These Foolproof Methods Will Take Your Sleep Health to New Dreamy Heights
July 13, 2021
by
Samantha Sasso
paid for by
AHA SPARKLING WATER™
We partnered with AHA Sparkling Water™ to help you celebrate all those little AHA moments throughout your day.
Create a Bedtime Routine
So much about our everyday routines has had to change in the past year. While gyms were closed, we regrouped and built at-home routines that swapped out cardio machines for live streams. When salons were out of commission, we bought boxes of dye in bulk and discovered just how shockingly good (or not good) we were at coloring our own hair. But the one part of our routines we thought we wouldn’t have to worry about was our sleep — turns out, we were wrong.
According to recent research, at least 36 percent of people have reported an increase in sleep disturbances at night. Whether you’ve been struggling with falling asleep, staying asleep, or just waking up in the morning and feeling like, well, you actually slept, we’ve found the methods that just might improve your sleep health, so you can enjoy going to bed again.
Whether you’re religious about making coffee before you even change out of your pajamas or swear by sunrise runs to get your energy up, there’s something about our morning routines that makes a huge difference in how the rest of our day unfolds. So, why not try the same thing at night?
Some experts suggest giving yourself at least 30 minutes to unwind before bed. Building a routine you love and actually want to stick to takes time, so start out with just one activity — whether that’s making a cup of tea, meditating, or soaking in a bath — before catching some shut-eye. Eventually, you’ll be able to adjust to this time at night, so you’re always in the right headspace for sleep.
Optimize Your Pillow Selection
Every well-adjusted adult will tell you that the most important investment you’ll ever make in your home is your mattress. While they’re not wrong, spending that much money isn’t exactly budget-friendly for everyone, but that doesn’t mean your journey to better sleep should come to halt. Instead, start small, and take a closer look at your pillow selection.
For some people, this may involve determining whether they prefer something firm vs. plush, but it could also mean reevaluating your pillow’s shape. If you’re an avid side cuddler, you might want to consider a pillow you can snuggle up to (U-shaped pillows feel like one big hug for your joints and shoulders). If you can’t even think about falling asleep unless you’re flat on your stomach, a slimmer memory foam pillow will do wonders for your neck and back pain, but if you’re all about sleeping like a starfish, a wedge or cervical pillow could be your best option for pain-free sleep.
You’ve heard it before, and you’ll hear it again: don’t use your phone in bed. In fact, most experts say to avoid any screen time before bed, but who can really resist a TikTok scroll after a long hard day? Luckily, blue-light-blocking glasses exist. The blue wavelengths emitted by our electronics have been said to throw off our circadian rhythms and, as a result, our sleep suffers. Even if you struggle to put your phone down or turn off the TV at night, rocking a pair of these glasses can help put your sleep schedule back on track.
Wear Blue Light Glasses
We partnered with AHA Sparkling Water™ to help you celebrate all those little AHA moments throughout your day.
These Foolproof Methods Will Take Your Sleep Health to New Dreamy Heights
You’ve heard it before, and you’ll hear it again: don’t use your phone in bed. In fact, most experts say to avoid any screen time before bed, but who can really resist a TikTok scroll after a long h rd day? Luckily, blue-light-blocking glasses exist. The blue wavelengths emitted by our electronics have been said to throw off our circadian rhythms and, as a result, our sleep suffers. Even if you struggle to put your phone down or turn off the TV at night, rocking a pair of these glsses can help put your sleep schedule back on track.
Wear Blue Light Glasses
Every well-adjusted adult will tell you that the most important investment you’ll ever make in your home is your m ttress. While they’re not wrong, spending that much money isn’t exactly budget-friendly for everyone, but that doesn’t mean your journey to better sleep should come to halt. Instead, start sm ll, and take a closer look at your pillow selection.
For some people, this may involve determining whether they prefer something firm vs. plush, but it could also mean reevaluating your pillow’s shape. If you’re an avid side cuddler, you might want to consider a pillow you can snuggle up to (U-shaped pillows feel like one big hug for your joints and shoulders). If you can’t even think about falling sleep unless you’re flat on your stomach, a slimmer memory foam pillow will do wonders for your neck and back pain, but if you’re all about sleeping like a st rfish, a wedge or cervical pillow could be your best option for pain-free sleep.
Optimize Your Pillow Selection
Create a Bedtime Routine
So much about our everyday routines has had to change in the past year. While gyms were closed, we regrouped and built at-home routines that sw pped out cardio machines for live streams. When s lons were out of commission, we bought boxes of dye in bulk and discovered just how shockingly good (or not good) we were at coloring our own hair. But the one part of our routines we thought we wouldn’t have to worry about was our sleep — turns out, we were wrong.
According to recent research, at least 36 percent of people have reported an increase in sleep disturbances at night. Whether you’ve been struggling with f lling asleep, staying sleep, or just waking up in the morning and feeling like, well, you actually slept, we’ve found the methods that just might improve your sleep health, so you can enjoy going to bed again.
Click to have an AHA moment!
Undo
If you’re a sweaty sleeper, you know that temperature matters and maintaining a cooler sleeping space is crucial to falling and staying asleep. While turning on a fan or air conditioner before getting into bed can significantly drop the temperature in your room or apartment, a lukewarm shower, cold compress, or even splurging on a mattress with built-in cooling features can help you get the deep sleep you’re missing. If you’re looking to get inventive, some people freeze their socks, pajamas, or sheets to avoid night sweats and manage their body temperature.
Create a Cool Space — Literally
paid for by
AHA SPARKLING WATER™
Samantha Sasso
by
July 13, 2021
Create a Cool Space — Literally
There’s not a lot of research around acupressure mats and their direct benefits for sleep health, but if you’re willing to try anything once, this may be your next move. Although these mats utilize a concept that’s been around for centuries
( cupressure is a technique traditionally used in Chinese medicine), the unique invention has been making the rounds on TikTok lately and for good reason.
Despite their uncomfortable appearance, avid users of these mats swear by their relaxing side effects. Unlike a cupuncture, these mats are able to target a larger surface area of the body to help increase circulation and release tension. If you find yourself tossing and turning at night, try getting out of bed and carefully lying down on these stimulation spikes for a few minutes — it could end up being more effective than counting sheep.
Try an Accupressure Mat
If you’re a sweaty sleeper, you know that temperature m tters and maintaining a cooler sleeping space is crucial to falling and staying asleep. While turning on a fan or air conditioner before getting into bed can significantly drop the temperature in your room or ap rtment, a lukewarm shower, cold compress, or even splurging on a m ttress with built-in cooling features can help you get the deep sleep you’re missing. If you’re looking to get inventive, some people freeze their socks, pajamas, or sheets to avoid night sweats and manage their body temperature.
Whether you’re religious about making coffee before you even change out of your p jamas or swear by sunrise runs to get your energy up, there’s something about our morning routines that makes a huge difference in how the rest of our day unfolds. So, why not try the same thing at night?
Some experts suggest giving yourself at least 30 minutes to unwind before bed. Building a routine you love and actually want to stick to takes time, so start out with just one ctivity — whether that’s making a cup of tea, meditating, or soaking in a bath — before catching some shut-eye. Eventually, you’ll be able to adjust to this time at night, so you’re lways in the right headspace for sleep.
There’s not a lot of research around acupressure mats and their direct benefits for sleep health, but if you’re willing to try anything once, this may be your next move. Although these mats utilize a concept that’s been around for centuries (acupressure is a technique traditionally used in Chinese medicine), the unique invention has been making the rounds on TikTok lately and for good reason.
Despite their uncomfortable appearance, avid users of these mats swear by their relaxing side effects. Unlike acupuncture, these mats are able to target a larger surface area of the body to help increase circulation and release tension. If you find yourself tossing and turning at night, try getting out of bed and carefully lying down on these stimulation spikes for a few minutes — it could end up being more effective than counting sheep
Try an Accupressure Mat