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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 actually use the same trick Ryan does, and relax my whole body starting with my toes 🙂
Oh this is a fabulous giveaway, Julie! 🙂 Lately, I’ve been having a lot of trouble falling asleep and I think it’s due to me starting a new job next week. I’ll be a teacher and I’ve been so restless at night thinking about lesson plans, classroom supplies, etc.
In order to fall asleep better, I’ve been drinking Sleepytime Tea (you’re Celestial Seasoning post awhile ago made me try it!) and also doing some light reading. It seems to help but I could certainly use some of these amazing goodies to try to help! Otherwise, I’m going to look like a zombie teaching my students!
Congratulations to you and Ryan on your beautiful baby boy!
I usually have no trouble falling asleep but when I do, reading is my go to! Eventually my eyes get tired and just drift off. I also try not to have any caffeine after 1 or 2 in the afternoon to ensure that it doesn’t impact my sleep schedule.
Thanks for the giveaway Julie 🙂
I also love reading right before bed!
Reading before bed is a big help for me!
I use a sleep mask to fall asleep/stay asleep because I like it dark!
Once when my husband and I had an overnight hotel stop while traveling, I just could NOT get to sleep. A tip I had heard was to breathe slowly and count your breaths – the idea being to take your mind off of worrying and give you something boring to do to fall asleep. Well, I gave up on that when I got to 250! Ha! I did not get much sleep that night! I think I tried the “relax your body parts” suggestion, too, but it didn’t help, sadly.
I do some breathing exercises that seem to work. I also picture a blank black wall in my mind and that seems to help as well. Reading works for me too!
I actually use the same relaxation technique is relaxing all my muscles!
I do rag doll stretches.
When I am feeling restless I listen to soothing music. I have a piano station on Pandora that I turn on to help me relax! It works like a charm!
I love doing progressive relaxation- tightening and relaxing my muscles throughout my body. So relaxing!
Taking a cool shower to lower my body temp, especially in summer.
the phone concept is a big one – i’ve been trying to either dim my screen to the lowest setting or not use it at all about a half hour before bed! i also found that if i indulge in post-dinner chocolate after dinner/closer to bedtime the caffeine keeps me up a bit; trying to part with that habit as well, though with less success 🙂
I always sleep better on days I exercise and walk a lot!
I am a big fan of reading to help sleep! You can psych yourself up into being up for hours if you just let your mind wander. But reading allows you to shift focus!
Reciting the alphabet backwards is surprisingly effective.
Doing some light stretching through yoga always helps me relax before bed!
Definitely reading! I read on my iPad, so I don’t have to worry about waking my husband up with the light (or falling asleep with the light on). It almost always puts me to sleep really quickly.
I totally agree with you on the reading thing. Reading before bed always relaxes me and helps me get to sleep faster.
i use lavender essential oil!
I almost always read before bed. It’s the best way to relax after a long day, especially since most nights I’m out late hanging out with friends after playing ultimate frisbee.
Make myself stop thinking too much about the day or the next day after I close my eyes!
Love this! I’m currently 9 months pregnant and, like you, I had a hard time believing that I would have too much trouble sleeping BEFORE our baby girl got here. Wow, couldn’t have been more wrong. I toss and turn pretty much all night, psyche myself out by counting down the hours I have left to sleep, and have to wake up every time I want to roll over because I’m so uncomfortable (intense rib pain and pinched nerves in my hip… the BEST I tell you!). I have used Ryan’s trick for years but find that now when I try to relax each part of my body individually, I am more focused on what hurts! I keep my phone out of reach and when I have to get up at night to go to the bathroom (another pregnancy joy that I’m sure you can relate to!) I try to do it in complete darkness! I’ve found that ANY light will wake me up and I won’t be able to doze back off.
One trick that usually works for me is thinking back through everything I did that day (details, not just work, dinner, etc.). I usually fall asleep before getting to recalling lunch!
There are two things I do:
1. Visualize a rake going through my mind clearing it of all the thoughts that are causing me anxiety (when I’m stressed/anxious)
2. Ask my husband to rub my back!
Reading definitely helps when I’m having trouble falling asleep.
If I can’t fall asleep I will actually try to open my eyes as wide as possible for as long as I can – for some reason focusing on that makes me tired really quickly!
If I have trouble falling asleep I will put on talk radio and fall asleep.. And yes it can be that boring 🙂
Lavender spray on my pillows! It’s so calming 🙂
I read. Every night. Sometimes it takes 5 minutes for me to feel tired enough, sometimes 35 minutes. And sometimes I stay up for 2 hours reading because I can’t help myself and I love to read!
Something I do to help me fall asleep- whenever my mind is still racing and focused on things I need to do the next day, I focus on a good memory and try to remember the details- like my wedding or college graduation. It relaxes me and puts me in a good mood before sleep!
I agree with reading, it always relaxes me and helps me fall asleep! 🙂
I LOVE this giveaway! I’ve struggled with insomnia and my physician told me that lowering anxiety is crucial. She mentioned a trick that helps keep your mind of never-ending to-do lists and life happenings: place a box of tissues (or anything, I guess) on your stomach and focus all your energy on watching it rise and fall as you breathe. It’s such an easy way to calm your mind!
I like to drink milk and read before bed.
Kind of boring, but I just count really slowly in my head. Works for me!
Meditation and I need the room completely dark. I find that even if there is a stream of light coming in from the streetlights outside I wake up all throughout the night.
I try to get in bed early and read until I’m sleepy.
a few months ago i learned about this 4-7-8 breathing technique to help you fall asleep (supposedly under 1 minute, but it hasn’t worked for me). you breathe in for 4 counts through your nose, then hold your breath for 7 counts, then breathe out through your mouth for 8 counts. i had to google this to remember the exact instructions, and i just realized maybe it hasn’t worked because i’ve been doing 4-8-7, and all nose breathing. gonna try this again tonight!
Breathing techniques as well as a cup of chamomile tea always does the trick for me!
I love your tip of keeping it cool in the room. That’s definitely always helped me sleep better! I like to keep soothing music or white noise on to help me sleep.
I read before bed as well! It really allows me to decompress (unless it’s a super intense book!).
i think of vacations
I drink Sleepytime tea every night. It really relaxes me.
This is such a great giveaway!! I am 9 weeks pregnant with my second baby and I am already having trouble sleeping. I will have a million thoughts racing through my mind and that would keep me awake. I was told to focus on one thought and that has helped me.
I snuggle up with my puppy and a cozy blanket!
Being a busy mom to 2 young boys doesnt really require much effort to fall asleep. I wish i could sleep more!
I recently started a new job and realized when I take work home and read it before bed that I think about it all night long. My new trick is to finish working an hour before bed, or just stay longer at the office so I don’t mix work and relaxation time!
reading always works for me! congrats on the new addition!
My trick for falling asleep is to just let my mind relax and try not to think about anything important. Just slowly drift away… hopefully with some new sleep number pillows!