How to sleep better naturally: find your bedtime ritual
Are you scrolling Instagram late at night because you just can't seem to switch off? Or maybe you find yourself tossing and turning all night and wake up feeling unrested.
Getting enough quality sleep each night is super important. Whether you're healing from a chronic health condition or just feeling outright exhausted, getting those quality ZZZs should be one of your biggest priorities!
The trouble is, the more we need sleep, the harder it seems to be able to get it. I mean, who would've though that someone with chronic fatigue syndrome would wind up with insomnia?! (This was me, in Year 11 in high school. It involved frustratingly lying awake all night and falling asleep in class!)
But where to start? So many people depend on 5 double strength lattes a day just to stay awake during the day, reaching for potentially harmful and addictive sleeping pills when they're feeling wired at night, but it can be much more simple than that.
Start with a bedtime ritual. That is, making sure everything you do in the lead up to bedtime is setting you up for sleep success.
Having a bedtime ritual sends the signal to your brain that it’s time to wind down, and a huge part of this is establishing regular times for sleeping and waking.
I know it's tough between your busy social calendar and aimless late night Instagram scrolling (let's be honest here), but this is so important for achieving high quality sleep.
You know best how much sleep you need, so base your sleep/wake times around what works for you. But remember, the earlier you get to bed the better! Those hours before midnight are super important.
Start preparing for sleep at least half an hour before bedtime. Turn down the lights, have a warm bath or shower, read (nothing related to work or study), listen to relaxing music or wind down with your love or your family.
We're looking to to boost the production of melatonin, a naturally occurring hormone that regulates your body’s circadian rhythm.
A warm shower or bath is an awesome way to kick that melatonin into gear. Add some epsom salts to your bath for a boost of magnesium, which helps create a feeling of relaxation by activating calming neurotransmitters.
Add a few drops of soul-soothing essential oils like lavender or sandalwood into your bath or onto your skin or pillow to get you feeling super blissed-out.
This is an extract from my free ebook, Cloud Nine. It's an easy 8 step guide to achieving a blissful night's sleep to help you fight fatigue. Grab your free eBook here!
