Sleeping acts as a repair cure for mind and body: you process what you have experienced during the day. So a good night’s sleep is crucial!

An average night’s sleep of eight hours makes you happier, more creative, slimmer, smarter, more productive, healthier and more resilient. But are you one of the people who has trouble getting to sleep? Then read ons as I give you a lot of tips to help you get a better night’s sleep.

Tips for a good night’s sleep

• A good night’s sleep starts during the day:
  • Avoid using smartphones, laptops,… two hours before you go to sleep. The blue light disturbs the production of the sleep hormone melatonin.
  • Give your intestines the necessary rest and don’t eat heavy meals/snacks in the evening.
  • Do nothing too energetic before going to sleep.
• Turn going to bed more pleasant and make it into a ‘hotel’ experience:
  • Make sure your room is nice, clean and tidy.
  • Turn on a nightlight.
  • Turn back the sheets, to make your bed look welcoming.
  • Use a vaporzier with a soothing oil (lavender/chamomile) for a pleasant and calming smell.
  • …
• Provide a recurring bedtime ritual:
  • As soon as you can relax, take a bath/shower in the evening and put on your nightwear. This will give your body and mind the signal that it’s time to relax.
  • Drink a cup of chamomile tea before bedtime.
  • Read a chapter in a book.
  • …
• Darken your room as much as possible.
• If necessary, put in earplugs at night.
• Try to go to bed an hour earlier a few times a week. Going to sleep later does not only mean less sleep, but also less deep sleep and it is just during deep sleep that one gains energy for the next day.
• If you lie awake at night for more than 20 minutes, get out of bed and do something using your brain and hands (like making a jigsaw puzzle or a rubik’s cube). Avoid watching television, or using your smartphone!

Tips to fall asleep faster:

• Think about pleasant things in a very detailed way (e.g. work out an ideal holiday).
• Listen to soothing music/sounds.
• Clear your head completely. Don’t think about what happened during the day or what awaits you tomorrow. Let those thoughts drift away like clouds.
• If you find this difficult, make sure to have a notebook and pen beside your bed. Whenever you start thinking of something, write it down. That way you can put it out of your head until the next day.
• Do the breathing exercise that you can read in the tip ‘calm your breath‘.
• Do a body scan:
  • Find the ideal sleeping position, close your eyes, make sure you breathe calmly and let go of your emotions.
  • Relax all facial muscles in the cheeks, mouth, tongue, jaw,… when your face relaxes, you give a signal to the rest of your body that it is time to relax.
  • Consciously think of all your body parts, one by one, from bottom to top (feet, legs, abdomen, back, hands, arms, neck, shoulders) and relax them completely one by one.
  • Do you find it difficult to relax your muscles? Tighten them first and then relax them.

Whatever you do, try to avoid taking medication to fall asleep… If you keep on having sleeping problems, go speak to your doctor about it!

Do you have more tips to fall asleep faster? Let me know in the comments!

Love, Kathleen