket is so comfortable.
It's made from a down alternative, prevents dust accumulation, and is resistant to bacteria, making it the optimal choice for people sensitive to allergens.
Sometimes the hardest place to find a good night’s sleep is on the road. If you’re a light sleeper who can’t sleep, even on vacation, or a road warrior who needs a little snooze assistance while traveling for business, having an ultra-portable sound machine can be a game-changer. Dreamegg’s portable sound machine offers all the standard features of a typical nightstand-style model. This model boasts a “lullaby” sound, too, making it another solid option for children’s rooms. But, most importantly for travelers, it’s ultra-compact and lightweight.
This is easily one of the most versatile sound machines.
The night light and built-in child lock features make it a great choice for putting in kids’ rooms, while the portable design and USB-C charging mean that it’s perfect for travelers, too.
Unlike regular earbuds, the Sleep A10 Earbuds are comfortable to wear to sleep. It's ideal for people who like to doze off to music or podcasts. The Sleep A10 can play gentle sounds to block out noise if you prefer quiet.
Weighted eye masks are all the rage. Sometimes described as "hugs for your head," they have gentle weights with just the right amount of pressure to lull you to sleep. For someone who's a light sleeper, it will completely block out light.
It offers dual softness, with one side a cool jersey cotton and the other a warm microfiber. You can also put it in your freezer for added coolness.
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