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If you’re still burning the midnight oil in spite of Tuesday’s tips, don’t worry! I have more sleep strategies to share!
Drown Yourself in White Noise
You may be reading this from a rural sanctuary, where you are lulled to sleep each night by a chorus of crickets. If so, good for you! But for my fellow city dwellers, you know the relentless noises of a metropolis can keep you up, and often even wake you from a sound sleep! A white noise machine (a loud fan works, too) will help drown out noises that would otherwise startle you awake or keep you awake. I prefer ones that sound like swooshing air, but you can download white noise apps for your phone or tablet that have several different sleep soundtracks. Choose the one that best entrances you!
Clear the Air
Invest in an air purifier with a negative ion setting. Purportedly, negative ions have myriad positive effects on us psychologically and physically. I can’t really speak to that, but I can say that breathing freely has made it infinitely easier for me to fall asleep – and I’m not even a serious allergy sufferer. All the dirty little bits floating in the air around us can irritate even the stoutest of us, so an air purifier can benefit everyone. For serious allergy sufferers, I would say it’s close to a necessity. It really does purify the air – I was shocked at how “clean” my room smelled within a few hours of switching it on! I keep my house clean as a whistle, so I didn’t realize it didn’t smell as fresh as possible until the air purifier made it smell like my dentist’s office. Added bonus? It doubles as white noise machine!
Rescue Sleep Spray
I cannot say enough good things about Dr. Bach’s flower remedy products. Rescue Sleep is made specifically to help you- you guessed it- fall asleep. And it works! Just two sprays on your tongue are all you need – like a bedtime Binaca. Dr. Bach’s products are totally natural, safe and non-habit forming.
STILL Awake?!
You may need to call in the big guns. Valerian root tea is always very effective at knocking me out. But caveat emptor! While Valerian root tea definitely puts me to sleep, it also makes me totally loopy and woozy, so I only use it when I really need to sleep, and once I’ve done everything I need to do that requires clarity of thought or grace of movement. It also has a very strong, almost pungent smell that some people may find too displeasing to tolerate. A supplement I’ve had success with is L-Theanine. I have taken 1-2 150 mg. capsules about 30 minutes before bed. It doesn’t knock me out or make me feel cuckoo, there is just an absence of the usual flashing beeping mental dashboard that keeps me up at night. Caveat emptor: I wouldn’t use this for a prolonged period of times or several days in a row. It seems to put your bowels to sleep – if you know what I mean. I hope these sleep strategies help you get your well-deserved good night sleep so you can look and feel your very best. If you’ve employed any of these sleep strategies, please let us know how they worked for you! And don’t forget…
Fake It Till You Make It
While you’re waiting for one (or all) of these strategies to kick in, you can grab some of my favorite skin care products that approximate the effects of a good night’s sleep. These creams and serums leave me looking dewy and glowing – even when my sleep has been scarce.
Claire McCormack Twitter & Instagram: @clairemcmack