If you are someone who struggles to get a good night’s sleep due to stress, you will know that it can take a huge toll on your health and wellbeing. This can be a vicious cycle to break - with lack of sleep causing even more stress and tension on your mind, body, and soul.
That’s why you should try to pay attention to your sleep routine in order to wake up feeling fully rested; but how do you maximise the quantity and quality of your sleep, and how do you reduce stress to prepare your mind for sleep in the first place? We’ve put together a list of methods to help you sleep soundly at night.
Have a Bedtime
While getting a better night’s sleep can be much more complicated than hitting the pillow earlier, adding structure to your evening can help reduce mental clutter. To function at your best, you should aim to get around 7-9 hours of good quality sleep per night. So set yourself a bedtime that works around your routine and slowly train your mind to drift off at that time each night.
Limit Your Evening Screen Time
The blue light emitted from your digital devices can mess up your body’s internal clock and significantly impact your sleep. So instead of reaching for your phone, why not try a tech-free way to wind down? You could read your favourite book, sip on some camomile tea, or relax in a nice, warm bubble bath. Or why not try all of these things at once for ultimate relaxation!
Get Your Exercise in Early
Regular exercise is a great way of releasing and reducing stress. It pumps up your endorphins and improves your mood, helping you to shed those daily tensions and relax. But try to avoid hitting an intense workout at least 3 hours before you turn in for the night, as your heart rate will be raised and your nervous system will be stimulated, leading to interrupted sleep.
Maintain a Balanced Diet
A healthy diet is the perfect recipe for restoring the equilibrium of your mind and body, as well as reducing stress. A balanced diet can also assist in a healthy sleep cycle, as some foods are proven to calm the brain. For example, the potassium and magnesium in bananas can help relax your muscles, making it easier to drift off to sleep. You could also try making a pre-bedtime banana smoothie, with few drops of Love Hemp CBD oil, helping to balance your body’s essential functions. A healthy diet can promote healthy melatonin production; a natural hormone which is responsible for your sleep quality.
