5 Tips for Better Sleep

*Thank you Sears for sponsoring this post. Regardless all thoughts and opinions are my own and I only recommend brands and products I truly love.

One of my biggest struggles in life right now is getting enough sleep. And I guarantee you that I’m not the only mom of 2 (soon to be 3) kids, or 36 weeks pregnant lady, to say this. It’s something I know I need to work on, because getting good sleep is crucial to your health, but also something that always ends up on the back burner when life’s demands start to pile up. So for the next few weeks until this baby comes, I’m really making quality sleep a priority. So after lots of searching and trying out different things, here are the tips I’ve found for getting better sleep:

 

(1) Make a schedule and stick with it (as much as possible). Before I started my first year of law school I asked a friend who was already a 1L for some tips and she said her biggest one was scheduling out every minute of every day – including sleep. Turns out that wasn’t just a good idea for law school, but for life. When I have my days scheduled out, and at least attempt to stick with it, I don’t have a ton of stuff I’m trying to catch up on right before bed that keep my brain wired all night. I’m able to go to bed at a normal time, feeling content with what I accomplished during the day.

(2) Warm your feet. I went to a little sample reiki yoga session once where the instructor told me she could tell I needed to warm my feet before bed to rest my brain and be able to actually rest. Turns out that wasn’t just mumbo jumbo. There have been studies done that show having warm feet when you go to bed help you fall asleep faster

(3) Schedule at least 30 technology free minutes before bed. So yes – that means no computer, no TV, no phone. Read a book, write in a journal, do whatever it takes to wind your mind down and complete out your day. This one is hard for me but I use this time to write in my journal and read a couple of chapters from whatever book I’m working on, and it really brings me some peace of mind and seems to have helped me fall asleep.

(4) No caffeine at night. This is one that I struggled to cut out but definitely makes a huge difference. I was terrible about drinking caffeine at night because I would get tired and still felt like I had so much to do. Now I don’t have any starting mid-afternoon, and I’ve noticed it’s much easier to fall asleep at night.

(5) Invest in a quality mattress. Not only is having a quality and comfortable mattress good for sleep, but it’s good for life. At least for us – the bed is where I end up working, reading, watching TV, and of course sleeping. And having an uncomfortable mattress definitely can result in lesser quality sleep and make it harder to fall asleep at night. And right now is an awesome time to be mattress shopping! Sears has up to 60% off top brand mattresses like Tempur-Pedic, Serta iComfort, Beautyrest, and Stearns & Foster, and is offering $200 Cashback in points for a year when you buy select mattresses** They are also offering free delivery and assembly on in-store mattress and/or foundation purchases of $699 and more and 12 months of special financing! What’s more, their store associates are so knowledgeable, and they aim to help you achieve the best sleep you can with a bed that best fits your personal body preference and budget needs. Make sure you go in and check them all out and find the mattress that’s right for you so you can take advantage of these awesome offers!

**Offer valid now through 2/28

Have you found any tips that have worked for you when it comes to getting better sleep? I’d love to hear them below!