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May is Better Sleep Month—a time dedicated to helping folks find better ways to catch some Zs. Getting proper sleep is necessary to living a healthy life. Without it, we aren’t able to properly function throughout the day, and it can lead to all sorts of mental and physical health issues.
There are many factors that can cause one to experience poor slumber, but the proper adjustments can be life-changing. Here are some tips from the CDC for experiencing some of the best shut-eye of your life.
Curate Your Sleep Environment
Distractions like watching TV before bedtime and scrolling through you Instagram feed can be detrimental to your sleep patterns. According to researchers at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, even the smallest amount of light can negatively impact one’s quality of sleep so be sure to power down. Strive to remove bright screens and other electronics from your bedroom in order to optimize your sleep time.
Get Some Movement In Before Bedtime
Being active throughout the day can help make it easier to unwind at night. Try walking, stretching or even some other type of exercise to tire yourself out before resting for the evening.
Don’t Eat Late at Night
We all have had the munchies around the midnight hour. However, it’s best to stay away from large meals, alcohol and caffeinated drinks before going to bed. Eating before laying down can mess with your digestive system as your body cannot properly process what you’ve consumed.
Keep Consistency in Your Nighttime Routine
The saying “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it” applies perfectly to narrowing down a sleep routine. Once you’ve established the best and healthiest ways to ensure a proper night’s rest, it’s wise to stick to it and not stray away from those established patterns.
Beside the above tips, here are some additional tools to improve your slumber and to help you adapt a healthier rest regimen.
Milliard
U Shaped Total Body Support Pillow with Memory Foam
Many people may have their opinions but there are a multitude of ways to sleep. To best accommodate the body’s positioning when sleeping, this pillow can become one’s best friend. It helps to improve sleep posture—especially for those who sleep on their sides—and prevents tossing and turning during the night.
Price: $37
Dr. Teal’s
Sleep Spray
Essential oils like lavender and chamomile are proven to help speed up feelings of sleepiness at night. Just one spray can entrance the most hardest sleeper into a deep slumber.
Price: $18
Kitsch
Satin Pillow Eye Mask
This satin pillow helps block light when you’re sleeping.
Price: $18
Calm
Meditation App
The Calm app gives you access to hundreds of guided meditations and soothing sounds to encourage a restful night.
Price: Free to download
SleepScore
SleepScore Max
Picking up and monitoring your own sleep patterns can help you determine what’s best needed for your personal wellness. Wearing a sleep monitor such as the SleepScore Max is a great way to do so and evaluate how well you are resting.