30-Day Guide to Sleep Better

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 1 out of 3 adults isn't getting enough sleep. Sleep deprivation, in addition to making you feel uncomfortably exhausted, can also contribute to chronic illness, lead to irritability, difficulty concentrating, and even play a role in traffic accidents. Thankfully, you can change your sleeping habits.  Over the next 30 days, we’re going to teach you how to sleep better with one new sleep tip every night. Follow each of these for the next month, and you’ll soon find yourself able to sleep well once more.

Reset Your Sleep - One Night at a Time

Night 1 – Create a Bedtime Routine

Having a set routine each night helps your body to relax and unwind ready for bed. This can involve taking a warm shower or bath, reading a book, or doing some yoga. Whatever works for you, try and do the same thing each night before bed to help you fall asleep.

Night 2 – Get Blackout Curtains

Shutting out the light from your room can help you to fall asleep faster. This is especially important for those who live in big cities where the light never really goes away. Your body needs to be able to recognize it’s time to sleep, and having street lamps streaming through the windows does nothing to help this.

Night 3 – Quit Smoking

Believe it or not, giving up cigarettes is a great way to help you sleep better. Cigarettes are a stimulant, so every time you have one, you’re waking yourself up a little.

Night 4 – Sleep Naked

Allowing your skin to breathe and keeping your body temperature down can be a great way to help you fall asleep faster. Staying cooler also helps your body stay asleep better throughout the night, so you’ll find yourself waking up more refreshed.

Night 5 – Set Your Bedtime

Having a set bedtime and wake-up time (and sticking to them) helps your body to recognize when it’s time to start winding down for sleep each night, and should help you fall asleep faster.

Night 6 – Switch Off Snooze

As much as we all feel like we need those precious extra minutes in the morning, hitting the snooze button over and over again does nothing to improve our sleep. And, any moments of sleep you do manage to find after hitting it won’t be worth it. Set one alarm, and get up as soon as it goes off – it will be hard going the first few days, but you’ll soon see the benefit.

Night 7 – Put Your Phone Away

Putting your phone away, or better yet in the next room, is always a good idea for helping you sleep. The blue light emitted from our phone screens messes with your circadian rhythm and makes it harder to doze off. Not to mention how easy it is to waste hours scrolling through social media instead of sleeping.

Night 8 – Meditate

Meditation is more than just monks and chanting. A few minutes each night can help your brain to relax and sort through the day, regulate your breathing, and let your muscles lose some tension. There are a bunch of meditation apps out there that you can use to guide you if you’re unsure of where to start.

Night 9 – Tidy Your Bedroom

Having a clean and tidy bedroom is the best way to feel more relaxed and ready for sleep. Make your bed every morning, treat yourself to some crisp new sheets, and make sure there’s minimal clutter around the room. Messy bedrooms mean messy sleep.

Night 10 – Morning Exercise

Waking up and diving headfirst into a workout helps you feel more energized first thing in the morning. It can also help you sleep better the following night as it helps your body feel more in tune with your circadian rhythm.

Night 11 – Don't Oversleep on Weekends

As tempting as it is to stay in bed all Sunday, oversleeping on the weekends does not help you “catch up” on sleep. In fact, it messes up that lovely rhythm and routine you’ve been working on. Go to bed at the same time, and wake up at the same – no matter what day of the week it is.

Night 12 – Embrace Lavender

It's always been associated with sleep and for good reason. The calming scent of this little purple flower can help you relax and enjoy a better night’s sleep. You can find it in pillow sprays, eye masks, candles (although make sure you blow these out before you go to bed), aromatherapy, or even just a few sprigs next to the bed.

Night 13 – Have Sex

When we have orgasms, our bodies release endorphins and oxytocin – both of which are great for helping you fall asleep and stay asleep. You’re welcome.

Night 14 – Paint Your Bedroom Blue

It’s been found to be a calming color that is associated with feelings of relaxation. It may even work to help reduce blood pressure and heart rate – perfect for helping you sleep well.

Night 15 – Try Out Naps

If you’re still feeling sleepy with your new routine, try having a 10-30-minute nap in the middle of the day. Any longer than this, and you run the risk of making things worse. Hit this sweet spot though, and you’ll benefit from a nice little energy boost.

Night 16 – Turn Off Netflix

Not forever, don’t worry – we wouldn’t do that to you. As much as you want to watch just one more episode, binge-watching has been linked to insomnia, poor sleep, and fatigue. Save it for tomorrow – your body will thank you for it.

Night 17 – ASMR

You might have heard of ASMR before and dismissed it as one of those weird internet trends that will soon die down. Actually, ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) can be a great way for you to relax and unwind before bed. It’s not for everyone, but there might just be the perfect video for you out there.

Night 18 – Skip the Alcohol

Drinking before bed may feel like it’s helping you to drift off, but it is actually negatively impacting the quality of your sleep once you start to snooze. So, swap the wine glass for some soothing tea or warm milk and see how quickly your sleep improves.

Night 19 – Call Off the Caffeine

Speaking of drinks to avoid, having too much caffeine is, of course, going to disrupt your sleep. Your morning pick me up is safe, but once you hit lunchtime, avoiding the coffee can help make sure your body has the chance to unwind before bed.

Night 20 – Embrace the Daylight

The more daylight we’re exposed to during the day, the better equipped we are to fall asleep at night. Work next to a window if you’re able, go for a lunchtime walk, and spend some time outside when you can.

Night 21 – Update Your Diet

Eating right helps fuel your body throughout the day, and can also help you sleep at night. Foods like salmon and kiwi both have nutrients that can improve sleep quality, so dig in!

Night 22 – Try CBT

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, or CBT, has been proven to help reduce insomnia. You don’t need to go for a full course, just a single one-hour session can make a huge impact.

Night 23 – Use a Dehumidifier

Too much humidity, in addition to just being uncomfortable, can allow mold to take hold in your bedroom. The result can be coughing at night when you're trying to sleep. Making use of a dehumidifier is a great way to keep the air in your room from getting too humid so you can rest comfortably instead.

Night 24 – Organize Your Home

People with more stuff have been shown to suffer from higher levels of stress. Decluttering your life can help you to shed some stress and enjoy a better night’s sleep in no time.

Night 25 – Swap Your Lightbulbs

Get your hands on some dimmer lightbulbs to use in the bedroom or lamps that you use in the evenings. Having lights that are too bright or white can disturb your circadian rhythm.

Night 26 – Wear Socks

Another great way to regulate your body temperature is by wearing socks as you sleep. A toasty pair of socks can help keep your feet warmer and avoid you getting too cold throughout the night.

Night 27 – Try Melatonin Supplements

Melatonin is a hormone that helps you fall asleep at night. In most countries, you can get your hands on melatonin supplements without a prescription as well. Just be sure to start out with a low dosage to make sure you don’t react negatively, and always consult your doctor.

Night 28 – Replace Your Old Mattress

The mattress we sleep on massively affects our sleep quality. You should be replacing your mattress every seven to ten years, or you run the risk of suffering from not just poor sleep, but also back and neck pain. Read our mattress reviews before you finalize your purchase decision.

Night 29 – Try a Different Mattress Material

There are not just your traditional innerspring mattresses anymore. Memory foam, hybrid and latex mattresses are all growing in popularity. Depending on your sleep style, you might find that swapping to a new kind of mattress has a big impact.

Night 30 – Invest in a Mattress Topper

You might have only bought your mattress recently, or you simply can’t afford to replace it yet. That’s why mattress toppers are such great investments for many people. Many of the big-name mattress brands like Puffy produce mattress toppers of their own.

Sweet Dreams!

So, there you have it – 30 days to a better night’s sleep! Let us know if you tried out all our tips and how much your sleep improved.