Did you know that the key to getting a good night’s rest begins hours before your head hits the pillow? What you do as soon as you rise in the morning has a tremendous effect on how well you rest at night. Food, drink, your mental state, it all matters.
Things to do to get a better night’s sleep
- Make your bed: Upon rising, dress your bed with fresh linen and comfortable blankets. Spray your pillows with a lavender linen spray to set the atmosphere for relaxation.
- Don’t drink coffee after noon: The stimulating effect of caffeine can last for hours after sipping.
- Exercise: Movement sets your body’s rhythm, helping you sleep better.
- Eat dinner earlier: The body uses lots of energy to digest and process food. Eating later, especially close to bedtime, can disturb the digestion process, therefore disturbing your sleep. Try to eat your last meal of the day before 8 p.m. or 2-3 hours before bedtime.
- Meditation: Before bed, release the day and still the mind. Take some deep breaths to let go of tension in the body.
- Positivity recap of the day: End the day by expressing gratitude for positive three things the happened during the day. If you can’t think of one, remember tomorrow’s a new day. Make it whatever you want.
Bonus:
If you ever wake up in the middle of the night and can’t get back to sleep, try this easy breathing exercise that will knock you out for the night.
Inhale deeply. Count to four slowly. Hold the breath for a count of four. Exhale for a count of four. Repeat three times. Good night!
