There are many reasons you might experience sleep disturbances in the Springtime, from longer daytime hours to changes in your schedule overall. But don’t worry, there are many ways to improve your sleep! Here are some of our best tips on How to Get a Good Night Sleep and Wake Up Refreshed.
Adjust Your Sleep Schedule
The first thing you should do when you want to improve your sleep is take a look at your sleep schedule. Have you been staying up too late or sleeping in too much? Does the change in weather or longer daylight hours affect how much sleep you get?
Now is a great time to adjust your sleeping schedule to where you go to sleep a little earlier, and possibly wake up earlier as well. This helps to balance out your circadian rhythm and work with the natural energies of Springtime.
Keep the Sun Out
One of the most common issues people face in the Spring when it comes to sleep is more daylight hours and brighter mornings. This can cause you to start losing those last few hours of sleep. If adjusting your sleep schedule to going to sleep earlier so you can wake up earlier isn’t an option, the next best thing is to try to keep the sun out the best you can.
For the Springtime when the sun rises early and sun sets late, it is a good idea to get blackout curtains. This will keep unwanted light out of your bedroom until the morning when you choose to open up your windows and let the light in.
Improve Your Sleeping Hygiene
Sleep hygiene is simply a combination of your sleeping habits and sleeping environment. Many people have bad sleep hygiene, without realizing how much of a problem it is. This includes making sure the temperature in your bedroom is cool enough to rest, but not so cold you are kept awake. Make sure you have clean, warm, comfortable bedding, and that there is no added light from the windows or screens.
For noise, try to sleep to no noise or a white noise machine or app on your phone. Turn off notifications, and make sure you are not falling asleep to a TV playing.
Get More Exercise and Sunshine Throughout the Day
Believe it or not, exercising more can help you get better sleep! Yes, exercise energizes you throughout the day, but when it comes time to wind down at the end of the day, it actually helps you sleep better. You do want to be careful not to schedule exercise for too close to bedtime, but if you can get enough physical activity throughout the day, it will help you sleep much better at night.
If you do want to workout at night before bed, the best exercise is a gentle and calming yoga or stretching practice.
Relax (But Don’t Nap) in the Afternoons/Evenings
While it is good to have your afternoons as more relaxing so that you gradually get your body and mind ready for sleep, you don’t want to take naps if you can help it. When you take a nap in the afternoon, even if you feel very tired, it often disrupts your sleep at night.
Think about it like this: you are taking a 1-2 hour nap just a few hours before your body is ready for sleep. It takes a while waking up from a nap and getting through your evening activities, so by the time you do, your mind is alert again. Will it be ready to once again be restful for sleep?
It is better to just wind down and enjoy a relaxing afternoon and evening before heading to bed.