How To Cure Insomnia And Get Eight Hours Of Sleep Starting Tonight

Words by Gracie Stewart

3 min read

Getting a good night’s sleep may seem like an impossible task when you’re wide awake at 3 a.m., but by making a few simple changes to your daily habits and sleep environment, you can put a stop to the frustration of insomnia and finally get some shuteye.

Try to go to sleep and get up at the same time every day
By going to bed and waking up at the same time every day you’re helping set your body’s internal clock. If you’re getting enough sleep, you should wake up naturally without an alarm.

Avoid sleeping in, even on weekends
The more your weekend/weekday sleep schedules differ, the worse you’ll feel. If you need to make up for a late night, opt for a daytime nap rather than sleeping in.

Be smart about napping
If you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep at night, napping can make things worse. Limit naps to 15 to 20 minutes in the early afternoon.

When it’s time to sleep, make sure the room is dark
Use heavy curtains to block light from windows, or try a sleep mask. Also consider covering up electronics that emit light.

Slip Silk Eye Mask, net-a-porter.com

Turn off all screens at least an hour before bed
Electronic screens produce a blue light that disrupts your body’s production of melatonin and combats sleepiness. So instead of watching TV or scrolling through Instagram, choose another relaxing activity, such as reading a book or listening to music.

Monitor the temperature of your bedroom
A bedroom that’s too warm can induce nightmares, but one that’s too cool keeps your body from fully relaxing because it’s trying to protect its core temperature.

Get out of bed when you can’t sleep
Don’t try to force yourself to sleep. Tossing and turning only induces anxiety. Get up, leave the bedroom, and do something relaxing. When you’re sleepy, go back to bed.

Try a sleep supplement
If you find that your mind goes into overdrive come bedtime, you’re the perfect candidate for Moon Juice’s Dream Dust – a powdered blend of soothing, stress-combatting plant-derived actives, which helps you to switch off.

Moon Juice Dream Dust, cult beauty.co.uk

Don’t forget to exercise
Those who exercise regularly, sleep better at night and feel less sleepy during the day. Cardio style workouts should be completed at least three hours before bed, while relaxing, low-impact exercises such as yoga or gentle stretching can be practiced later in the evening.

Stay out of your head
Hard as it may be, try not to stress over your inability to fall back to sleep, because that stress only encourages your body to stay awake. Instead, try practicing a few breathing exercises.

Postpone worrying and brainstorming
If you wake during the night feeling anxious about something, make a brief note of it on paper and go back to sleep until you can deal with it in the morning. Similarly, if a great idea is keeping you awake, make a note of it so you don’t forget about it by morning.

Limit your caffeine intake
Caffeine can cause sleep problems up to 10 to 12 hours after drinking it, so if you struggle to sleep, it might time to switch to herbal tea. The Tchaba Chamomile Breeze tea is seasoned with mint and lemongrass and is recommend for night.

Tchaba Tea boutique, tchaba-arabia.com

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