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This afternoon we’re chatting about sleep… Something I’ve been told a time or two will start to slowly vanish from my life when we bring our newborn baby home from the hospital in the coming week or two!
What I didn’t expect to experience was a lack of sleep before our baby arrived. I read and heard all about women feeling uncomfortable during pregnancy, but for some reason I didn’t think back pain or feeling achy would really impact my sleep too much. (Ha! Ha! Ha!)
A few weeks ago, as you may remember me stating in one of my pregnancy recaps, I truly began to dread going to sleep at night because I knew I’d wake up a million times and feel incredibly uncomfortable. And then I’d start to play mind games with myself… “If I fall asleep right now and wake up at 6 a.m., I can still get seven hours of sleep…” Oh joy!
Well, after several weeks of lackluster sleep, I’ve come up with a handful of tricks that will often work for me and help me fall asleep at night or help me drift back to sleep after I’ve woken up for the 1,000th time to pee. I’m teaming up with Sleep Number to share some of them with you guys today and also offer you a pretty stellar sleep-themed giveaway at the end of this post!
Tips For Better Sleep
- Read Before Bed (Or When You Can’t Fall Back Asleep!)
Reading is a go-to for me when I am feeling restless and wide awake at bed time. There have also been a handful of times during my pregnancy when I’ve ended up falling asleep and then waking up around 2 a.m., unable to drift back to sleep. After a few nights of tossing and turning for more than an hour, I decided to try reading in the middle of the night. I turned on my light (thankfully Ryan was willing to wear an eye mask and didn’t seem to care!) and read for about 30 minutes until my eyes got heavy. I was able to fall asleep much faster than the previous nights when I just laid there thinking about all the sleep I was missing. Reading is key!
Also, Sleep Number recommends using a reading light that does NOT have a blue light, as blue light wakes you up more since it mimics daylight. Opt for a night light in more of a warm orange tone, which mimics sunset.
- Keep Phones Out of Reach from the Bedside
I used to keep my phone on my nightstand, but all too often I’d find myself checking emails or scrolling through Instagram before bed. There’s something about a phone screen that is just about the least soothing thing to look at before bed and once Ryan and I started keeping our phones out of reach from our bedside, we found ourselves reading more, talking with each other before bed and sleeping better. We started doing this years ago in Ocala and it’s a big one for us now!
According to Sleep Number, watching TV or using computers or phone before bed stimulates the brain and the blue light from screens makes it harder to get quality sleep. In a survey conducted by the company, Sleep Number found that people from California and Utah use electronics in bed the most, while those from Oregon and Iowa use electronics in bed the least!
- Get Into Bed an Hour Before You Want to Fall Asleep
(Pic from our baby’s nursery!)
I know busy schedules and to-do lists can make this one a challenge, but whenever possible, Ryan and I try to get into bed an hour before we actually hope to fall asleep. I looooove crawling into bed at the end of a long day (it’s seriously one of my favorite parts of every day) and when I know I have an hour to just hang out with Ryan, read a book or cuddle up with Sadie before I really feel like I need to fall asleep, I am much more relaxed and likely to drift off to sleep earlier than intended.
- Keep Your Room Temperature Cool
Two weeks ago, Ryan and I had our upstairs air conditioning fixed. (Hallelujah!!) Prior to that, we could not get our upstairs below 80 degrees at night and it was miserable. I could not stop sweating and eventually pointed a little space fan directly at my face and slept that way until we had our air fixed. We still don’t keep it as cool as I think we’d both like it because air conditioning is expensive, but at least a lot of the humidity is gone from our bedroom and sleeping in 70-something degrees is much nicer than 80+ degrees, that’s for sure! (Especially when you’re in your third trimester and can’t stop sweating as it is!) According to Sleep Number, the ideal sleeping temperature is 65 – 67 degrees.
- Exercise
I don’t think it was a coincidence that during the time I was experiencing intense sacroiliac pain, I slept the worst I have in years. Yes, I am sure a lot of this had to do with my inability to get comfortable in bed, but I also felt so incredibly restless and almost antsy. I feel like a lot of this had to do with the fact that I just wasn’t moving much during the day. My body wasn’t physically tired! I definitely sleep better on days when I am active and make it to the gym!
- Use Relaxation Techniques
Okay, this tip is a little strange, but I swear it works! Ryan actually taught it to me years ago when I was complaining about not feeling tired at all before bed one night. (Apparently he learned it in a yoga class years ago!) Focus on relaxing every part of your body starting from the very tips of your toes, moving all the way up to the top of your head. Concentrate on releasing tension from everywhere… Your ankles, knees, hips, every finger… By focusing all of my attention on relaxing my body, I cannot help but feel more calm (and, to be honest, a bit bored, which helps me feel more tired, too)!
- Track Your Sleep
This is a bit of a double-edged sword for me. Sometimes I can psych myself out if I feel like I’m getting too little sleep, but for the most part tracking sleep and figuring out what time I need to go to bed to get 8 hours of sleep helps me feel more motivated to get into bed at a reasonable time. There are tons of sleep trackers on the market these days that you can use and Sleep Number also created SleepIQ® technology that works with any new Sleep Number bed to track and monitor your sleep for you without requiring you to wear anything fancy. (Crazy, right?)
Giveaway
And now it’s time for a sleep-inspired giveaway! It’s a good one and I really hope it catches your eye, especially if you happen to be struggling to get a good night’s sleep!
One PBF reader will win the following sleep-themed prize pack:
- Two Sleep Number Pillows
- Comfortable Slippers
- Satin Eye Mask
- Anthropologie Personalized Mug (for evening tea)
- Lavender Candle
To enter this giveaway, please leave a comment on this post telling me about one trick you use to help yourself fall asleep at night.
I will randomly select a giveaway winner on Friday morning. Good luck!
Disclaimer: White this post is sponsored by Sleep Number, I am personally sponsoring the giveaway portion (though Sleep Number is providing the pillows). Thank you so, so much for your continued support surrounding sponsored posts. I truly appreciate it!
For more tips on how to sleep better, visit Sleep Number.
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I write in my journal before bed– sometimes a list of what I’m grateful for, the best part of the day, highs and lows, etc. Practicing gratitude allows me to feel less anxious and stressed before bed and makes me feel more empowered about my life. 🙂
Minimizing outside light (black out curtains are amazing!!) really does the trick for me :).
First thing I do before going to bed is write down what I NEED to do the next day. Then I write down the things nagging me. My mind cleared – I then can read – depending on which book I am reading (some of my books, I just can’t stop turning the pages !) or I have a few shows I DVR – They are like talking (droning on) in a calm voice about various subjects – they just put me right to sleep he he Oh and a cool room is a must for me, keeps me from waking up.
I read in bed before I go to sleep — and I use my white noise machine!
Reading my bible or praying helps. It tends to relax me. Also I found that watching movies with no light on and volume low is helpful for sleep. Or I’ll watch tv shows on youtube like The Goldbergs, Quantum Leap or The Middle in the dark again on low volume and I start to get sleepy. Sometimes I nice hot/warm cup of herbal tea does the trick.
I drink detox sleepy time tea. It knocks me right out. 🙂
I always read before bed!
I play a game with myself – pick a topic (say ice cream flavors), then go through the alphabet. A-apple pie, B- blueberry, and so on.
I love to read about 30 minutes before I fall asleep!
I like to read and I keep the room cool by turning on the fan before it’s time to go to bed.
Diffuse lavender essential oil and reading usually does the trick.
Reading a book, decompressing by putting all gadgets away, and saying a small prayer always gets me ready to sleep!
These are some awesome tips! I need to try keeping my phone out of reach because I often do “one last check” of social media before trying to get to sleep. A trick I use is turning off the big light and only using a small bedside lamp for a while before actually going to sleep! It may sound silly, but I find that the dim light is more relaxing!
I love to read before bed! Having my bedroom as dark as possible also helps me fall asleep (and stay asleep – thank god for blackout curtains!)
I usually brush my teeth an hour before I want to be asleep-it keeps me from snacking! Another thing that helps is my dog comes to get me to go to bed and then wants to snuggle, which can usually make me get sleepy!
My career as a nurse has lended me many techniques to combat my own tossing and turning at night.. the ones I love best are the relaxation from head to toe ( the same one Ryan taught you , I use it all the time, its amazing!) avoiding caffeine after 2 p.m., and not eating carbs after 8 p.m… Diet and relaxation have always worked best in my opinion! Chase is adorable =)
My favorite way to go to sleep is to take a shower then use some coconut scented lotion. Also, clean sheets are the best for feeling cozy!
Definitely not looking at my phone or computer before I go to bed.
**Also my tip for waking up in the morning! If I check my phone right after my alarm clock goes off I end up lying in bed for 30 minutes and have a really hard time getting out of bed.
I work out, shower, then meditate before bed.
I keep a notepad on my nightstand so I can write down anything I need to do so I don’t keep thinking about it while trying to fall asleep!
I’m in my last trimester and sleep is very minimal at this point. I have ITBS in my left leg and it makes for some really restless legs at night. I’ve cut back to one caffeinated beverage a day (before noon) and doing a handful of leg stretches before crawling into bed. I really need to stop looking at my phone at night. That will probably help my restlessness as well.
reading is best for me to fall asleep. I try to read at least 30-45 minutes each night. No phone close by, I’d be scrolling through stuff way too late.
I read my book with some warm tea! Works every time
I usually lay in bed an hour before I need to fall asleep and read a book for a few minutes. I always get a good nights sleep that way!
Lavender Oils! and reading! Although I am terrible about looking at the computer before bed or in bed.
I have terrible insomnia, and was actually researching a new mattress online right before I read this post! I try to read, drink tea, leave my phone alone, have the air set to automatically turn down to 70 before bed, etc….but I think investing in a really good mattress is going to be key! I also use a free sound machine app on my phone that plays through a small Bose speaker on my nightstand, can’t sleep without it and bring it with me when I travel. I would love to try these Sleep Number pillows!
I am lucky (or unlucky in ways), that I work late shifts, so often come home tired enough to have no problem drifting off!
On the nights I am waaaay to amped up to get to sleep though, I have started listening to podcasts. Just on a low volume as background chatter, really helps me drift off.
I like to read before bed. It always seems to help.
I love lavender sheet spray. I also have to have a complete dark room so an eye mask is key.
In the fall and winter, I love a nice warm bubble bath with lavendar oil before bed. Otherwise, my nightly routine is to journal and read before falling asleep.
A shower can really help me relax before bed
When I’m having trouble falling asleep, I love to read! It’s also key for me to not have our bedroom be too hot. In Flagstaff, AZ we don’t have air conditioning and our bedroom was reaching 86 degrees during the day and not cooling down, so we finally broke down and bought a portable air conditioner to keep the room cool enough for us to sleep, and keep the dogs from panting all night 😉
Keeping the room dark! And making sure I only drink caffeine in the am!
I read every night (on my phone) and change the settings on my phone so that the background is black. It helps since the screen is dimmer!
Reading is definitely the trick. Trying to do less TV and cellphone and more books!
When I was young, and couldn’t fall asleep, my mom would tell me to get comfortable. Once I was comfortable, I couldn’t move and she would start with my feet and work her way up saying, “your feet are feeling very heavy, so heavy that they are sinking into the mattress. The feeling is moving up to your ankles. Now your ankles are so heavy they are sinking into the mattress…” And continue until I was asleep. As an adult, I say this to myself sometimes if I’m having trouble falling asleep. Silly, but it works!
I like to pray and meditate a bit before bed and I swear it helps me get to sleep faster! I have a baby on the way (due in January!) and I am trying to cherish my sleep now lol.
I like listening to nature sounds or relaxing music when I can’t sleep, it always does the trick!
The Mortal Instruments is one of my favorite series (it will be an ABC Family show in the new year). Having struggled with insomnia since high school there are many behavior therapy techniques out there. Another good one is that you are not supposed to be able to see your clock from your bed. Both so that you cannot obsess about the time and also so that you have to get up to turn it off in the morning. Also, making the bed only a place for sleep/sleep time is also often recommended. When I cannot sleep I love Audible for audio books. A lot of my friends use it too when breastfeeding to pass the time.
I stopped bringing my cell phone into our bedroom about a year ago, which was 4 months into our marriage. WOW, life changed. Way more cuddle time and chances to get all the stress of the day off of our minds before hitting the lights.
1) a few drops of “Chill Pill” essential oil blend on my pillow or relaxing music on repeat!
I rely on exercise and making sure I have a good book to look forward to!
This is kind of a weird one, but a camp counselor taught it to me when I had trouble falling asleep at summer camp, and it stuck with me! I will go through the alphabet and think of as many cities that start with that letter as I can. I’m usually out like a light before I hit “G!”
Reading will always help me sleep 🙂
I use my portable sonos speakers and play white noise to fall asleep – always the sound of waves on a beach. I can’t have it be too quiet and the sound of the waves crashing into the beach help me to sleep so deeply!
A nice warm bath and reading helps me go to sleep.
If I can’t fall asleep I drink Sleepytime tea! 🙂
Reading and keeping my phone away from me are definitely the best ways I’ve found to get better sleep!
My room has to be dark as possible and nice and cool. Temps here are 105-110 so a nice cold room always does the trick.
I read every night before bed. It definitely helps me relax and fall asleep quickly!