As ladies, hormonal fluctuations of our menstrual cycle, pregnancy and menopause can affect our sleep. Below are a few things you can do to help you have a restful sleep.
1. Avoid using and electrical devices 30-45minutes before bed. Recently I tried to charge my phone at the end of the day but then found out that the charger was not working and my battery was at 30%, so I had to turn my phone and iPad off (as the have the same charger) to conserve my battery so that it would last me for my journey to work the next day where I would get another charger. It was really strange because I was used to going through my facebook and email accounts whilst I watched TV in bed. So I was forced to just lie in bed and relax. It was the best night's sleep I had had in a long time. From facebook to twitter to instagram to whatsapp to blackberry messenger to pintrest to vimeo to our emails etc. Its no wonder that we can't properly shut down.
2. Go to bed at roughly the same time every night so your body gets used to shutting down at that time every night.
3. Declutter your room. I can't actually go to sleep if my room is in a mess or I have a pile of clothes in the corner of the room. So make sure your room is tidy and dark when its bed time.
4. Try scents like lavender. You can try lavender oil on your pillow or spray some in the air. It has a relaxing effect.
5. Do nothing. Worrying about sleeping or relying heavily on techniques to help you sleep can actually have the opposite and keep you awake.
6. Think about what you are thinking about. Bed time is not the time to start thinking about all the things that are wrong with your life or money troubles because these thoughts will not help you relax but make you tense. If you find your mind drifts when trying to get to sleep I suggest you purposely think of something that makes you smile. Personally I imagine wining the lottery and how I will spend my winnings, I find this makes me smile and helps me drift off to sleep.
7. Cut out caffeine late in the day. Caffeine, which is found in coffee and some teas keeps you awake. So its not exactly rocket science that if you drink caffeine-containing drinks late in day, you will not get to sleep.
8. The snooze button. If you are like my friend Mandy who hits the snooze button five times before you actually get out of bed, you might have noticed that you actually get out of bed feeling groggier. Instead of hitting the snooze button, just treat yourself and set your alarm for 15minutes later.
9.Find the right amount of sleep for you. Whilst 7-8hours is the average for most people, anywhere between 4-10hours is actually the normal average. Find your own average number of hours of sleep that leaves you refreshed the next day.
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