Have you ever gone days with only 3 to 5 hours of sleep per night? Have you tossed and turned all night or even turned on the TV to try to fall asleep? Well, we all know we need 8 hours of sleep and without it, we can’t really function at our fullest but it can be challenging when dealing with all the stress of everyday life. We all need our sleep in order to be fully restored and ready to go to school on time, attend work, or even manage the rigors of our daily schedule. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, 35% Of U.S. adults are not getting the recommended 7 hours of sleep each night. Why are so many of us finding it difficult to get the necessary amount sleep each night? This lack of consistent sleep can wear you down and end up creating problems for our health later on down the line. Having a set routine on what time you’ll be in bed is important in ensuring you are able to get enough sleep and on the same note avoiding caffeine and alcohol can help to improve your ability to get to sleep on time. These two triggers can keep you up all night and sometimes leave you feeling even more tired the next day. In addition to avoiding caffeine too late in the day, try to keep all technology away from your bed because this will only prolong your attempts to fall asleep. This means no more Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook or other social media websites while in bed. Being socially connected can wait because your sleep comes first. So, with all of this being said we can actually talk about how some sleeping remedies can help with sleep. Â
Remedies:
1) Start reading a book; a hard copy book avoids the e-books because again it’s a device that will make you put a lot of strain in your eyes.
2) Stick to a consistent sleeping schedule
3) Put on a calm song on Pandora or your another source such as; Meditation music, Relaxing music, or Ocean Waves.
4) Essential oils; At Bath and Body Works they sell sleeping creams that smell like lavender or chamomile.
5) Herbal Teas; This can include cinnamon tea, chamomile, ginger, mint tea, and warm milk with honey. Keep in mind to check the label that says Caffeine Free.
6) Taking a hot bath.
7) Try to do 20 min of exercise before going to bed. This can range from Yoga, cardio, to meditation.
8) Try Melatonin; this is a supplement that can support restful sleep. This can help you fall asleep faster and can improve your sleep quality.  With all of these remedies in hand now it’s your job as an individual to set a nightly routine and make sleep a priority to ensure you are at your best every day.