Have you ever had those days where you feel like your brain feels scattered even after a “good” night’s sleep?
It’s not uncommon but it will continue to happen if we keep practicing habits we know could affect not just our sleep but how we are the moment we wake up. Really, it’s the little things. Here are some steps—reminders actually—you can do to change that.
Make your bedroom conducive for sleeping
Every bedroom is different but its commonality is that it serves a purpose, which is a place for rest and relaxation. More than a reflection—an extension, even—of your personality, spruce up your room that makes you feel like you’re comfortable and most of all, rested.
It must be stressed that cleanliness is everything. It’s the same as when you’re working: you can’t get anything done if there’s mess everywhere. How can you sleep when there’s clutter? Granted some people don’t mind a little mess but if you keep putting it off, it will drive you nuts. No one wants that. Putting everything back in its place, changing those sheets—that’s a start and it already makes a difference. A decluttered home helps declutter the mind.
With that out of the way, add some personalized touches to make sleeping easier like playing your favorite music, keeping the room cool, adjusting the light, or spraying the room with your favorite scent—nighttime rituals you’re into or you would like to try to help you sleep soundly at night.
Airism Pillow Case, from UNIQLO | Lavender and Peppermint Essential Oil, from Anapanasati| Weighted Blanket, from Suenyo | Silk Sleep Eye Mask, from Lily & Adora | Golden Slumber Gift Set, from The Tea Source MNL | Diptyque Figuier Candle, from Rustan’s | Sleepwear, from Hello, Goodnight | L’Occitane Almond Shower Oil, from Rustan’s | Classic (L) Line Candle Warmer, from Memory Lane | Book Light, from Nest Home and Fabrique Shop
Get prepped for bed
It’s not enough to get your room in order. You need to get yourself ready for bed. Do the things you like to do that help you sleep faster.
Take a shower or draw yourself a bath an hour or two before bed. The warm water helps change your body’s temperature, which helps you fall asleep more quickly. Also, while you’re at it, apply your favorite shampoo or body wash. Aromatherapy helps too.
Apart from changing the sheets, your clothes can also affect your sleep. Opt for something light, loose and more importantly, clean. Wearing tight sleepwear can feel restricting. At night, you want to feel bundled up like a burrito, not like you’re wearing a straight jacket.
If you feel the need to get a snack, get some hours before bedtime but don’t drink too many fluids or you’ll be getting up every now and then to use the bathroom, thereby interrupting your sleep. Speaking or drinks, caffeine and alcohol aren’t your best friends if your intention is a good night’s sleep.
Habit is everything
Stick to a sleep schedule—or at least try. Staying consistent eventually lessens the struggle. Set an alarm for your sleep and waking up time. Make it a habit until you won’t need the alarm.
Also, incorporate exercising in your daily routine as it helps release those chemicals in our body that combat stress and anxiety. But if you can only squeeze in a workout at night, that’s okay too. Just don’t push yourself to the extreme that it feels like you’re so wiped out. If you feel bad you haven’t hit the gym in forever, running errands and doing your chores already is a workout. The idea is to get moving.
Do away with the gadgets close to bedtime. Getting exposed to light at daytime is beneficial but it’s not the case at nighttime, especially blue light exposure. Limit your use of technology hours before you go to bed. In fact, put your gadgets at arm’s length so that they won’t be so easy to reach in the middle of the night. Save the scrolling for when you wake up.
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