Minimize ambient light
Although it's normal to wake up during the night, Cralle stresses the importance of making sure your bedroom is cool, dark and quiet, as it will help you go right back to sleep faster. And if you need to use the bathroom during the night, she recommends using the dimmest light (preferably red or amber in color) possible to safely navigate your way there and back. As she explains, bright lighting is alerting and it can make it difficult to fall back asleep.
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Get Some Exercise
According to Cralle, exercise of any kind helps with sleep — so even if you haven't figured out how to carve out time to hit the gym, she recommends putting on your tennis shoes and hitting the stairs or walking around the block at lunchtime. Any kind of movement will help improve your sleeping habits, even if it's just ten minutes!
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Consume Alcohol with Caution
"While alcohol may help you fall asleep, it will disrupt your sleep during the night as it metabolizes — fragmenting it and leaving you unrefreshed upon awakening," explains Cralle. That said, if you do decide to have a drink, she advises having it earlier in the evening (think happy hour time — or, at least three hours before bedtime). Staying hydrated with a glass of water will also help.
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Try Not to Bring Your Worries to Bed
"Get into the habit of writing a to-do list, which includes jotting down things you worry about," Cralle says. She says that some people refer to this as a "brain dump" — and it can help prevent that pesky racing mind that can keep you awake at night (we all know the feeling).
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Conduct a Bedroom Audit
"Your bedroom has two purposes — sleep and romance," Cralle tells TotalBeauty. When you add other items (such as exercise equipment, televisions, home office supplies, clutter), she says it becomes a multi-purpose room that is not conducive to sleep. Since clutter is distracting, she notes that it's important to remove as much as possible in order to get a good night's sleep. Time to Marie Kondo!
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