3 Ways to Improve Your Sleep Quality Tonight

It took me a long time to realize how important not only sleep, but sleep quality is to my health. When I finally decided to prioritize my sleep, I was pregnant with my son, A. At that point, I had to acknowledge that my health wasn't just about me anymore, but was very important for my son. When I started making sure I got a full-nights worth of rest all at once and did my best to make sure it was good quality sleep, I suddenly felt much more energized and was able to think much more clearly. I have no intentions of ever going back to the three hours of sleep each day that I used to get.

Minimize Noise

I noticed my sleep quality is much better when there aren't noises that keep making me more alert. To minimize noise, I don't have any television, music, or noise machine going. The sound of the air conditioner is the most that I might hear. If my husband, C, is doing something on his computer in the other room, he will usually shut the door to the room he is in. If I can still hear him, I will partially close the door to the bedroom. This helps me not only fall asleep, but stay asleep.

Stick to a Sleep Schedule

It is much easier and quicker for me to fall asleep when I routinely go to bed around the same time each night. For me, I usually am in my bed to wind down for the night around 7pm each night, unless I have work. Sometime between 9:30pm and 10pm, I stop reading my book and try to go to sleep. By doing this, I tend to get tired between 9pm and 10pm each night. However, I do allow myself to go out of routine for occasions like spending time with C or going to a late-night event. Other than that, I try my best to stick to my 10pm bedtime.

Increase Bright Light Exposure During the Day

The first thing I do when I wake up each morning is open the curtains. This tells my brain that it is morning time and it's time to get going with my day. I notice that when I do this, I have an increase in energy and become more alert. By being awake and active during the day, I am more worn out by the end of the day and ready for rest. To increase light exposure, I also try to spend a lot of time outside if possible. I take A on long walks, we eat on the porch, I do homework outside while A plays, we do activities together outside... Everything that can be done outside, we do. Sometimes I even give A a bath outside. By the end of the day, as it starts getting darker, naturally, I begin to get sleepier and ready for bed.