8 Tips for Better Sleep

Many people struggle with good sleep, so a while back, I wrote a blog post 5 Tips for Sleeping Well. Since I first wrote that post, I have come across a few more ideas that I wanted to pass along to you.  Whether you have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or just don’t ever feel rested, I hope some of these suggestions are helpful for you!  I’d suggest that you first read the previous post on sleeping well, since this one will build upon it.

8 Tips for Better Sleep:

1.     Take a bath: Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) reduces inflammation, reduces anxiety, and supports healthy cognitive function and mood.  So, put a cup of Epsom salt in your bath.  And, when you take a warm bath, your body temperature rises.  When you get out of the bath, your body temperature naturally falls, which will help make you drowsy. 

2.     Use essential oils: Aromatherapy is a holistic treatment that uses natural plant extracts to promote well-being.  It’s the idea that scent can impact our mood and behaviors.  For example, lavender and Ylang-ylang usually are considered to be soothing and relaxing. Peppermint is often energizing, and citrus (like orange or lime) is a mood booster.  Look for lavender fabric sprays to put on your pillowcase before you climb into bed.  Use a lavender scented hand lotion before bed to help you relax.  Light a scented candle.  Or, put a few drops of essential oil into your Epsom salt bath!

3.     Grounding:  I made this video about a technique called grounding to help reduce anxiety.  While this strategy is great to do at any time, using it at bedtime can help you to focus on the present moment and can help you to more easily fall asleep.  Watch this short video for more details on grounding.

4.     Don’t put too much stock in your fit bit/smart watch/ fitness tracker:  Nowadays we all love our technology.  And who wouldn’t love a feature that tells you how much REM sleep you are getting?!  But, I’ve worked with clients whose anxiety is increased by the data of their smart watch.  They become fixated on how the watch says they are sleeping, and discouraged when it says they didn’t sleep well.  But, I urge you to be cautious when it comes to this!  There are many factors that can influence the accuracy of sleep data on smart watches, including if you have sleep apnea, a wrist tattoo, or if you put the watch on right before bedtime.  I’d suggest that you pay attention to how you feel instead.  If you feel rested, then that’s great.  If you don’t feel rested and feel you may have a sleep condition, an evaluation by your doctor would be a good idea.  If you find you are stressed out by the data your watch is giving you, then either take it off when you are sleeping, or disable the feature at nighttime. 

5.     Avoid caffeine and excess alcohol: Alcohol can impair your sleep and prohibits you from entering deeper stages of sleep.  Either too much alcohol or consuming alcohol close to bedtime can lead to more waking through the night.  It can also lessen time spend in REM sleep, which is the deepest and most restorative phase of sleep.  Caffeine is something else to keep an eye on.  Caffeine is a stimulant which means it revs up our nervous system.  This is why it causes alertness and temporarily reduces fatigue and drowsiness.  But, consuming too much caffeine or consumption too late in the day can interrupt good sleep.  Try to limit caffeine to morning hours only and see if that makes a difference with your ability to fall asleep, stay asleep and wake feeling rested.

6.     Bilateral stimulation: In Brainspotting, we use music as a way to stimulate both hemispheres of your brain.  This auditory bilateral stimulation can be done using headphones and listening to music that rhythmically goes back and forth from your left to right side, and can have a very calming effect on your nervous system.  After completing a Brainspotting session, I’ve had clients ask where they can buy the music they listened to.  They found it so relaxing they want to incorporate it into their nightly routine.  The music I use in a Brainspotting session can be found at Biolateral.com.

7.     Use of Apps: Apps like Slumber or Sleep incorporate sleep inducing stories and meditation to help you relax and fall asleep.  Some of these have free trials, or a certain amount of free uses, so you can play around with them to see if you like them and if they’re helpful before you purchase the premium versions.  Some of my clients love these!

8.     Be evaluated for any possible sleep problems:  Sleep apnea is probably the most well-known sleep issue, but there are many types of sleep disturbances that might explain why you feel tired all the time.  If you feel groggy and tired no matter how much you sleep, this might be a sign of a medical condition.

If you’ve given any of these (or the previous tips!) a try, we’d love to hear from you. Or, please share your strategies for good sleep!

The mental health therapists at our office offer counseling for a variety of issues including trauma using EMDR, depression, anxiety, grief, and couples counseling. We work with teens, adults, and couples. We also offer online counseling services which can be great for people with busy schedules or for people who live in parts of Pennsylvania with limited counseling options. You can check out our website to see the full list of counseling services that we offer. Or, Request An Appointment here.