Ever feel like you’re four days past your bedtime? Because I sure do.

 

Whether it’s insomnia, too much on my mind, overly stressed, or my sleep cycle is simply out of rhythm, it gets old quick. That’s why, I thought I’d share a few basic yet effective tricks I use to get some shut eye.

GET YOURSELF A SLEEPING MASK.

If you haven’t caught on yet, I like a little glam at all hours of the day. I’m personally convinced if you look chic while sleeping, you’ll obvi get a better nights’ sleep.

But, in all seriousness, your sleeping mask doesn’t have to be quite so over the top like mine is. The key is finding one that fits your face right. If the strap is too tight, you’ll either wake up with a line along your temples or have foggy eye sight for the next 15 minutes. However, if you get one that’s too loose, you’ll end up losing it in the night. The perfect sleeping mask will help you shut out the light – and the rest of the world – for a few hours at least.

Oh and don’t be afraid to try it on in the store. Remember, fit is key. And they’re chic.

DOWNLOAD A SLEEPING SOUND APP.

I swear by my Sleep Pillow app. While of course there are versions that cost $9.99 and up, I’m perfectly happy with the free-99 version. I personally love the rain water sound (it usually puts me to sleep in minutes), but if you’re not into rain you might enjoy a crackling fire, whale chatter, birds chirping, or the sound of the waves washing into shore. Set a timer so it plays for a limited amount of time or let it run all night like I do.

I’m sure there are other apps out there with other peaceful sounds to help you fall asleep, so find one that works best for you. For all I know, you may enjoy the sound of someone snoring. You do you boo.

POP A MELATONIN.

This sounds like I’m advocating for taking sleep medication. But I promise you I’m not. In fact, I’m allergic to sleeping pills so you’ll never see one pass my lips. But melatonin supplements – a hormone usually made by the pineal gland in the brain and helps control your sleep and wake cycles – can be used for short periods of time to control sleep problems or jet lag.

On occasion, my sleep cycle gets a bit wonky which is when melatonin comes into play for me. I take it for just a few days to help get my sleep cycle back on track. Even just half of a dose helps me sleep soundly throughout the night. However – word of advice – make sure you have at least 8 hours to sleep or else you’ll find it pretty hard to wake up the next morning. I’m speaking from experience.

*Talk to your doctor about this option before using it and more importantly to learn about the right dosage for your body.

GET IT DOWN ON PAPER.

Sometimes when I have so much going on in my head, I grab a journal and write it out. I get all my thoughts down on paper so that my mind is “empty” enough for me to fall asleep. I’m not even one to journal much, but I’ve found this is extremely helpful. It allows you to get your thoughts down on paper so you can address them the following day.

And if you’re like me, you’ll want a pretty journal to write in. Because that of course makes all the difference.

SWEAT IT OUT.

While exercising isn’t usually an option “in the moment” when you can’t sleep, I’ve found that I sleep way better when I’ve exercised sometime during the day. It doesn’t have to be some giant workout either. Whether it’s a walk, a run, some yoga, or a Kayla Itsines workout (can you say brutal?!), getting my heart rate up makes my body that much more ready for a good nights’ rest.

 

I leave you with that. Now go get some shut eye!

 

Zzzzzzzzzz,

Hayley