Are you having some sleeping and wish you knew how to get better quality sleep?
Whether you’ve tried several remedies already or this is the first time you’re looking for help, there’s a good chance that we can give you some extra sleep tips.
To help you out, we’ve enlisted some sleep experts with experience on this very topic.
Prepare to stop having those sleepless nights and get ready for some higher quality sleep.
Check out these tips from our the experts we consulted.
1. Try Hypnosis
I am a certified hypnotist based in New York City. I specialize in helping clients overcome insomnia.
I suggest the following to all my clients:
- Taking a shower or bath right before bed.
- Watching a comedy before going to sleep.
- Keeping your mobile phone in a different room.
- Not working in your bedroom.
And when that doesn’t work – hypnosis. Hypnosis is a relaxed state in which a clients mind can be programmed to relax and begin to shut down through bedtime routines that will allow them to fall asleep and stay asleep. It can reduce, or eliminate, obsessive thoughts that keep some people up at night.
– Eli Bliliuos, NYC Hypnosis Center
2. Try percussive therapy devices
Percussive therapy devices (also known as massage guns) are great tools for getting a better night’s sleep.
Below are some ways to use percussive massage for better sleep:
- Use a massage gun for up to 15 minutes on each targeted muscle group right before bed.
- Use the slowest speed setting and lowest impact massage head for soothing relief and to melt away stress.
- Target tight muscles or knots to help the body relax right before bed.
- Use on the legs to promote blood circulation, which helps mitigate Restless Legs Syndrome.
– Dan Kozak, Owner Ekrin Athletics
3. Have some herbal tea before bed
I’m a firm believer in the health benefits of drinking tea throughout the day and especially at night, before bedtime.
Of course, bedtime tea has to be herbal to ensure the best night’s sleep. Plus my last caffeinated beverage is no later than 2pm in the afternoon, to ensure the caffeine is completely out of my system by bedtime.
I usually rotate between the following herbal teas:
- Chamomile tea: which is known to reduce inflammation, anxiety as well as help with insomnia. Make sure to steep the loose tea leaves for 5 minutes to extract the ideal flavor.
- Lavender tea: the aroma from this tea alone is enough to calm you down and help you unwind from a busy day. I would steep this tea for 10 minutes.
- Lemongrass tea: which is known to help your body release serotonin and aids with relaxation before bedtime. Steeping time is about 6 minutes for this tea.
These are just a few of my go-to teas at bedtime. One thing to keep in mind, is using loose leaf tea as opposed to tea bags, since loose leaf tea retains the essential oils and thus has more health benefits than tea bags.
– Nick Habre, Your Coffee and Tea
4. Try Some CBD
If you find that you’re having trouble sleeping when you lay down at night, it may be due to anxiety. This is especially true if you find your mind racing instead of calming down.
CBD can be a great way to make it easier to fall asleep. You can take a few drops of CBD oil under your tongue 30 to 60 minutes before bed time as a way to calm your mind and body and prepare for sleeping. You may need to experiment with the dosage, but many people find CBD a great natural sleep aid.
Of course, before taking anything to help you sleep it’s best to check
in with your doctor, just in case.
– Gene Daniels, Content Manager, Learning CBD Oil
5. Avoid spending too much time in bed
The amount of time we allot for sleep should be similar to our average nightly sleep duration. So, if you typically get about six hours of sleep each night, it’s best not to allot much more than around six-and-a-half hours for sleep.
Many people who struggle with sleep allot too much time for sleep as a way of trying to get more sleep. This sounds logical — after all, if you spend more time in bed there is more opportunity for sleep.
However, if you are already struggling with sleep then spending more time in bed will simply lead to more time awake in bed rather than more time asleep. This leads to more tossing and turning during the night, and more worry, stress, and anxiety related to being awake in bed.
Over time, this creates an association between the bed, worry, and wakefulness — rather than sleep, and relaxation. This makes sleep more difficult.
– Martin Reed is a certified clinical sleep health educator (CCSH) and the founder of Insomnia Coach.
6. Try Meditation or Deep Breathing
You may already be a pro meditator, or you may be one who thinks it’s just for the yoga crowd. But whether you realize it or not, meditating (or even just deep breathing) can help you to fall asleep.
We’re all prone to racing thoughts that won’t calm down — so if you’re affected by this, know that you’re not alone. Counting to ten and focusing on your inhalation and exhalation as you breathe can help your body relax almost immediately. Repeat until you’re fast asleep.
– Mark Zhang, Manta Sleep
7. Eliminate All Light
Make sure that you don’t have too much light pouring into your bedroom. Often people don’t realize just how much a bit of light affects their sleep. In fact, sometimes people have curtains over their bedroom windows that let in light that affects sleep quality.
So, get yourself some high quality blackout curtains that don’t let even the tiniest sliver of light into the room. Once you effectively get all of the light blocked from entering the bedroom, I think you’ll immediately notice that you get better quality sleep.
– Matthew Brown, Sleep Authorities
8. Be Mindful Of What You Eat
Being mindful of what you eat helps you identify certain food items that might be getting in the way of good quality sleep. Choose foods that nourish you instead of just giving you temporary energy.
Eat a variety of healthy foods but limit your consumption of caffeine and sugar, especially when it’s nearing bedtime.
– Lucile Hernandez Rodriguez, Registered Yoga Teacher
9. Wear A Sleep Mask
Wear a sleep mask to bed. Since I do a lot of traveling, I often end up on a plane when it’s time to sleep. And if you’ve ever taken an overnight flight, then you already know how difficult it is to get good quality sleep on an airplane.
Getting a good sleep mask that didn’t let in any light went a long way in help me to get a better night’s sleep when I travel. There are tons of sleep masks that you can buy, so make sure that you get one that has some padding around the nose area, because that’s where a lot of sleep masks still let in a bit of light.
– Tim White, Founder, Mile Pro
10. Rule out tongue, lip, and buccal ties
Tips for a better night sleep include ruling out tongue, lip, and buccal (cheek) ties. Ties are tethered oral tissues that are either tight or short attaching under the tongue, under the lips and in the cheeks that restrict proper movement for eating, speaking and appropriate function while sleeping.
Let me explain how this all correlates. During normal tongue posture, the entire tongue should sit at the palate (roof of the mouth) with the tongue tip resting behind the upper front teeth while the lips are closed.
When this happens the tongues’ job is to shape and widen the palate thereby, making the nasal cavity wide to help with breathing. The palate should be as wide as the tongue. Since the base of the nasal cavity is connected to the roof of the mouth, ties cause narrowing of the nasal passages and this interferes with nose breathing.
This leads to open-mouth breathing, sleep apnea and snoring. Even though a person is sleeping throughout the night, they are not getting a quality night sleep, which can present as trouble focusing, having an attention deficit disorder and often feeling tired during the daytime hours.
– Deb Roth, MS, CCC-SLP, Tongue Tie Life
11. Stop using devices with screens
My #1 tip for getting a better night’s sleep is to reduce you screen time before bed. We all are guilty of staying on our phone, Kindle, or iPad right up until it’s time to sleep. Plenty of studies have show how that negatively affects our sleeping, so we have to be better about that.
What I like to do is keep a physical book by the bed and I go up to start reading it 30 minutes before I want to go to sleep. This way the last thing I’m doing before bed involves zero screen time.
– Rolf Hansen, Luxury Cars A2Z
12. Listen to soothing music
I’ve recently enjoyed the benefits of playing soothing music to sleep and I must say that it has definitely helped calm me down and go to bed quicker. This only goes to show that having the right music whether it’s for work, fun, or exercise can really get you far.
Besides this, I’ve also added reading books and drinking tea to my routine. It’s a great way to destress and gives you the extra push you need to doze off.
– Simon Elkjær, Chief Marketing Officer, avXperten
13. Try silk linens and a pregnancy pillow
I recently had a baby (12 weeks ago) and one thing that I had trouble with while I was pregnant is a lack of sleep. Unfortunately, there were several reasons for this.
What helped me get a goodnight’s rest was a pregnancy pillow and silk linen. The pregnancy pillow was great because I was able to place it in-between my legs (to help with the groin discomfort) and also under my chest & head. The silk sheets made it easier to get in and out of bed. . . Both are live savers!
– Shalona London, Moms Need A Break Too!
14. Wear socks to bed
Wear socks to sleep in. I know this sounds both a bit crazy and a bit simple, but it really works. I first heard about this a few years ago and tried it thinking it was nonsense. But now I swear by it.
I’m not really sure why you sleep better when you wear socks to bed, but I notice a big difference when I forget to wear them to bed. Try it and I bet it will surprise you.
– Kieren Windsor, Founder, That Hammock Life
15. Avoid alcohol before bed
Resist the urge for a nightcap before bed. I know it always seems like alcohol makes you sleepy and like it’s really easy to fall asleep. And that part is true. But the end result is not a great night’s sleep.
You wake up groggy and still a bit tired from it all. So, I recommend that you avoid having any alcohol within a few hours before your bedtime so make sure that you get better sleep quality.
– Henley Griffin, Marketing coordinator, Oxford Gold Group
16. Get a better pillow
How long has it been since you last replaced your pillow? Do you even have the right type of pillow for your sleeping style?
People often underestimate just how important having a good pillow is in regards to a good night’s sleep. Certain types of pillows are better for side sleepers, while others are better for back sleeps.
And if you pillow is old, then it likely doesn’t offer adequate support while you sleep. So, I suggest you start your sleep hacking with replacing your pillow.
– Jacob Kovacs, Neuroscientist and founder of Wholistic Research
17. Keep a pen and paper nearby
Sometimes we can’t fall asleep at night because we’re thinking of all the things we need to do tomorrow or didn’t get done today. If you’re one of those people, keeping a notepad with a pen on your nightstand can help.
Jot down everything that’s on your mind to get those thoughts out of your head. Just knowing that the list is there for tomorrow and that you won’t forget anything can help your mind to relax, calm down and get to sleep.
I also like to keep this nearby for writing down any dreams I remember upon waking.
– Kirsty Lynn, Luciding
18. Consider replacing your mattress
A defective, unsupportive mattress can prevent the sleeper from getting the restorative benefits of a sound sleep – which over time, can weaken the immune system and lead to chronic back pain and increased stress levels.
What many sleepers don’t realize is mattresses are not one size fits all — and a mattress that isn’t built for your specific body type will break down at a faster rate – resulting in the unsupportive “mattress sag.” The key, if you are plus sized, is to look for extra support that will cradle the lower back in a neutral position.
For plus sized sleepers, Big Fig created a one-of-a-kind mattress which is tailored to the unique needs of the plus-size sleeper. Its hybrid design features extra support to cushion the sleeper’s body.
– Jeff Brown, President of Big Fig Mattress
19. Avoid Eating Before Bed
Don’t eat too close to bed. I know a lot of people have midnight snacks and such before bed, but your body’s digestion really disrupts your sleep.
Part of having healthy sleep habits is eating early enough that it doesn’t negatively affect your sleep. It’s also important to not over-eat or eat really heavy meals before bed, for the same reason.
– Spiro Koulouris, Author and founder of Gout And You
20. Maintain a daily fitness habit
Having a regular exercise habit is a great way to get a better night’s sleep. You shouldn’t do your workouts right before bed, but earlier in the day.
Research has shown that when you incorporate exercise into your daily routine that your body responds by giving you better quality sleep at night.
– Isaac Bullen, Marketing Manager, Oz Party Events
21. Create a calming sleep environment
One major tip I have is to create a bedroom that is completely calming and makes you feel relaxed.
Stand back, look at your bedroom and figure out what might be disrupting your sleep, from light getting in from the outdoors, removing tech from the bedrooms, getting new pillows, creating some background noise, and more.
Your bedroom deserves a lot of thought and you should plan out how you are going to create the perfect bedroom for sleeping. Try out a ton of new things and see what works (and what doesn’t).
– Chris Moberg, Editor and Research of Slumber Search
22. Stick to a bedtime schedule
We cannot control our sleep time yet we can control our sleep opportunity which is the amount of time we allow ourselves in bed to sleep. As best you can, maintain a set time to get in bed and get out of bed and this should not regularly vary by more than an hour.
Have a bedtime routine that does not vary and tells your body that it is time to prepare to wind down. The bedtime routine can be whatever works for you from a formal meditation practice to turning down the bed, putting on your pj’s, and brushing your teeth in the same order every night.
– Marvin Nixon, MS, NBC-HWC, Nixon Health Coaching
23. What To Avoid For Better Sleep
1. Avoid overly warm or cold temperatures: Overly warm or cold temperatures can wreak havoc on your sleep/wake cycle. For optimal rest, sleep experts recommend keeping your room temperature between 60 and 67 degrees. Temperature regulation can be expensive, but there are a few alternative to turning the AC up or down—switch your bedding to suit a season’s weather, utilize standing or ceiling fans when necessary, and wear breathable pajamas.
2. Avoid food and alcohol late at night. The late-night cocktail or snack can impact the release of melatonin (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7077345) at night, which is crucial for helping us fall asleep quickly and have a restful night. Create a cut-off time for eating at night, and give your body at least a couple of hours to digest food before hitting the hay.
3. Reduce daytime naps. Although quick naps that last less than an hour can be beneficial, we should mostly skip daytime naps and wait to catch up on sleep during the nighttime. Studies show (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21463024) that extended naps can confuse our internal clock, leaving us wide awake at night when it’s time to sleep.
4. Don’t drink caffeine 6 hours before bed. Sometimes a cup of joe is all you need to make it through the afternoon lull. Be warned! Caffeine consumed 5-6 hours before bed has been proven to affect your sleep. Try skipping the PM caffeine. When you do, you might notice yourself falling asleep faster.
5. Say no to electronics: As the blue light emitted from electronics suppresses melatonin production, sleep experts recommend keeping electronics out of the bedroom. Avoiding electronics in the bedroom, moreover, ensures better rest for both you and your partner. To keep from disrupting your partner’s rest with the glow of your computer screen, the sounds of your favorite television show, or the buzz of social media notifications, power down at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
6. Don’t create a messy or cluttered bedroom environment. Factors such as temperature, lighting, and noise in the bedroom will absolutely affect the way we sleep. Keep the environment cool, dark, and quiet to increase chances of falling asleep quickly. The amount of clutter and layout of furniture can affect our sleep, as well. Keep the bedroom a peaceful and enjoyable space to relax.
– Karin Sun, best sleep practices expert and founder of Crane & Canopy
Now that you’ve heard from 23 experts with experience on getting better sleep, it’s time for to you to get started having the best sleep of your dreams.