It’s been a full day of craziness and you’re ready to hit the hay. As soon as your head touches the pillow, or maybe as soon as you finish brushing your teeth, you feel restless and your mind is going everywhere except to where it was initially headed– Dreamland. You end up twisting and turning in bed for who knows how long and you dare not look at the clock because you know it’ll give you more anxiety when you start the mental countdown until morning.
This all sounds too familiar for many moms and pregnant women. Our sleep can be disturbed for many reasons but you might not even know you could actually do something about it! This is why I’m sharing a few tips and tricks that I’ve learned to help me fall relax and fall asleep naturally.
- Take Natural Calm before bed
- This is my best friend. I don’t know what I would have done without it when I had pregnancy insomnia and those painful middle-of-the-night leg cramps. It was also my saving grace when I struggled with postpartum anxiety. My favorite way to take Natural Calm is in powder form so that I can mix it in hot water for a nice cup of tea before bed. It also comes in gummy and capsule form as well.
- It contains magnesium which is one of the most abundant minerals found in the body but many times our body needs help replenishing it for the hundreds of biochemical functions in our body. Stress on the body (both physical and emotional) can wreak havoc on your magnesium stores so taking supplemental magnesium is vital!
- It also contains magnesium glycinate and melatonin to promote relaxation and better sleep.
- Look into melatonin supplements
- Melatonin is a hormone that helps your body know when it’s time to sleep or wake up. Around the time the sun sets, melatonin level increases and when the sun rises, melatonin level decreases. Therefore, the amount of light you get (plus your body’s circadian rhythm) dictates the amount of melatonin produced.
- Melatonin can most often be bought in capsule form but I’ve seen some in gummy form too. Some people may experience side effects (dizziness, daytime sleepiness, anxiety, etc) so make sure to do your research and take the lowest dose initially to see how your body reacts. Be sure to speak with your doctor first to make sure there are no contraindications when taking the supplement especially if you’re breastfeeding or are pregnant.
- Make a habit of sipping on some calming tea to wind down
- My all time favorite calming tea is Paromi’s Sleep With Me tea made with chamomile, silver lime flowers and lemon balm. It tastes absolutely amazing and the flavors are wonderful even after the second or third steep!
- Another great sleepytime tea is the Allegro Organic Peaceful Slumber Tea which has a light floral taste to it. Did I mention it’s less than $5 a box?
- Exercise in the morning
- First if you don’t have a regular workout routine, make sure to incorporate some movement into your day. Exercise has a plethora of benefits, most of which you probably already know. However, one of the best things about working up a sweat is that it reduces anxiety and helps with insomnia. Getting a solid amount of sleep is important but getting quality sleep is key. Exercising helps with just that– getting better sleep!
- If you exercise in the afternoon/evening, try moving your gym session to the morning hours and try doing it outdoors while you get some sun! I like to get some movement two hours upon waking. When I’m not working out outside, I do at-home workouts in our sunroom while I soak in those sun rays.
- Get a little bit of sunlight every day
- A large percentage of Americans are at risk of vitamin D deficiency. Low levels of this important vitamin can mess up a lot of things including your sleep. There are several studies that strongly associate vitamin D deficiency to poor sleep quality and sleep disturbances. A great way to get in your daily dose of vitamin D is to get some sun!
- Try taking your child(ren) out for a midday break. Especially while the stay-at-home order is still in place in many areas, one of the best activities to do right now is to explore the outdoors!
- Unwind without screen time at least two hours before bedtime
- While you want to be exposed to light during the day, you don’t want to be exposed to blue light in the evening. Why? Because blue light has the effect of waking us up and stimulating us. It confuses our body’s circadian rhythm and reduces sleep inducing hormones like melatonin from being produced.
- If you absolutely have to be exposed to blue light, consider getting blue light blocking glasses. Covry (a recent find) has some stylish blue light blocking specs on the minimal side. They’re a bit pricey but worth the extra cost. You can even try their at-home try-on for $10 which gets credited toward your purchase.
- The next time you need new prescription eye-glasses, ask your eye doctor about lenses that include blue light filters.
- There are plenty of things to do without a screen before bed. Read a book, take a warm bath, journal, or plan for the next day.
- Use a white-noise machine
- A white noise machine isn’t just for your child. You can get the same benefits from it for yourself. When my daughter was just born, I would wake up to the smallest sounds she made and if you know newborns, they make a lot of noise! In order to drown out her grunts and groans, I began sleeping with a white-noise machine on my side of the bed and it did wonders for my sleep. Now, whenever I need some good shut-eye, I put my white-noise machine on (yes, I said “my” because I bought one for myself as well).
- Diffuse or roll on essential oils
- Essential oils have been a craze lately and there’s a good reason why. They’re powerful and work wonders for many. After a long day, I like to use my DIY sleepytime roller and apply it on the back of my neck, behind my ears, and on my wrists. See below for my DIY Sleepytime Roll-On Blend.
- On other days, I like to diffuse lavender oil when I’m winding down for the night. Diffusing lavender essential oil while taking a night-time bath or shower is also very relaxing.
- My favorite lavender essential oil
- My favorite German chamomile essential oil
- My favorite minimal diffuser
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