8 Self-Care Tricks to Help You Sleep
Self-care tips and tricks that help me fall asleep every time.
Hi, everyone! Today I wanted to share some self-care tricks and tips that help me fall asleep quickly. These are all the things I do to ensure that I’m not staying up at 2 a.m. restlessly. I have finally perfected my 8-hour sleeping schedule that helps me fall asleep at the same every day. I hope this helps you with your sleep schedule!
1. Exercise During the Day
Wow, this literally changed my whole sleep routine. On days I don’t workout I find myself restless when it comes to falling asleep at night. When I do get my 30-minute workout in, I fall asleep SO MUCH quicker. It makes sense though because I am moving around more (using up my energy) instead of just sitting all day. Just try a simple exercise, preferably with a 10-minute cardio session, and see if it helps you! Need some workout motivation? Read more here.
2. Dim the Lighting
Around 6 p.m. I have both my lights on. A small lamp on my nightstand and a tall lamp to illuminate the whole room. At 9 p.m. or three hours before I go to sleep, I turn off the tall lamp. The room becomes darker and tells my brain that it’s almost time for bed. I want to even further dim my room by getting this Himalayan salt lamp (which I just ordered!). I also set my laptop to “night shift” at 9 p.m. and my cellphone at 10 p.m.!
3. Read a Book / Listen to an Audiobook
Even if I’m super into a book and don’t want to put it down, reading makes me sleepy! It’s my favorite self-care trick because I get a good read in but it’s also relaxing and calming my mind from racing. If you don’t really like reading, try just listening to an audiobook. Maybe even do some coloring while listening because I understand if you can’t just sit and listen (or is that just me?).
4. Listen/Watch Something Calming
Usually, an hour before I’m about to fall asleep, I watch something soothing and calming. This is honestly my ultimate self-care trick because I fall asleep EVERY TIME. BBC Earth has these amazing 10-hour videos of relaxing oceanscapes and are so calming to watch! I also love rain sounds and ASMR! ASMR stands for autonomous sensory meridian response and is basically a “tingling” sensation some people get from hearing certain sounds or seeing certain visuals. My favorite ASMRtist is Maria from Gentle Whispering ASMR. Give it a try, you might love it!
5. Light a Lavender-Scented Candle
If you’re having trouble falling asleep, try aromatherapy! Lavender is known to promote relaxation and help with anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Try lighting your 100% soy wax lavender candle a few hours before bedtime to signal to your brain that it’s time to relax. If you have a diffuser, put in a few drops of lavender essential oil next time!
6. Take a Warm Bath
A warm bath, with your lavender-scented candle, a glass of wine, and your favorite book? A perfect self-care night. A warm bath has been proven to help with falling asleep faster and it’s honestly like a home-spa, so of course, I’ll try it! I love putting in a bath bomb because it creates bubbles, smells amazing, and changes the color of the water!
7. Wear a Heated Gel Bead Eye Mask
Sometimes I get unbearable headaches and don’t want to take medicine, so I use a gel bead eye mask. This eye mask has gel beads in it that can be heated or cooled. I realize when I wear this eye mask, I almost instantly fall asleep. I heat it in the microwave until it’s warm, about 15 seconds, and place it on my eye area. It’s such a relaxing feeling and helps with tension headaches perfectly!
8. Drink Sleepy Tea
Ever since I got this glass kettle (best thing ever!), my family and I have been avid tea drinkers. When it comes to sleep, my whole family swears by this “sleepytime” tea! It’s an herbal tea that’s caffeine-free. It’s a blend of chamomile, spearmint, and other soothing herbs. Its main ingredient is valerian, a natural sleep aid. It does make you sleepy so make sure to have it around bedtime! I’ve tried melatonin and hated it so much. It made my body and eyes calm and really heavy but my mind was still racing. I’ve also read that although melatonin is natural it can be addicting.
These are all the self-care tricks that have helped me over the years. If you have any tricks on how to fall asleep faster, leave them in the comments!
Until next time,
FTC: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission for purchases made through my links at no extra cost to you.
Have to try number 5
Aromatherapy really does help! One of my favorite scents is lavender so it’s perfect for nighttime (:
-erika
I have been having a hard time sleeping lately, so this post came at the perfect time. I’m going to use some of your tips tonight and hope it works.
Stephanie | SPV Living
I hope these tips help!
-erika
I’m really struggling these days to have a good night’s sleep. I don’t know why I just cannot sleep well in summers. I hope your ideas will help me get through this terrible insomnia.
I can’t sleep in the summer either! It’s just too hot to ever get comfortable. I hope these tips help you though (:
-erika
Honestly, I’ve been struggling with this lately – thank you for this! <3
You’re welcome! I hope this helps you (:
-erika
I definitely need to try some of these because I have been having way too many restless nights.
I’m sorry to hear that. I know that situation all too well. These tips really do help me relax and fall asleep quicker so I hope these help you too!
-erika
All these eight selfcare tipe are useful for me this time, thanks for sharing good information.
You’re welcome! Thanks for reading!
-erika
Great tips! I absolutely love sleepy tea, too!
It’s so good! Perfect for restless nights (:
-erika
I have become an insomniac lately..have to start adopting some practices to help me sleep better.
I’ve also been going to bed way later than usual. I hope these tips help to get your schedule back!
-erika
interesting. i always thought sleepy time teas were just silly. i had no idea they really worked. thanks for the tips!!
The one I mentioned really works to help you relax! I was skeptical at first too!
-erika
Love this post! I always try to go to bed early, but I get distracted by my phone! I’ll have to try some of these tips. Thanks!
I like the idea of setting electronics to night shift at certain time. Never thought of this! Thanks for the great ideas!
Baths are my absolute FAVORITE for my self-care routine. I really enjoyed reading your post!
XO, Kayla D ?
These are helpful suggestions. I agree with you especially on the one about working out. Before the quarantine, I worked out about 4 days a week and was sleeping fine. But after the quarantine, I could not sleep on the day I did not workout because I was not getting enough other physical exercise to compensate. So now, I workout 5 days a week. (I am so tired by the weekend for all of the stress of the week that I can sleep without working out on those days. Plus I think all of the cleaning and errands I do on those days is my workout. ?)
I agree also about tea. I drink chamomile for that very purpose. I will have to try some of your other tips, like dimming the lights.
Quarantine is a constant adjustment so thanks for the tips!
I loved these tips! I didn’t even know you could dim your computer lights, or set them on night mode like an iphone! I’m definitely going to try that tonight, thank you!
Awesome tips. I find that reading, putting on an eye mask to block the light, and turning on white noise always helps me fall right to sleep!
Great tips! Thank you for sharing !!
Good tips! I use many of these and can attest to their helpfulness! Thanks for sharing!
This post is so important! As someone who has dealt with insomnia and other various sleep-related issues for most of her life, tips for improving the quality of my sleep are hoarded and cherished. Thanks!
Great tips. I was always a skeptic about exercise until I tried it. Now a big advocate of exercise to help both mental health and sleep.
Simple, to the point, easy to follow tips that anyone can implement. I think having a bedtime routine is definitely a great way to improve sleep. I have a bedtime routine that helps me relax and wind down every night and if I get to bed late I don’t even feel sleepy until I do it. Plus, I try not to do things very late in the evening because I need that wind-down as part of my daily self-care.
Love this we all need a little extra self care and self love now a days! Thanks for sharing – Danielle