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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 count sheep. It makes my mind stop racing.
Chamomile tea with a tiny bit of honey, a hot bath, and a book I’ve read before and love. Otherwise, I stay up all night finding out how the story ends!
Not so sure if it’s a tip, more of a bad habit. Work late in the day, chase after a toddler, house work, then fall asleep from exhaustion. Wake up at 5 am … repeat. : )
Reading in bed helps me fall right asleep!
I count backwards from 100 in my head.
I avoid caffeine at least four hours before hitting the sack! No decaf coffee, even!
I fight sleep like a child! It is comical. Finally, I read an article about the blue light on phones as you mentioned. Now I do not look at my phone before bed unless the bedside light is on, and I fall asleep immediately!
Meditation and relaxing yoga poses are my favorite ways to unwind and fall asleep. I also really enjoy lying back on a stability ball and closing my eyes. The deep stretch really relaxes me. And if I workout in the evening, I make sure to do this at the end. It’s such a relaxing end cap to a sweaty workout.
What a great giveaway!
My trick is to turn the alarm clock away from me so I can’t see what time it is. If I see it’s getting too late I psyche myself out and it makes it nearly impossible to fall asleep. Also, if I have a lot on my mind, mostly of things I need to do, I make a list. It reassures me and helps me put it aside for the time being.
I usually go to bed earlier, do breathing exercises and sometimes even count backwards from 100 or so. I usually end up falling asleep pretty quickly. I exercise/move/walk a lot these days, so I’m pretty tired by bedtime. Thank you for having such awesome giveaways!
Ah this blog post is perfect right now, I’m having such a hard time sleeping lately and can’t figure out why! I’ve been trying to read before bed though so hopefully that will help! Love this giveaway!
Reading before bed definitely helps me fall asleep at night. And showering at night…for some reason it relaxes me and puts me in a sleepy mood 🙂
Reading helps me relax. It halts my otherwise non-stop thoughts of the events of the day and tomorrow’s to-do list. Usually within a half hour I can barely keep my eyes open anymore (if I can find a good stopping point, that is).
I love drinking hot tea before bed
Getting in bed an hour or so before I want to fall asleep really helps me fall asleep. I also like to light lavender candles before bedtime. Good thing you mentioned both of those helpful tips!
I love getting into bed early to talk and spend some down time with my husband. I really need to work on the whole “no phones in bed” rule, though!
Reading in bed always helps me drift to sleep. And the fan, I HAVE to have the fan running
i have 2 tricks. The first is a satin eye mask i started wearing about 6 months ago- it makes a HUGE difference! and the second trick is to have a newborn- i never have trouble falling asleep whenever i have a chance anymore! 🙂
I love using a few drops of lavender oil, especially when I have time to sprinkle them in a warm bath.
Lately I have been coloring in one of my adult coloring books to relax and get my mind off of stress. I love your suggestions!
I actually count sheep, haha! It’s so boring and my eyes fall into a hypnotic trance or something!
I like to turn my computer off at least 30 minutes before getting ready for bed. I also go to bed early so I can spend some time reading to unwind.
I typically fall asleep fairly fast, but when I’m stressed out about the next day at work before bed it can be an issue. When this happens I use a breathing routine that I read about to calm me down and it always helps me fall asleep! I read about it a while ago so I can’t remember the exact times, but what I do is breathe in for 4 seconds, hold it for 7 seconds, and exhale for 8 seconds. Repeat until you fall asleep!
The focus alone to breathe like that over and over distracts me from my stresses, and the increased oxygen I’m getting makes me sleepy (the article explained why exactly that happens but this is already getting to be a long comment! haha)
🙂
I have a tough time falling asleep sometimes, I’m a total night owl. Reading usually always makes my eyelids heavy, but tv does too. I’ve tried the 4/7/8 breathing exercise but i get too caught up in the counting…
I try to unwind and relax my body.
It’s clearly not working tonight as I decided to check your blog and I can’t fall asleep.
i put my phone away 20 minutes before i get into bed – it makes the world of a difference!
I like to try and remember happy memories (time with friends/family, holidays, races) as these memories usually distract me and kick me out of that anxious cycle I feel when I’m restless.
Reading and deep breathing really help if I’m having a hard time going to sleep. And, falling asleep to a nighttime prayer is always peaceful.
I recently bought orange UV blocking glasses (hideous, orange plastic glasses-just ask my husband hehe). They filter out blue light which can block your bodies activation of melatonin at night. Awesome for late night blogging and Netflix binges 🙂 (my mans pair are on their way from Amazon…lol!)
A cup of herbal tea and a good book can always put me right to sleep!
If I am having trouble sleeping from a racing mind, I will make a nest of pillows at the top of the bed and nestle in with a soft gel ice pack on the back of my neck and turn on some chill music, like death cab for cutie. It reminds me to just chillax and think about how comfortable and relaxing it feels!
I make sure not to squeeze in any naps during the day so I’m super tired by the time I go to bed. All of my friends think it’s really weird that I’ve never had a nap, but now I’m so used to it that I really only get one chance at sleeping a day – if I nap, I probably won’t wake up for 7-8 hours!
I get up and look for the moon and stars at night to fall asleep. Getting outside helps put my mind at ease so I don’t feel like my brain is a hamster on a wheel thinking about the same things over and over.
Reading always helps me! I also try to slow my breathing down and completely relax!
I just really try to relax. However falling aslee has been easy lately, as I am in my third trimester, so I’m always exhausted! It’s the waking up 6x a night I’m not a fan of. 😉
I used to watch Netflix on my computer (during college) before bed, which ended up making me feel less tired than when I first got into bed. Now I just light a candle and read my kindle and I’m usually out within 15 minutes!
I think following a consistent bedtime routine (brushing teeth, taking out contacts, etc.) each night lets my body know it is time to wind down and get ready to sleep.
I start listening to any meditation cd and next thing I know I’ve fallen asleep!!
I try to go to bed around the same time each night and read a book or magazine until my eyes are heavy. Also, no TV is allowed in my bedroom!
a dab of lavendar on my pillow 🙂
i always read for at least 30 minutes before bed, helps me fall asleep everytime!
We light candles before bed every night and read. Helps so much with relaxation!
I make my room nice and cool so it feels extra comfy to crawl under the covers.
I Read before bed!
I always fall right asleep when I read before bed. I like to diffuse lavender oil in the evening as well.
I listen to a 5 to 10 minute guided meditation on YouTube (with the screen turned off).
I always read before bed! Best way to wind down.
i find that if i do a few minutes of meditation before bed it really helps me get a good nights rest. sometimes it’s just sitting, focusing on my breathing and just letting my self unwind from my day.
I turn off all electronics an hour before and read for 30 minutes or so before falling asleep!
I have a 2 year old and a 2 month old. I basically fall asleep before I hit the pillow ? comfortable bedding and a good pillow are key for me.
I struggle with anxiety so usually falling asleep is really hard for because I usually lay awake worrying. I have been trying really hard lately to think about the things that I am grateful for when I am trying to fall asleep instead of keeping myself awake by worrying.