There’s more than misery when you miss out on a good night’s sleep. Your performance at work drops, your immune system is weaker, you look tired (and thoughtless people might even tell you as much), and you’re putting yourself at serious risk: miss enough sleep, and you might find yourself dozing off in a dangerous situation, like while driving.
But there’s plenty of small, painless changes you can make to start improving your sleep today. A few new habits, and you might be less tired, without even spending an extra minute in bed.
Start with what’s become a huge modern sleep killer: the color blue. Although it’s psychologically pleasing for a number of reasons, those calming effects don’t translate well to sleep. Whether it’s a blinking LED light on your phone, computer, or other device, or just part of what’s being emitted from any given screen before bed, it’s killing your sleep patterns. Blue light inhibits melatonin production, making it harder to fall asleep and sleep well.
The best practice is to keep electronics out of your bedroom, but for most that’s impractical: it’s an emergency line of contact, an alarm, and a thousand other tools. Instead, make sure that you either block any lights (even using an old fashioned trick like tape and paper) or disable them. Download an app that will filter out blue light on any device you can’t live without before bed (some websites and apps even offer a nighttime feature, inverting the black and white of text to minimize both brightness and blue light).
Then turn to other sleep problems. Most pillows are machine washable, and should be washed every six months or so. This reduces allergens (which can contribute to congestion and snoring). Make sure you’re pillow is still a good fit for how you sleep, and that your sheets and mattress are comfortable (they’re worth the investment, either for the positive—like and increase in productivity—or avoiding the negative—like the cost of a fender bender).
Develop a good routine. Signal to your brain and body when it’s time to wind down, and it will become easier to fall asleep.
If you’re still having trouble, try natural sleep support. Our Sleep Support Pack uses herbs that support sleep, as well as the nutrients your body needs most at night to aid and support a good night’s sleep.
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