My mom told me a long time ago that sleep will become your best friend as you get older. Let’s just say that she was correct, and sleep is my best friend. Unfortunately, that wasn’t always the case because working night shift was killing me. It has been almost three years since I’ve left that shift and sleep was still an issue for a long time. For the past three to four months my sleeping habits have been amazing. I’m getting anywhere between seven and nine hours a night. The statistics have shown that adults between 18 and 65 should get between seven and nine hours of sleep. To get to this point, it wasn’t easy, but my sleeping patterns have been consistent. Below are 9 tips to follow to help with your nighttime sleep.
Eliminated Caffeine
One of the first things that was done was the changing of my diet. Sodas and coffee were one of the first things to go. Nowadays, you can find me drinking water all the time or I’ll whip up me a nice smoothie. Seeing that work schedule have me getting home after midnight, the caffeine kept me awake. It has been over 9 months since I’ve gotten rid of caffeine, and it feels great.
Start Paying Attention to Vitamin Intake
One day when talking with another co-worker we were talking about health-related issues. Seeing I’m much older than him, we compared vitamins that we take. My normal intake consisted of a multi-vitamin, vitamin C, D-3, sea moss and B-12. After saying it out loud, it dawned on me that my new multi-vitamin had B-12 in them. Most nights I was getting 4 to 5 hours of sleep, but things changed after dumping the B-12s. My sleeping went back to normal and thankfully so because it was wearing me out.
Stay On Certain Schedule
My sleep schedule was all over the place when my sleeping issues were happening. I’m usually home by 12:30 at night and sleep around 2:30. I’ll sleep to 7:30 in the morning before laying back down. On the weekends, I’m following the same schedule except I’m waking up around 6 in the morning. My daughter goes to work, and I’ll make sure she gets there safely before laying back down. My body is used to this schedule to the point I’m no longer using an alarm clock to wake up.
Using Lavender in My Bedroom
I’m a huge advocate of using essential oils to the point it’s a part of my everyday living. Lavender works by calming the central nervous system and promoting slow-wave sleep, so helping you sleep longer and better. There are a number of scientific studies that suggest lavender essential oil has powerful snooze inducing properties.
Invested in Better Mattress
There are many types of mattresses that promote sleep quality. The mattress we were using made my body ache, so I knew it was time for a new one. While weighing my options, it was also suggested to check out the mattress foundation. Many don’t realize what kind of mattress foundation can determine not only your sleep but overall health? We opted for a higher foundation, which keeps the germs and dirt further away. With spring being upon us, my wife allergies can be a problem, so we eliminate as many issues as possible. More height offers more airflow, which can help cool down the mattress.
Stopped Drinking Water Before Bed
We all know that water is great for you and can be when drinking it before bedtime. Drinking water before bedtime actually contributed to my lack of sleep also. Seeing I’m usually in bed by 2:30 in the morning there were some changes that needed to be made. There is no more drinking water any time after 10.
Listening to Music
Back in my teen years, music was basically the only thing that helped me sleep. Now that I’m much older, I’ve reverted back to those habits. Before sleeping, I’ll put on Pandora, and it really make me more relaxed. Marvin Gaye, Motown Radio, Keith Sweat and a few others is something my wife and I will put us to sleep.
No More Late Night Eating
Being on 2nd shift, it took a long time to find a healthy eating schedule. I’ll be the first to admit that my eating schedule was ridiculous. Some nights I’d eat around 11 o’clock and then be in bed around three hours later. Nowadays, the latest I’ll eat is around 7:30, but it’s normally 7 every night.
Melatonin
When all else fails and nothing works you can count on melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone made in the body. It regulates night and day cycles or sleep-wake cycles. Melatonin is the final option if there is some reason, I’m not able to sleep. Honestly, I’m probably taking one maybe once or twice a month.
