Many of us struggle with sleep and could benefit from learning ways to fall asleep sooner and stay asleep longer. After collapsing from sleep deprivation and breaking her cheekbone, public figures such as Arianna Huffington are shining a light on the importance of a good night’s rest. She states that we are living under “this collective illusion that sleep is optional. That in fact, in order to succeed, to achieve, we [have] to sacrifice sleep…”
As Arianna alludes to, sleep deprivation can lead to a whole host of adverse effects such as decreased attention, difficulties with memory formation and recall, and poor judgement, in addition to causing or exacerbating symptoms of mania, psychosis, paranoia, hallucinations, or aggression.
There is no doubt about it. Sleep is conducive for healthy physical and psychological functioning…but what if you are having difficulties getting or staying asleep these days?
If counting sheep just doesn’t have the same impact it did when you were young, you are in the right place. Let’s dive into the elements of good sleep hygiene.
HERE ARE 3 WAYS TO FALL ASLEEP SOONER & STAY ASLEEP LONGER
#1. Lifestyle Changes
Becoming more aware of your habits leading up to bedtime can result in improved sleep quality.
1. Simple actions such as not drinking caffeine, alcohol, consuming nicotine, or eating sugary foods after a certain hour have helped many people.
2. Tart cherry juice is one of the world’s best sources of melatonin, a hormone that regulates our internal body clock.
**Try it! You can buy tart cherry juice in a concentrated form and then mix it with water, a banana, and protein, creating a powerful natural elixir that may improve the quality and duration of sleep.
3. Turn off devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
An astonishing 71% of participants in this study, sleep next to or even with their phones. Not only does this keep our minds busy before bedtime, but the blue light emitted from the screens can disturb our sleep cycle.
#2. Before Bed Rituals
1. Meditate.
Listen to a guided meditation before bed. There are thousands of quality meditations out there. Try this one from Jason Stephenson or The Honest Guys.
>>here is a list of our favorite apps to destress
2. Brain Dump.
Feeling overwhelmed by all the things you have to do? Pull out a blank piece of paper, set a timer, and free write all of the things you have to do.
3. Read.
Still have a busy mind? Gently shift your attention and dare to get lost in your imagination by reading one of your favorite books.
>>need some reading inspiration, check out our reading list
#3. A New Understanding & Perspective
“Worry is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere” — Erma Bonbeck
Have you already tried everything listed above?
Our minds and bodies are more intelligent than we give them credit for. It is only natural that each of us will have periods of our lives in which we don’t sleep as well as we did before.
“Insomnia is really a side effect of other things. For most people, it’s a side effect of not knowing they are naturally wired to sleep. I didn’t realize how much I was trying to ‘do’ sleep to myself” — Jen Lucas, What We Should Have Learned in School Podcast
If you feel anxious or worried often, you can also start exploring how us human beings are notoriously poor predictors of future events and that even when we do predict future events with a degree of accuracy, we typically underestimate what we will feel and for how long. In fact, we don’t realize our own strength. We often ignore the powerful inner capabilities we have in each new moment, underestimating our ability to solve problems as they show up in our lives in real-time via creative insight and innate resilience.
In conclusion, be gentle with yourself. Life happens. There will be times when you can’t get to bed by the time you desire or you sleep later than you wanted to. By alleviating the stress you have about not sleeping enough, the mind and body have one less worry, creating more space for a good night’s sleep to occur.
Nicolle Osequeda, LMFT, is the founder of Lincoln Park Therapy Group, specializing in anxiety, depression, and relationship counseling in Chicago. As a Certified Daring Way™ Facilitator, she incorporates Dr. Brené Brown’s research into her therapy. Nicolle holds a Master’s in Counseling Psychology from the University of San Francisco and is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in Illinois and California. She is a Clinical Fellow of AAMFT, a member of IAMFT, and the Financial Therapy Association. Nicolle has Gottman Method training and has taught at DePaul University, dedicated to helping individuals and couples achieve meaningful change. 
