I am a Nature’s Sleep Ambassador, and as such this post may contain sponsored or affiliate links.
We have a lot on our plates as moms which can result in trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, or both. With the new school year starting up soon, schedules will be changing and you’ll be worrying about things like packing lunches, after school projects, and signing permission slips. You might be thinking that you cannot possibly finish everything on your to-do list before bedtime. It can be very difficult to sleep when you have so many different things on your mind. Lack of sleep can have serious effects on your health. Below are some bedtime rituals to help you get a better night’s sleep.
1. Stick to a sleep schedule. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, even on weekends, holidays and days off. Being consistent reinforces your body’s sleep-wake cycle and helps promote better sleep at night.
2. Exercise at some point during the day.
3. Make simple preparations for the next day like packing lunches, setting out clothes, and picking up the clutter around the house.
4. Eat your final meal three to four hours before turning in and any bedtime snacks at least 90 minutes before, so you don’t go to sleep on a full bowel or bladder.
5. Ban blue light in the bedroom. Turn computers and televisions off an hour before your bedtime.
6. Keep your room cool. The temperature of your bedroom also affects sleep. Most people sleep best in a slightly cool room with good ventilation.
7. Keep noise down in your bedroom. Some noises cannot be avoided such as barking dogs, street traffic, loud neighbors, and other people in your household. Try masking noise with a fan, a recording of soothing sounds, or white noise.
8. Taking a warm bath or shower before bedtime can help you relax.
9. Just before bedtime, do some easy stretches.
10. Your mattress and pillow can contribute in a big way to better sleep, so make sure your bed is comfortable. You should have enough room to stretch and turn comfortably. If you wake up with a sore back or an aching neck, it’s probably time to invest in a new mattress or a different pillow. I’m a big fan of the memory foam products at Nature’s Sleep. You can read my thoughts on the Nature’s Sleep memory foam pillow from my recent review. I just started sleeping on one of their memory foam mattresses, and will be sharing my thoughts on that with you very soon. So far it’s been a wonderful sleep experience for me! You can browse their selection here to see which products are right for you. Use coupon code BEARS50 to get 50% off for a limited time.
Watch for the #NSAmbassador tag on social media to see what real moms think of Nature’s Sleep products. If you would like a chance at winning a memory foam mattress, we have a giveaway for a Nature’s Sleep King memory foam mattress running on our site right now through August 15, 2013!
Disclaimer: Nature’s Sleep has provided me with a mattress and pillow to try out. As always, opinions are 100% mine.
We have to have our room cool or we can’t sleep! Great tips!
I don’t always sleep well and these are great tips. And Nature’s Sleep products are fantastic!
I’ve got start exercising for soooo many reasons. This is one of them.
Great tips… I haven’t been sleeping too well lately, will have to try some of the tips; soo need to start exercising and ban the blue light….
Thanks for these tips, I never would have thought to ban blue light in the bedroom.
We definitely do the window open, or at least cracked. And, yeah, I should probably start working out….yikes! 🙂
I’m horribly guilty with a lot of these points, but the hot shower before bed is something that is done a lot. Love how well I sleep after warm water baths and showers. I will have to keep some of these other things in mind.
maybe this is why i dont sleep well..i dont really do any of these and the not eating right before bed is one of the hardest things for me. I cant fall asleep on an empty tummy :/
These are some great tips. One thing I need is a new bed. I have had the same bed for over 10 years and wake up with an achy back every morning.
These are wonderful tips and I need at least 8 full hours of sleep per night to function!