Sleep like a baby. It sounds so easy, but for some, sleeping is (sometimes) a difficult task. It is really not always possible to solve it completely, 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 if you don't sleep well here. Because a good night's sleep contributes to a happy day!
9 tips to sleep like a baby
- Use sleep-inducing lavender
- Get as relaxed as a jellyfish
- Do the 4-7-8 breath
- Headspace teaches you to sleep
- Keep regular times
- Fall asleep with Jeff's Sleeping tapes
- Dream about the tree house together
- Get your smartphone out of the bedroom
- Make sure you have a really nice bed
Tip 1 - Use sleep-inducing lavender
Lavender has been proven to be a soothing scent. And whether it works for sleeping or not, if your bedroom smells like lavender, you'll automatically go into sleep mode. A few drops on your pillowcase and you relax immediately. Use good, pure natural oil without harmful substances, such as this one from Happyhaves, available via Bol.com - €17,-
Tip 2 - Get as relaxed as a jellyfish
The jellyfish is a concoction here based on a yoga relaxation exercise. When our son was little I got him so calm. In short, it goes like this: you lie on your back in bed and then tighten all parts of your body one by one - and let go. From your feet to your face. After that, 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 breath
The story goes that this technique is also used by soldiers in war who can quickly go to sleep for an hour and therefore not waste a single minute. With such things I often think: "Yes, yes". But this one secretly works very well! Repeat the exercise in bed four times after a busy day and you will feel the stress slip away. This is how this 4-7-8 breath goes:
- Breathe in very slowly through your nose for 4 seconds
- hold your breath for 7 seconds
- exhale very slowly through your mouth for 8 seconds
The more often you practice this, the better it works.
Tip 4 - Headspace teaches you to sleep
We LOVE Headspace to meditate with, but did you know that you can also (learn to) sleep well with this app? They have nice sounds and stories in the app, but they recently launched Netflix's Headspace Guide to Sleep series. You get useful tips and a lot is explained about sleeping. At the end of each episode you always get a guided relaxation exercise. Are you sleeping already?
💛 Read also: Meditation is so easy to learn
Tip 5 - Stick to fixed times
Can't do it, I know, but if you're really sleeping badly, you want to try everything, right? Just like you smell lavender and your brain thinks, "Oh yeah, if we smell this we're going to sleep" - it works with going to bed at a set time too. Give it a try, at least during the week.
Tip 6 - Fall asleep with Jeff's Sleeping tapes
We are a big fan here of The Dude from The Big Lebowski, played by the actor Jeff Bridges. He recorded Dreaming with Jeff for Squarespace in 2015 to...yes - listen before bed. On Dreamingwithjeff.com you will find all tracks and downloads. To do!
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. If mini couldn't sleep, we imagine together that we would meet in the tree house at night. It looks like the Robinson Family tree house in Disneyland and is located on the beach of Fuerteventura. A whole tribe of gnomes lives around the tree and there is a hammock for everyone on the top floor. An infinite number of kittens live there and at night there are thousands of stars in the sky. We only eat home-baked apple pie there and make lamps from jam jars filled with fireflies. Think about that and you'll 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 sleep? Numerous researchers have researched it. 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 influences your sleep. The solution? The smartphone that leaves the bedroom and grabs a book before going to sleep. As simple as that! This and many more tips on balancing your online/offline life are covered in the Happlify Digital Detox .
Tip 9 - Make sure you have a really nice bed
You sleep well on a good bed. We recently got new mattresses and that sleeps really great! I didn't know it would have such an impact on sleep. After a terribly extensive search, Emma mattresses have become with a large double topper. The different layers of foam provide a soft yet firm position that provides perfect support. Who knows, a new mattress might also be something for you.
Do you have a nice tip?
Author - Mariko Naber
Mariko is the happy brain behind Happlify. Together with 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, zee, piña colada, sugar & spice and everything nice 💛
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