Something that I have struggled with for years is getting good, quality sleep. Anyone else?
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One thing that I have learned from trying out COUNTLESS methods is that not one thing will work every single night. As a woman, our hormones are constantly changing, so what works for one night, or even a week, may not work the next night/week. I have found that during certain times in my cycle, I need a little extra support, or not as much.
I have built a “Sleep Support Bank” in order to help me get the best night’s sleep I can. This bank includes tools, habits, and “rules” that I give myself. I don’t use everything every day/night, but it gives me choices that still support me but aren’t the same things every single day.
That gets boring, right?
This bank took me years to build up. Chances are, there are already some tools/habits you have that can support you in sleep. The first thing that I did was limit my caffeine intake. At one time in my life, I was drinking a couple of cups of coffee a day. Not anymore! I took my intake down to only one cup, and I drink it before noon. I also try to exercise every day or at least go for a walk in order to tire myself out.
Something else that I use is different supplements. An every night supplement is Valerian Root. It’s a natural supplement that really helps to relax you. Natural Calm is a relaxation “tea” that I get from Amazon. I get the Lemon-Raspberry flavor and drink it either hot or cold (depending on how I’m feeling and the time of the year).
And then there are my oils.
I have built my collection over the past year to include so many relaxation and “night time” oils to diffuse and use topically. There is rarely a night that I forget to put something in the diffuser, but each night is different. An added bonus of oils is that they have other properties to support you in so many other areas as well. Can’t go wrong with high-quality, therapeutic grade essential oils. (Not the synthetic ones from any store around)
I would love to help you get started using essential oils if that's something that you are interested in. Just shoot me an email or a DM on Instagram. No pressure, just conversation. If you know what you're looking for and just want a link to sign up, here's your link.
So, what exactly is sleep hygiene?
To me, it refers to how I set myself up for a good night’s sleep. It involves your daily habits throughout the day, not just at night time. It’s your food and drink choices, schedule, evening routine, and many other activities that all play a part in your ability to sleep.
Tip Number 1
Sleep hygiene is about building habits throughout the day to help you get the best sleep at night. As we all know, good sleep is crucial to our mental and physical wellbeing, as well as our overall quality of life. And while it will look different for everyone, the three tips I do have can be adapted by all. So let’s get into it.
Keep a fairly consistent schedule and strive for at least 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime to be as relaxing as possible. Including limiting your electronics! I know, I know! But I also know that you know it’s the right thing to do!
Tip Number 2
Move during the day and limit your caffeine intake. If I do drink caffeine, I’m done by noon. That could look different for someone on a different schedule than me.
Tip Number 3
Do a brain dump before bed. Oftentimes, when I go to bed thinking about something, I don’t sleep well. So, if I do notice thoughts about what I have to do the next day, or how I’m feeling about something, I do a brain dump. This could look like a bullet point list of tasks I need to remember to do, or journaling for 10 minutes or so. The less I have to worry about, the better my sleep will be.
Remember, no one can tell you what your day should look like other than you. You are in charge of yourself and you deserve the best sleep; every single night. Our mental and physical health can be at their best with quality sleep and therefore our quality of life increases.
As always, leave me some feedback either here – below this post, e-mail me (megs@thewheellifeblog.com), or on any of my social media platforms! (FB/IG/TW @wheellifeblog and Snapchat @megsh8). I would love to hear from you and what I can do to help. If there is ANYTHING that you want to hear about – please let me know! I can’t do any of this without YOU, so I would love to connect with you!
Let’s keep those happy thoughts, productivity, and self-care going! Live honestly, passionately, and with kindness!
