{"id":56523,"date":"2017-02-27T11:15:12","date_gmt":"2017-02-27T16:15:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=56523"},"modified":"2017-03-02T11:00:13","modified_gmt":"2017-03-02T16:00:13","slug":"insomnia-tips-bedtime-rituals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/lifestyle\/insomnia-tips-bedtime-rituals\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Bedtime Rituals to Help Banish Your Insomnia"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"7
Photo: Twenty20<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Your mind races. The clock torments you as each minute clicks on, and you continue to calculate how each second you\u2019re awake is affecting how much sleep<\/a> you\u2019ll get tonight, therefore ruining your day tomorrow.<\/p>\n

If this sounds familiar, you can count yourself among the estimated 25 percent of American adults who report occasionally not getting enough sleep, according to the Centers for Disease Control.<\/a> And then there\u2019s the 10 percent<\/a> that suffer from chronic insomnia disorder, when sleeplessness strikes at least three times a week for several months straight.<\/p>\n

The good news: Research shows that bedtime rituals<\/a> can be helpful for insomnia sufferers. We talked to sleep and happiness experts to find out just what you should be doing when you so desperately want to hit the hay \u2014 but can\u2019t.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>Six Signs You\u2019re Exhausted (Not Just Tired)<\/a><\/p>\n

7 Nighttime Rituals to Fight Insomnia<\/h2>\n

The key to these tips, says Gretchen Rubin, author of Better Than Before: What I Learned About Making Breaking Habits<\/em><\/a>, is to try them before<\/em> you have trouble sleeping. That way your body becomes accustomed to the rituals and associates them with sleep when you need them most.<\/p>\n

1. Set a bedtime alarm.<\/h3>\n

That\u2019s right \u2014 an alarm to go to <\/em>sleep.\u00a0\u201cThe problem many people have with sleep,\u201d Rubin says, \u201cis that people wait to be tired and stay up too late.\u201d She suggests selecting a distinct tone to signify that it\u2019s time for you to begin preparing for bedtime. (Think: wind chimes or bird\u2019s chirping, rather than the blaring fire alarm ringtone that rattles you awake each morning.)<\/p>\n

2. Brush your teeth.<\/h3>\n

It sounds so obvious, right? But there\u2019s a reason behind this other than, you know, your good oral health. \u201cIt\u2019s something you\u2019ve done before bed your whole life, so it\u2019s already associated with going to sleep,\u201d says Dr. Steve Orma, insomnia and anxiety specialist and author of Stop Worrying and Go to Sleep<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Plus, Rubin adds, often nighttime rituals include snacking \u2014 and you\u2019re probably not noshing on carrots late at night! Sugary bites will cause a blood sugar spike, and a freshly cleaned mouth will help you call it quits before temptation strikes.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>The 10 Happiest Places on the Internet<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Dim the lights.<\/h3>\n

Turn off your lamps an hour before bed, recommends Dr. Orma. \u201cThis will cue your body that it\u2019s nighttime and increase the release of melatonin, the hormone that helps you sleep.\u201dThe same holds true for your favorite gadget. Studies<\/a> have shown that blue light from devices like smartphones and tablets can disrupt your body\u2019s melatonin-making process, which is the hormone that helps you fall and stay asleep.<\/p>\n

4. Listen to a bedtime story.<\/h3>\n

That\u2019s right, nighttime stories are not just for kids anymore! They work for children because they help them relax and lull them to sleep. So why wouldn\u2019t adults try them? Dr. Orma recommends this tactic to distract your mind from the rumination that leads to anxiety. Instead, you\u2019ll be refocusing that energy on something more pleasant. The app Calm<\/a> or podcast Sleep with Me<\/a> are among Dr. Orma\u2019s favorite resources for bedtime stories.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>How to Overcome Anxiety, Starting Now<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Read yourself to sleep.<\/h3>\n

You always say you don\u2019t have enough time to read, right? Just before bedtime is the perfect opportunity, says Dr. Orma. It focuses \u2014 and thus, fatigues \u2014 your mind. Pro tips: Make sure what you\u2019re reading is only somewhat interesting and non-stimulating. (Sorry, no 50 Shades of Grey<\/em> here!) You\u2019ll also want to make sure you\u2019re not reading on your Kindle<\/a> or iPad, as light-emitting e-readers negatively affect sleep<\/a> by disrupting circadian rhythms.<\/p>\n

6. Clean up.<\/h3>\n

No, this isn\u2019t time to scour your house, but those clothes you have draped over your chair? Take 10 minutes to put them away, says Rubin, to help you feel a sort of closure to the day. \u201cIt\u2019s symbolically putting things into place,\u201d she says. \u201cPlus, it feels so much nicer when you wake up in the morning to a clean home.\u201d Feng shui<\/a> experts would agree, too.<\/p>\n

7. Get chill.<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019ve ever shared a bed or a room with someone, you know how contentious room temperature can be. Turns out there\u2019s a reason for that. If it\u2019s too hot or too cold, says Dr. Orma, it can disturb your sleep. \u201cThe ideal sleep temperature,\u201d he says, \u201chas been shown to be about 65 degrees Farenheit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Want more tips to\u00a0fight insomnia and get better quality zzz’s? Check out this research-backed infographic from\u00a0On Stride<\/a>.<\/p>\n

More Tips to Turn Your Insomnia Around, Starting Tonight<\/h2>\n
\"Insomnia
Infographic courtesy of On Stride<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Counting sheep not working? Here’s why a bedtime story (and a few other nighttime rituals) are just what the doctor ordered to fight insomnia. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":56542,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,12,13],"tags":[117,280,282,341,408],"class_list":["post-56523","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","category-mental-health","category-sleep","tag-relaxation","tag-sleep","tag-stress","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2sleep"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56523","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56523"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56523\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56542"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56523"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56523"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56523"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}