How to Get Better Sleep After Daylight Savings
If you’ve found yourself struggling to fall asleep since daylight savings began, you’re not alone. Fortunately, there are several ways that you can get better sleep at night and gain back control of your schedule.
Don’t Online Shop Before Bed
With the entire Internet at your fingertips, it’s never been easier to browse on your phone wherever and whenever you want. In fact, around the world, nearly two billion websites are operating at the same time every day. Even as you’re laying in bed trying to fall asleep, it can be tempting to pull up Amazon or your favorite clothing store and do some retail therapy before bed.
This is not a good idea. For one thing, you may end up making some impulse purchases you don’t want to make while you’re not fully awake. For another thing, spending more time on your phone can strain your eyes and keep your brain and body going at a time when they’re supposed to be shutting down for the night. A better move is to put the phone away or turn on meditation to drift off to sleep.
Put Your Phone Away an Hour Before Bed
As you’ve read, online shopping before bed can be a bad idea, but spending time on your phone in bed at all isn’t good. Think about the last time you browsed on your phone while lying in bed. Did you put the phone down after five minutes, or did you end up spending an hour or more going from one website to another? While nearly 50% of mobile phone users use their phones as their primary internet source, you need to take a break from it when you go to bed.
The news article you saved for later can wait until morning. You can wait until morning to scroll through your Facebook feed again. Instead, put your phone down an hour before bedtime and relax. Try reading a book for a little bit, and putting it down when you feel yourself starting to tire. If you’re feeling tired, try going to bed a little earlier. If nothing else, you’ll feel more rested in the morning and ready to complete your to-do list.
Make Sure Your Room Is Comfortable
One of the reasons you might be having trouble after daylight savings is that your room is uncomfortable. Chances are you have had more than one sleepless night because you just can’t get comfortable or you’re too warm or too cold. In the wintertime, make sure your room is properly insulated, especially the windows, which can get drafty in the cold. In fact, proper insulation can keep you warm and save you money on your energy bills. Not only that, but good insulation will save you from dealing with costly roof repairs, help prevent the buildup of ice dams and save you as much as 50% on your energy bills.
Once your room is properly insulated, think about what else you can do to improve your sleep. If your pillows are uncomfortable, get new ones that are comfortable on your head and neck. If you need an extra blanket on the bed, get one that will keep you warm. Conversely, take a blanket off if you’re too warm. If you need both warm and cold during the night, get a warm blanket and also set up either a portable fan or a ceiling fan to get the cold you need.
Trying to find a good rhythm for sleep can be difficult after daylight savings, but it’s not impossible. By going to bed earlier, putting your phone away before bed, and taking steps to make your room comfortable, you can sleep longer, better, and feel more rested.
