Tips to Help You Sleep
COVID has impacted our lives on so many levels, you may have found that it has even started to impact your sleep. Sleep is one of the basic needs for survival. Without the right amount of sleep every night, it can start to influence all the other parts of your day.
Today we talked about some of the tips we use to make sure that we are getting enough sleep each night so that we can be our best selves during the day.
Being mindful of your caffeine intake. Having a cup of coffee or glass of sweet tea at lunch may be causing you to chase sleep at night. Try skipping it a day or two and see if that has made any changes to your sleep pattern.
Make sure you are moving your body during the day. Take a walk before bed, do yoga or just a light activity during the day. If your body isn’t tired, it’s hard to put it to sleep.
Meditation. Meditation is helpful for calming the mind. There are several apps out there that can help and provide different meditations for your needs. The meditations help you to “turn off” your mind to fall asleep easier.
Turn off the screen. Whether it’s your phone or the TV, the blue light from screens has some effects on our brains and does not help us fall asleep.
No big meals. This goes with watching your caffeine intake. Watch what you are eating before bed. This can play a role in your quality of sleep if your stomach is too full.
Environment. Setting up your space for sleep is important. Whatever makes you comfortable, ensure that is set up before you get into bed. A dark room, right temperature and a sound machine are some things that can help you have a better night’s sleep.
Don’t toss and turn. If you find yourself tossing and turning for more than 20 or 30 minutes, it might be a good idea to get up and get some water or stretch your legs. Try not to turn on lights or engage your mind, but try hitting the reset button to help you fall asleep.
And remember that sometimes an essential part of self care looks like therapy. We can help with that. Give us a call at 813-434-3639 to schedule a free consultation with one of our therapists.
