Journey to Low Tox Living
Struggling to Sleep? Read this Post!! | Five Things I Did to Improve My Sleep
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A few weeks ago, I posted a reel on Instagram all about how I improved my sleep. That was a popular post - especially in my DMs and text messages. SO many people out there struggle to fall aslseep.
Ever since I got pregnant with my second son I struggled with sleep. While pregnant, I chalked it up to just pregnancy insomnia and wasn't too worried about it. While in the newborn days, I had no problem sleeping because you are just so tired at that time and will take all the sleep you can get! However, as he got older I found myself regularly struggling to fall asleep. Or if I could fall alseep, something would wake me up in the middle of the night, and I would never be able to fall back asleep. I eventually went to a doctor for it, and all they suggested was taking a sleeping pill. I didn't want to just be on sleeping pills for the rest of my life so I declined the prescription and set out to figure out what wrong with my sleep on my own.
That doctor's appointment was last fall and now I can happily say I sleep 8-9 hours every single night with no sleeping pill required! Below are the five things I did to improve my sleep.
If you are struggling with sleep - my heart goes out to you. Few things are more frustrating than lying in bed awake at 3 AM just waiting to fall asleep and counting down the hours until your alarm goes off. I hope these tips help you get the sleep you need. Please feel free to reach out on Instagram if you want to chat about any of my suggestions in this post! Of course, these are all my own opinion and not medical advice.
Here are the 5 things I did to improve my sleep:
1. Stop scrolling and using my phone every night by 9:30. Phone moves to Do Not Disturb at 10:15
- I usually am in bed reading every night by 10:30. And while I never scrolled on my phone in bed, it was very common that I was still scrolling while sitting on the couch up until I decided to go to bed. I am now off my phone every night by 9:30. The reason this is so helpful is because everything on my phone keeps my mind spinning. I find ideas online I want to try, am thinking about new places to visit, going through new research or things I've learned, etc. It keeps my mind way too occupied and I can't sleep if I am on my phone too close to bedtime.
- In addition to that change, my phone goes into Do Not Disturb every night by 10:15. (This means that no more texts or phone calls will come through my phone so all distrcations are really gone.) When I am off my phone at 9:30 that to me means no more scrolling or playing on social media. But, I'm still available if someone needs me on text or phone. Once 10:15 hits, the only people getting thorugh are contacts I've set as emergency contacts. If your friends or family chat way later regularly and it is keeping you up, you may need to set your phone into Do Not Disturb Mode at the same time you stop scrolling. Fortunately for me, most of my friends are in bed before me so there is rarely a conversation happening that late at night.
- Once 9:30 hits my husband and I either start a show or I'm reading a book. As I mentioned in the first paragraph, I am NEVER on my phone in bed. Instead I will read! Here are some blog posts I have done with some of my favorite books. If you are looking for book recommendations check them out! First is The Best Books I've Read in 2024 (so far + what I'm looking forward to reading next). Second blog post I'd recommend you check out is My Favorite Books I Read in 2023.
2. No snacks 1 hour before bedtime
- Very rarely did I eat before bed, but since focusing on my sleep I really tried to have no snacks or food one hour before bedtime. Eating that close to bed meant my stomach never had a change to digest or really settle. I'm uncomfortable when I get into bed if I eat right before going to sleep. Eating too close to your bedtime can cause digestive issues while sleeping so it is best to be done snacking at minimum an hour before bed!
3. Tart Cherry Juice
- Tart Cherry Juice is amazing for sleep!! I get mine from Rowe Casa Organics. Tart Cherry Juice is great for sleep because it contains melatonin and tryptophan. I take mine in a shot glass every night around 9:30 but I know a lot of other people like to make fun mocktails with it for night time so there really are a lot of options depending on your prefernce! Rowe Casa Tart Cherry Juice is superior because they add Chamomile and Valerian Root to it to really enhance the relaxation. It provides other health benefits as well as it helps with inflammation, muscle recovery, and more.
4. Magnesium Cream
- Another Rowe Casa product I love is their magnesium cream. Almost 50% of adults are deficient in magnesium. I like using magnesium cream because it absorbs straight into my skin. (Bonus this magnesium cream is great for muscle soreness!!) Magnesium cream is a great way to calm the body before sleep. I put mine right on my feet each night.
5. Magnesium Supplement
- Last but not least, a magensium supplement. I am currently using Just Ingredient's magnesium supplement. I have a Just Ingredients discount code you can use to save money on your Just Ingredients purchase. Use Just Ingredients promo code DARCY to save. There are many different forms of magnesium (and they all have their purpose!) so if you are struggling with sleep make sure you purchase the right kind of magnesium for sleep. If you're unsure what to buy, stick with the Just Ingredient's Magnesium Complex because they combined 5 different types of magnesium to make up their supplement. This enhances absorption and provides so many extra benefits than just helping you sleep!
- If you are looking for some kind of natual sleeping pill - start with magnesium. I personally prefer magnesium over melatonin because your body should natually be producing melatonin and if you are taking a supplment for it it can hinder your body's natural production. I started first with a magnesium supplement every night when I was really struggling with sleep. As I introduced some of these other solutions, I've reduced how often I take magnesium. Now I take it when I can tell when I am getting ready for bed that I am going to struggle to sleep (like maybe I am getting to bed late or my mind is spinning). I know plenty of other people who take magnesium every night regardless! You will have to try different things to see what works for you.
Those are the 5 things I changed to improve my sleep! If you are struggling to sleep, please know that you are not alone. It is estimated that 1/3 of adults struggle with sleep. There are things you can change or introduce in your life to help you fall asleep and stay asleep! I am proof of it. A year ago I was thinking I would need sleeping pills and now I get 8+ hours of sleep a night without one. If you have questions about any of these products, please send me a DM on instagram! Within this post are all easy things to try to improve your sleep. I hope you found it useful!
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