Having trouble in bed? You’re not alone. One in three people in the U.S. isn’t getting the daily seven to eight hours needed to feel refreshed and energized to face the day. Worse, when you’re not well rested, it’s harder to concentrate, eat right and stay healthy.
While sleeping soundly for seven to eight hours each day is important any time of year, why not use May’s Better Sleep Month as a chance to reset your snoozing? Here are a couple tips to help you get better in bed today.
Tip #1: Schedule your sleep.
Don’t leave a good night’s rest to chance. Schedule it just like you would your dentist’s or doctor’s appointment – commit to going to bed at a certain time each night and stick with it. The rest of your life will thank you.
Tip #2: Slip into something more comfortable.
Dress for bedroom success. For a good night’s sleep, invest in weather-appropriate comfy pajamas made of non-synthetic and breathable materials.
Tip #3: Show some leg.
Experts suggest keeping a leg out of the covers. It’ll help regulate your body temperature to keep you at the optimal level for deep, restful sleep.
Tip #4: Go bananas.
Bananas make a great bedtime snack. They are a good source of B6, copper, and both magnesium and potassium, which act as natural muscle-relaxants.
Tip #5: Embrace the noise.
White noise can help people sleep by masking distracting sounds at night, like a door slamming or your neighbor’s dog. You could invest in a white noise machine or try turning on a fan in your room.
Tip #6: Pop some cherry juice.
Cherry juice is a natural source of melatonin and tryptophan. A study from the Louisiana State University found that insomniacs who drank cherry juice before bed slept 84 minutes longer.
Tip #7: Don’t stop at 5.
Don’t assume you’re a short sleeper – because you probably aren’t. Only about 1% of the world’s population has the genetic variant of a true short sleeper.
Tip #8: Can’t sleep? Try again.
If you aren’t asleep in 20 minutes, get out of bed and do something relaxing, like reading, knitting, etc. (in dim light). Then get back in bed when you feel sleepy.
Tip #9: Bedrooms rated XXX and ZZZ only.
Make your bedroom exclusively about sleep and romance. That means saying no to paying bills, no to folding laundry and even no to watching funny animal videos before bedtime.
Tip #10: Don’t try so hard.
“Trying” to sleep can be stressful and send your mind racing. Instead, focus on relaxing and resting. If all else fails, get out of bed and try reading a non-fiction book in dim lighting.
Read up on more sleep-worthy tips at bettersleep.org/blog. And look for other exclusive content online from the Better Sleep Council, using the hashtag #BetterInBed.