Sleeping causes so many people so much trouble.
But it shouldn't be that way!
Pixabay
So here are 17 sleep hacks to guaranteed to get your sleeping better tonight and waking up easier tomorrow.
1. Have a Magnesium tablet before bed: Magnesium is responsible for over 300 reactions in the body, including producing melatonin - the sleep hormone. Magnesium also lets your body tell your brain that it's time to go to sleep. So a magnesium supplement is a quick easy way to get you in the mood for sleeping.
2. Put a pair of shoes on as soon as you wake up: This is one of the best sleep hacks I have ever heard. Learned from a Reddit AMA no less. As soon as you wake up in the morning put your shoes on, even if it's with your pyjamas.
Why?
Because it's hard to get back into bed if you're wearing shoes!
3. Don't have a work space near the bed: While at University I had my work desk right beside the bed and all it did was remind me of how much work I had to do. I'd wake up in the night, look at the desk and wonder if I should start revising. At 3 am!
4. Hang a blanket over your window: Light streaming into your room is guaranteed to keep you awake. In the summer the sun starts rising crazy early so get a blanket and clothes peg it over your window to keep some of the light out.
5. Try a sun alarm clock: In the winter it's the opposite problem. Waking up in the dark. With the power of a dawn simulating alarm clock you can kiss groggy mornings goodbye!
6. Keep a journal before bed: Keeping a diary before bed is a great way to clear your head before going off to sleep. It's so simple and a great mindfulness technique to start putting into your nighttime routine.
7. Follow your sleep cycle: Your sleep cycle is the 90-minute cycle your body goes through each night. If you wake up after a 90-minute cycle then you will be in light sleep and wake up far easier. So stick to 7.5 hours of sleep a night for happy mornings.
8. Have an apple in the morning: An apple in the morning can wake you up more than a cup of coffee thanks to the sugar boost and the carbohydrates present.
9. Eat something before bed with slow release energy: Morning fatigue is often caused by a lack of energy. So before bed eat something fatty like dairy or peanut butter to give you energy through to the morning.
10. Try a body pillow to stop snoring: A full body pillow encourages you to sleep on your side and back sleeping is often the cause of snoring so this is a great noninvasive solution!
11. Commit with a friend to getting up early: One of my favourite sleep hacks. Committing with a friend to getting up early. Decide to call each other as soon as you wake up. Having an accountabilibuddy makes it a much easier process
12. Use soft lights when it's dark outside: Having bright bulbs in your face while it's dark outside really messes with your body clock. It convinces your body it's still daytime making it impossible to drift off to sleep easily. So change to a lower wattage of bulb and stick to lamps instead of the main light in your house.
13. If your mind is racing around one thought, write it down: Writing down a thought you're stuck on is a great way to get it out your head. If it's a problem write down what you're going to do about it. This is a really effective sleep hack and slightly easier to commit to than a journal.
14. Meditate before bed: Meditation is a fantastic tool for falling asleep. 5-10 minutes of meditation before bed will let you climb into bed with a calm mind and clear head.
15. Drink Herbal Tea Before Bed : The natural ingredient of Valerian root naturally promotes drowsiness while hot tea helps relax and soothe you. Perfect for after a stressful day!
16. Sit up before you turn your alarm off: If you worry you won't hear your alarm across the room the alternative is to sit up as soon as it goes off. That way you are already out of bed and even if you sit for 5 minutes before getting up that's better than falling back to sleep!
17. Always plan something worth getting up for the next day: This is the final sleep hack and possibly the most effective. Getting up in the morning is easier if you have something worth getting up for. Often this is not going to work, so you have to have something fun planned that can coax you out of bed.
This is an excerpt from a guide of 50 Sleep Hacks available for free when you sign up for the newsletter at The Dozy Owl