10 Sleep Hygiene Tips: Advice from an Ex Insomniac💤🛌😴

My Old-Fashioned Alarm Clock

I have always struggled with my sleeping pattern. In high school, I pulled so many all-nighters and drank 3–5 coffees a day. Sometimes, I even mixed my pre workout with coffee to stay awake during exams! I would drive to the beach at 2am to find some calmness, but still couldn’t sleep. Flash forward to my undergrad years, and I would still not be able to sleep from the stress and from the nights out. Constant caffeine and alcohol consumption during those first couple years (before I went on this journey) killed my sleep pattern.

After my car accident last summer, I was diagnosed with insomnia and spent about 6 months feeling absolutely exhausted from my lack of sleep. Some nights I would only sleep 2 hours and spend the night scrolling through my phone in hopes of tiring myself out. It took almost a year to finally have a normal sleeping pattern, and it has truly made the biggest impact on my recovery process.

Did you know that (if a person sleeps at least 8 hours a day for roughly 80 years), you would have slept 233,600 hours in your lifetime? That’s nearly a third of your life.

It’s so important to make sleep a priority, because without sleep, you can’t recover or function during your day. Here are some tips from someone who has conquered her insomnia.

1.) Create a Routine/Rhythm:

Going to bed and waking up around the same time each day creates a rhythm for your body (even on weekends and days off). This will help you actually feel sleepy so you can sleep through the night.

This routine does NOT need to be a scary thing; maybe change the word routine into ritual. Once you create this pattern, each day will feel a lot easier! Also being mindful about your eating routine will help manage the times you wake up and go to sleep.

2.) Only Sleep when Sleepy:

Only try to sleep when you actually feel tired, rather than spending too much time awake in bed. Get up and do some non-stimulating things like reading a book or sitting quietly on the couch or in a different spot than your bed. I find that laying on my floor, on my yoga mat, helps me relax enough to feel sleepy for bed. But stay away from technology or anything with a bright light! This will ultimately keep you awake.

3.) Avoid Caffeine, Nicotine & Alcohol:

This does not mean that you always have to avoid it. I still drink my morning coffee each day and sometimes have a glass of wine with dinner! This DOES mean to avoid any caffeine, nicotine or alcohol 4–6 hours before sleep.

Some people believe that alcohol relaxes you, but it actually interrupts your sleep pattern and quality of sleep in the long run.

4.) Bed is for Sleep:

Try not to use your bed for anything other than sleep (this helps your body to associate where sleep is). If you watch TV, eat, read, work on your laptop, pay bills, play video games, etc., on your bed, your body will not learn this connection.

5.) Create a Comfy and Safe Space:

If you like fluffy things (like me), buy a few fluffy blankets, a few pillows, and a mattress topper. Use lavender in a diffuser and get a Himalayan salt lamp or use relaxing light. Transform your room into a relaxing and safe space. When I make my bed in the morning, I always spray my sheets with a lavender fabric spray! This creates a lavender cloud for me to excitedly jump into in the evenings.

6.) Create a Nighttime Routine:

I can’t stress this enough:

TURN OFF THE PHONE! I try not to use technology at least one hour before I plan to sleep. Pick up a book and read a chapter or close your eyes and listen to an audio book. Do your skin care routine to relaxing music or take a nice bath/ shower to destress. Anything on social media, or even for work, can wait until the morning. I promise.

You can add important contacts to bypass ‘do not disturb’, in case of emergencies, if this is your worry and reason for not using the ‘do not disturb’ setting.

7.) Write it Down:

If something is on your mind and keeping you awake, take a minute to physically write it down on a post-it or in a notebook so you can give your self permission to deal with it tomorrow. Also, try journaling before you sleep, so you can get all your thoughts on paper. You cannot expect to sleep or function when you are running with an overloaded hard-drive.

8.) Exercise:

Regular exercise is great for a routine and for a healthy lifestyle, but try not to do strenuous exercise in the 4 hours before bedtime. Morning workouts are a great way to start your day!

Very light yoga and meditation in the evening will help you feel in tune with your body before bed, but keep in mind this is 2–4 hours before sleep.

9.) Eat Right:

A healthy, balanced diet will help you keep routine and just feel good in general. Timing is also vital! I find that eating past 8pm keeps me awake, but if I’m hungry I also can’t sleep! Eating a filling and healthy dinner is so important. Drinking a cup of non-caffeinated tea makes me so sleepy too!

10.) Buy an Old-Fashioned Alarm Clock:

This is probably the most important tip that I can leave you with. Buy yourself one of those old-fashioned alarm clocks that are not digital! This way you will not have the automatic reflex to reach for your phone early in the morning, or stare at your screen the night before and ultimately start scrolling after “setting an alarm”. In 2022, life is SO digitalized! Taking a minute to start your morning without any technology, and ending it without technology is the most helpful ritual that I have created for myself while recovering from insomnia.

After struggling with insomnia for many years, these rituals and lifestyle changes truly changed my life for the better.

Who’s ready for bed?