Sleeping like a baby. It sounds so easy, but for some, sleeping is (sometimes) a difficult task. It is also not always completely solvable, but fortunately there are many things you can try to sleep better. Here are nine very nice tips that I (Mariko) apply in any case when sleeping is not going so well here. Because a good night's sleep contributes to a happy day!
9 Tips for Sleeping Like a Baby
- Use sleep-inducing lavender
- Become as relaxed as a jellyfish
- Do the 4-7-8 breathing
- Headspace teaches you how to sleep
- Keep to regular times
- Fall Asleep with Jeff's Sleeping Tapes
- Dream together about the tree house
- Take your smartphone out of the bedroom
- Make sure you have a really comfortable bed
Tip 1 - Use sleep-inducing lavender
Lavender is proven to be a calming scent. And whether it works for sleeping or not, if your bedroom smells of lavender, you will automatically go into sleep mode. A few drops on your pillowcase and you will relax immediately. Do use good, pure natural oil without harmful substances, such as this one from Happyhaves, available via Bol.com - €17,-
Tip 2 - Become as relaxed as a jellyfish
The jellyfish is a fiction here based on a yoga relaxation exercise. When our son was little I calmed him down like this. In short it goes like this: you lie on your back in bed and then tense all parts of your body one by one - and let go. From your feet to your face. Then your body feels like a kind of relaxed 'pudding' (or a 'jellyfish') and you can relax more easily.
Tip 3 - Do the 4-7-8 breathing
The story goes that this technique is also used by soldiers in war who can quickly go to sleep for an hour and therefore do not waste a single minute. With such things I often think: "Yes, yes". But this secretly works very well! Repeat the exercise in bed after a busy day four times and you will feel the stress slip away. This is how this 4-7-8 breathing goes:
- breathe in very calmly through your nose for 4 seconds
- hold your breath for 7 seconds
- exhale very slowly through your mouth for 8 seconds
The more you practice this, the better it works.
Tip 4 - Headspace teaches you how to sleep
We LOVE Headspace for meditation, but did you know that you can also (learn to) sleep wonderfully with this app? They have nice sounds and stories in the app, but recently also the series Netflix' Headspace Guide to Sleep . You get useful tips and a lot is explained about sleeping. At the end of each episode you get a guided relaxation exercise. Are you asleep yet?
💛 Also read: You can learn to meditate very easily
Tip 5 - Keep to fixed times
I know it's impossible, but if you're really having a hard time sleeping, you'll try anything, right? Just like when you smell lavender and your brain thinks: "Oh yeah, if we smell this we'll go to sleep" - going to bed at a fixed time also works. Just try it, at least during the week.
Tip 6 - Fall asleep with Jeff's Sleeping tapes
We're big fans of The Dude from The Big Lebowski, played by actor Jeff Bridges. He recorded Dreaming with Jeff for Squarespace in 2015 to... yes - listen to before going to sleep. You can find all the tracks and downloads on Dreamingwithjeff.com . Do it!
Tip 7 - Dream about the tree house together
Jeff talks about the dream tree in his Sleeping tapes, we made the tree house out of it at home. When mini couldn't sleep we imagined together that we would meet each other at night in the tree house. It looks like the Family Robinson tree house in Disneyland and is located on the beach of Fuerteventura. A whole tribe of elves lives around the tree and on the top floor there is a hammock for everyone. There are endless kittens living there and at night there are thousands of stars in the sky. We only eat home-made apple pie there and make lamps from jam jars filled with fireflies. Just think about that and you will be asleep in no time!
Tip 8 - Take your smartphone out of the bedroom
In recent years, opinions have been divided: is sleeping with a mobile phone on the bedside table bad for your sleep? Numerous researchers have done research on this. In addition to the fact that the radiation from the smartphone does indeed have physical consequences, the smartphone also affects the quality of sleep for psychological reasons. The stimuli you receive keep you awake and the radiation from a 4G or wifi network affects your night's rest. The solution? Get the smartphone out of the bedroom and grab a book before going to sleep. As simple as that! This and many more tips about balancing your on/offline life are discussed in the Happlify Digital Detox .
Tip 9 - Make sure you have a really comfortable bed
You sleep well on a good bed. We recently got new mattresses and they sleep really well! I didn't know that would have such an impact on the night's sleep. After a terribly extensive search, we ended up with Emma mattresses with a large double topper. The different layers of foam ensure a soft yet firm position that provides perfect support. Who knows, a new mattress might be something for you too.
Do you have a nice tip?
Author - Mariko Naber
Mariko is the happy brain behind Happlify. Together with her partner Mark she runs Sell your stuff online, branding agency Loaded ink BNO and Atelier Naber . She loves feel good, random acts of kindness, meatballs, chocolate mousse, family time, sea, piña colada, sugar & spice and everything nice 💛
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