From our bed to yours — follow these sleep tricks, and you’ll be nodding off in no time:
- Chug all of the lattes you want — but make sure you gulp your last venti before 2pm. It takes your body up to 10 hours to get rid of 75% of the caffeine in your system. If you get your Starbucks fix any later, and it could keep you up at night.
- Can’t give up your caffeinated nightcaps? Try Counting Sheep coffee — it’s decaffeinated coffee blended with organic valerian root, an herbal sedative to help you zzz.
- Use f.lux to reduce the blue hues emanating from your phone and laptop. It eliminates the eye strain from the harsh light that inhibits melatonin production — the hormone that’s responsible for making you feel tired.
- Take the stairs. Exercise is obviously the best way to tire your body out, but when you don’t have time to hit the gym, it’s the little things that count. Like stairs. Flights of ’em.
- The trek to the bathroom is a long one. If you fall asleep with your makeup on, keep a pack of disposable wipes on your nightstand. The last thing you want to do is more scrub work in the morning.
- Wake up on Sunday mornings with the spins? Darker drinks like red wine or rum contain congeners (substances produced during fermentation), which may contribute to that annoying morning hangover. So skip the whiskey ginger in favor of a vodka soda.
- You can also avoid a hangover, and get a better night sleep, by going one-for-one. For every vodka shot, chug a glass of water. It keeps you hydrated to avoid any next-day pain.
- A cold bedroom is a sleepy bedroom. Aim for somewhere between 60° and 67° F to catch some chill dreams.
- Feng Sui 101: Add a headboard to the base of your bed. It represents stability and support to keep your stress levels down and sleep time up. You also don’t want to store anything emotional underneath it. Old memorabilia can cause subconscious blocks. Throw that box of your ex’s things in the trash.
- If you’re in bed thinking about everything that keeps you up at night, try thinking in images, not words. It’s nearly impossible to clear your mind of all thoughts, but switching the language from sentences to shapes may help you doze off sooner.
- Despite what you learned as a kid, do not count sheep when you can’t sleep! Keeping track of all those sheep is too much work. Instead, dream about where you want to go on your next vacation. Mmmm…. waves…
- If all else fails, get out of bed for a few minutes. Take a lap around your apartment or move to the couch. Continuing to lie in bed tossing and turning may only stress you out more, making it even harder to nod off.
- Don’t hit snooze! Sleep caught between the sounds of your alarm is barely sleep. The snooze button just disturbs REM sleep, which can make you feel groggier when you finally get up. Bonus: extra hot shower time.
- Just enter in your wake-up time, and the Sleepyti.me calculator will give you a bedtime that ensures you wake up between REM sleep cycles.
- Eat breakfast within one hour of waking up. Not only should your sleep be on a regular schedule, but so should your meals. Breakfast resets your body clock, much like sunlight.
