Sleep Disorders and Eco-Friendly Ways to Conquer Them All

We all have trouble sleeping sometimes. Whether we willingly sacrifice a couple of hours of sleep to finish a good book, stay up late to chat with a friend, or simply have trouble falling asleep as our mind tries to process our lives – we’ve all been there.

In the current climate of uncertainty and anxiety, having trouble sleeping is becoming the norm, so it seems. Even those among us who used to be able to drift off into oblivion more easily than others now find themselves wide awake hours after their usual bedtime.

No matter what’s causing your nights of poor and disgruntled sleep, let’s look at some eco-friendly ways that can help you master them.

Change Your Mattress

The mattress you sleep on plays an incredibly important role in the way you sleep. And while its quality may seem completely irrelevant at times, when you start losing sleep, you will want to explore a more comfortable option.

Eco-friendly mattresses cost more than regular ones, that is true – but the added cost will soon become worth your while when you start to notice the changes in your sleep.

The materials these mattresses are made of provide a comfy and supportive environment to sleep in. They also help regulate your body temperature, meaning you will be less likely to wake up because you’re too hot or too cold.

Change Your Diet

What you eat and when can significantly impact the way you sleep.

Some people tend to reach for food as a way to fall asleep easier (mostly comfort foods that are usually on the heavy side), but the better option is to eat lighter meals that will be easier to digest.

When your digestive system is burdened with the task of dealing with a heavy and large meal you’ve treated yourself to before bed, you are more likely to suffer from heartburn that can keep you awake. Or you might just be unable to fall asleep as your body is busy processing the meal.

Try to go for light and easy meals before bedtime, and give your body plenty of time to digest them as well. But you don’t want to go to bed hungry either, as that can also keep you awake. So, do a bit of experimenting and find a mealtime and meal plan that best works for your body.

There are also foods that promote sleep, so you might want to consider munching on some of them before bedtime as well.

A cup of warm milk is often recommended as a remedy for sleeplessness. You can go for a cup of oat or almond milk heated up in the evening, to make sure you are doing the eco-friendly thing.

Choose A Soothing Smell

Essential oils are a great way to relax your senses and muscles and help yourself drift off to sleep.

Lavender is most often hailed as the best sleep-promoting scent, so you can add it to your bath, use a lavender hand or body cream, or even a pillow mist. You can also combine it with chamomile if the scent of pure lavender is too much for you.

However, if you are not a fan of these scents at all, there are other options to choose from: bergamot, cedar, and sage all work well too.

Of course, you can choose a scent that is calming for you personally, whether that is the smell of warm apple pie or a perfume you like that helps you relax. Add a bit of it to your bedtime routine and make it a point to focus on its soothing properties, instead of just using it as a background scent.

Darken the room

Our bodies are naturally conditioned to wake up when it’s light out and sleep when it gets dark. And while we have done a lot to mess with this natural cycle, our bodies still respond to light and darkness in a similar fashion.

This is why it’s so bad for you to stare at a screen before bed – a phone, your TV, or computer all emit blue light that will boost your cortisol levels. This, in turn, will inhibit your production of melatonin, the hormone you need to fall asleep.

Remove all screens from your routine before going to bed. Read a physical book, listen to calming music, do a skincare routine, take a warm shower or a bath, journal – just do something that does not involve an electronic device.

Also, make sure the room is dark when you go to bed. Some light is fine, like the light coming in through your windows, but make sure it doesn’t get too bright during the night. If the area you live in is very artificially lit during the nighttime, you might want to go for blackout curtains.

Final thoughts

Sleep is one of the most important things we do in our lives, even if it sometimes seems like a waste of time. Prioritize it and ensure you get quality rest, as opposed to hours of interrupted and uncomfortable restlessness. Once your body gets a proper chance to recuperate at nighttime, you’ll notice how your mood and overall wellbeing lifts, allowing you to embrace life in a whole new way.