Plenty of lifestyle factors can keep us from reaching this deep, blissful sleep night after night. Here are a few of the ones that are within our control, and what to do about them. Even having an eventful, thought-provoking day can keep you up at night, naturopathic sleep doctor Catherine Darley, N.D., adds, and make it difficult to turn your mind “off.” Bhopal recommends stress management strategies like meditation and yoga. “It’s also helpful to remind yourself that it’s temporary and that your body wants to sleep,” she adds. Darley also suggests spending 10 minutes writing down thoughts with the intention of “putting them to bed” for the night, about an hour before you’d like to fall asleep. “Any time you’re in a new environment, half of your brain basically stays on high alert because it’s not familiar with the environment, like the sounds and smells and the light,” he explains. On top of that, jet lag could, of course, be playing a role if you’re traveling across time zones. Doing what you can to make your new sleep space more relaxing will also help, which we’ll touch on later. Some people also enjoy utilizing room scents to help create a zen-like atmosphere. While pillow mists aren’t proper sleep aids, some people enjoy their soothings notes as they wind down at night. That way, by the time you hit the hay, the alcohol should be out of your system and you’ll have sufficiently rehydrated. When it comes to pre-bed activities that will help you relax, Bhopal recommends calming showers or baths, some light stretching, and calming breathing practices. Other science-backed relaxation strategies include reading a physical book, journaling, or taking a calming supplement.* (If you need recommendations, here are our all-time favorite sleep supplements.)* Finally, you don’t want to get into bed until you’re actually sleepy so your body doesn’t associate your bed with being awake. “The daytime impact could be in any of these domains: physical performance including driving, cognitive performance, physical health like blood pressure, or mental health such as an increase in anxiety,” Darley tells mbg. Bhopal and Breus both add that if it takes you 30 minutes or more to fall asleep or you wake up more than three times a night for a total of 30 minutes at least three times a week for more than three months, you might have insomnia and would benefit from talking to a medical professional. In that case, “it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor about underlying causes and to find a course of action that’s appropriate for your situation,” Bhopal says. She’s a big proponent of cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-i) for those experiencing a lot of stress or fear around sleep.
