This post was sponsored by Nature Made® as a part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central.
Stella got her groove back; Katie got her sleep back. Both equally awesome. Check out these 5 tips to get to sleep naturally. #4 is truly life changing!
I’ve been battling insomnia for as long as I can remember. It started when I was in middle school, and it just got worse from there. Pregnancy just about did me in. Over the last five years, prescription sleep aids became my crutch. But man, oh man, do they have some side effects – sleep eating being one of them. Apparently, that’s a thing. And I do it.
One pound bag of pretzels? Gone. And I don’t even remember it. Unfortunately, just because you don’t remember it doesn’t mean the calories don’t count. Seems unfair, right? I decided I was no longer going to let my daily pretzel binge deprive me of my healthy lifestyle goals. It was time chuck the bedtime prescription pills and figure out (once and for all) how to go to sleep the ol’ fashioned way.
I’m several weeks in, and although I can’t go to sleep at the drop of a hat (like my husband), I’m getting much better. It takes practice, and will power, but I’m getting there. I’ve found it’s all about routine. And using all of the natural help I can get.
Want to start getting real sleep? Here are my go-to rituals in order to find natural sleep:
1) Limit screen time. It’s not a rule just for the kiddos. Watching my favorite television works me up! Apparently, The Walking Dead is not the best way to soothe my soul before turning in for the night. Instead, I stop watching television about 45 minutes before I want to turn in for the night. I’ve found that magazines and books with soft lighting really helps.
2) Natural sleep aids. Sure, they may still be a crutch, but a much better crutch than a prescription! I LOVE Nature Made Melatonin adult gummies. Nature Made melatonin products are manufactured under strict guidelines and contains no added flavors or preservatives.
Melatonin is a hormone in the body that helps to regulate sleep cycles. When melatonin levels are low, less of the hormone is released into the bloodstream, resulting in restlessness or wakefulness.† I take one melatonin gummy about 45 minutes to an hour before the time I want to be asleep.
Nature Made, available at Walmart, is the nation’s #1 best-selling brand for quality vitamins, minerals and supplements* to help support nutritional gaps and is the #1 Pharmacist recommended supplement brand in 9 categories**
3) Lavendar Oil. I have a little scent roller that I keep in my nightstand and apply a little dab on each wrist before climbing under the covers. I find scents to be great behavior triggers. You know how one smell can take you to a certain place and time? Well, I’m training my body to recognize the smell of lavendar with sweet dreams.
4) Sleep masks. I’ll keep raving about this one. I’ve never slept as well as I do now that I use a sleep mask every night. Putting it on every night is a great cue to my body that it’s time to wind down, and the gentle pressure over my eyes helps me go back to sleep if I wake up in the middle of the night. In the morning, the mask keeps out the light my husband needs when getting ready.
5) Cool environment. Another biggie for me. I absolutely have to have a cool room if I want to get and stay asleep. 68 degrees is my preferred sleeping temperature. I can tell you if it’s off even by a single degree. I’ve done a little research on this (to justify to the hubs why our room has to have igloo-like temperature settings) and it’s true – the ideal temperature for sleeping is actually 60-67 degrees. So there. 🙂
Be sure to visit and sign up for the Nature Made Daily Boost program (http://www.wellnesswithnaturemade.com) for inspiration and information to further your health goals and to get a sneak peek at what other Nature Made fans are doing to stay healthy.
*I-C will randomly select 20 winners from all program entries and will handle fulfillment of the winning prizes.
First off, I love your sleep mask! Where did you get it?
I have not heard of this product before, but it sounds like a wonderful one to try to help regulate sleep patterns and hormones. Thank you for telling us about it.
I agree that watching TV before bed is NOT a good way to unwind before bedtime. For me, reading a good book doesn’t always help either because then I don’t want to stop reading it until I FULLY know what happens in the end.
Maybe more boring books? 🙂 I got my sleep mask on etsy!