This post was written in collaboration with Better Sleep Council. All opinions and views are my own.
I’m usually a fairly decent sleeper. I know I need my 8 hours so you’ll never see me staying out late in the event of FOMO. And you’ll rarely see me stay up into the late hours of the night. But there’s room for improvement on my end. There’s several bad habits I’ve developed over the years like scrolling Instagram until the second I fall asleep, leaving the TV on, eating food and going straight to bed and even waking up in the middle of the night and turning the TV back on. All horrible habits.
To help be #BetterInBed if you will, this month I’m teaming up with the Better Sleep Council and their Better Sleep Month Campaign. After quickly browsing their site and tips for getting a better night’s sleep I realized I was guilty of so many bad habits. So this month I’m going to be making some changes and report back at the end of it to tell you how it went. I’d love for you to join in on me with this and try to improve your quantity and quality of sleep.
Here are four things I plan to try this month for better sleep!
1. Remove The Phone!
First things first, let’s get this damn phone out of the room. I’m guilty of scrolling while watching TV which makes zero sense. Also waking up and rolling over to scroll and check emails before my eyes have fully adjusted and before the work day even begins. There’s really no need for a phone in your bedroom between the hours of 10pm and 9am (or whatever time your day starts at the office). If there’s an emergency, my phone will ring and I’ll hear it from the other room. Adios iPhone!
2. Not Eating Right Before Bed
According to the Better Sleep Council, eating and drinking before bed doesn’t allow your body to fully relax. By cutting yourself off 2 to 3 hours prior to sleeping, your entire body will be ready for full rest. Sounds good, right?
3. Get Moving More
I used to be a religious CrossFitter going 3 to 4 times a week. I looked great! And felt even better. Over the last few years I fell out of love with CrossFit and have struggled to find something that really gets me excited about fitness again. I’m trying some new classes like Barry’s Bootcamp and Highland Yoga to find a new obsession. Even just thirty minutes on the treadmill in the mornings with my latest Podcast will be better than nothing. Plus, with the weather being so great right now, longer walks with Pork will be easier to do (and hey maybe she’ll sleep even more).
4. Stop Worrying
Okay this one is much easier said than done. But I’m the type of person who stays in my head A TON. As in, if I got a great idea that day and know I want to work on it the following day, I’ll think about all sorts of things as I lie awake in my bed. It has kept me up for hours before. Instead, I plan to keep a journal (because remember, no phone!) next to my bed to jot these things down so they can allow me to rest easier. I’m actually really excited for this one because I like the idea of a journal regardless and think it may be nice to just keep more notes around me anyway.
Check back at the end of the month when I share the results! What would you do to change up your sleep routine for better sleep?
Photos by Hannah Michelle Photo