Funny I’m writing this after a failed attempt at falling asleep.
Falling asleep (and staying asleep) never came easy for me and it’d always trigger bouts of anger and jealousy when my partners would always drift off into snore worthy sleep within a matter of seconds. I’d always sit and mull into worlds of the unknown. My mind full of nuts I could not possibly crack. But guess what? I’d stay up trying to crack them anyway.
After years of this I think I’ve finally gotten a good routine and a couple tricks down. I wonder if they can work for you too?
Rain sounds
Some people like white noise and others like music or the tv on in the background but I love the sound of rain. On a normal day the sound of rain hitting my roof puts me into a naturally calm and contented state so why the hell not during sleep time? After searching through all the different types of rain sounds (who knew!) I ended up just having my Google Assistant add it to my night time routine. It runs throughout the night and auto stops at 5am when I’m set to get ready for work. No idea why I took so long to get into this.
Podcasts
I try to listen to pleasant subject podcasts as I’ve been left with my mind racing at night when I fall asleep to true crime or news of world wars. Instead I listen to ones that I’ve some sort of hobby or interest in. These days I’ m stuck on gardening, puppies and scientific ones. I set these to only run for an hour. It’s a pretty good arrangement if you ask me.
Limited screen time
Gone are the days where I refresh my Instagram page until my fingers ache. Looking in on the facade of peoples’ lives. I use this time to catch up on news, chat with friends and send vids of Louis (my pup in case you didn’t know) to everyone that’ll watch. Lol. I give myself 30 minutes max then put all screens away which sort of forces my body to relax and drift off.
Tea!
Hey I grew up with having tea as the first and last thing to touch my tongue every single day and it’s stuck with me. I’ve moved up in the world so every night I have a different tea. Lol. A good cup of herbal or oolong tea is bound to set any restless mind at ease. I don’t know what about having something hot right before bed makes sleep so much more peaceful, but there’s something. Some folks think it’s mind over matter but there are tons of stuff to read out there that I’m sure will prove its not. Some teas like green tea hold amino acids that are warriors for reducing anxiety while giving you that good quality sleep your body desperately needs.
No heavy eating
I save my lightest meal for dinner time because I tend to feel very sluggish and lethargic when I eat a lot at night. If I must eat heavy I tend to eat around 6pm and no later. That way I have some time before I go to bed which gives the food some time to settle and absorb. Dinner for me most days are oatmeal, smoothies, juices (apple, beet, carrot), salmon with wedges or crackers with peanut butter. If I eat out, I tend to stay away from carbs. It works wonders. I’m left full but energized and relaxed and falling asleep is made seamless without much toss and turning.
What do you do to fall asleep and stay asleep?
Thanks for stopping by!
PS ~ On being a plant mom and how to lighten you mood on bad days.
