I love sleeping but ever since I was little, I have always had trouble falling asleep. I would just toss and turn for hours. I would then be so exhausted and yawning the whole day at work. After researching and talking to my doctor, I found a few things that have really helped! They seem so obvious and insignificant but they really make a huge difference. So if you’re struggling like me, try out these 5 things:
Hydrate
We're all guilty of saying “I need to drink more water” but then we don't really follow through. I used to only drink like 1 or 2 glasses of water a day but we are supposed to be drinking 8 glasses of water every single day! I know that it sounds annoying, you don’t want to be running to the bathroom every 5 seconds, or maybe you’re just not thirsty, but TRUST ME do it. Your body will get used to it and thank you for it.
Exercise
Exercising after work has really helped get out my energy so I don’t feel wired going to bed. Whether you’re into walking, running, spinning, or yoga, theres so many things that you could try to get just get your body moving. There are so many little things that could help you throughout the day as well like walking more. I recently got a standing desk at work so I could switch it up and move around more than I usually would.
Vitamins
Taking vitamins has really helped me for a bunch of things. Talk to your doctor and make sure you’re not deficient in anything that your body needs. A lack of Vitamin D has been known to give sleep problems. People with darker skin tones have more trouble absorbing as many UV Rays needed for Vitamin D production. B12/B Complex are also good vitamins to take if you're feeling stressed and overthinking a lot when you're trying to sleep. These vitamins help nourish your red blood cells. Another popular supplement that you can try is melatonin, which help you body's sleep and wake cycles.
Sleep Mode
One of the biggest things that really helped me was not using any electronics at least 1 hour before going to sleep. Computers and phone screens strain our eyes and keep our brain engaged and awake so we need to let our body relax. The light on electronics also mess with our body’s clock. Another thing to help go into sleep mode is not drink caffeine or alcohol before bed. Even if you think you’re used to it, caffeine stays in your body for a long time. Instead, try drinking some warm milk or taking a warm soothing bath. You could also try making a to-do list and picking out clothes for the next day so your mind is at ease.
Listen to Your Body
Whether you’ve realized it or not, your body gives you signs telling you what it needs. Whether its thirst, headaches, body aches, dark circles, yawning, or lack of concentration, your body is screaming at you to give it what it wants. It's super important that we pay attention to the signs and take better care of ourselves.