If you don’t confess your love to me by telling me I have bewitched you, body and soul, and that you love, you love, you love me, and never wish to be parted from me… then i don’t want it
sleep is a challenge for many people. after vacations or intensive projects or even a couple rounds of staying up late playing video games, we’ve all messed up our sleep schedules before. this is a guide on how to wake up earlier and get healthier sleep. please let me know if you’d like more posts like this. wishing love and prosperity to all <3
the night/day before:
choose a bedtime that’s 9-10 hours before your wake up time. make sure you’re in bed at this time. if you don’t fall asleep immediately (which you won’t, the first couple of times) read or journal until you feel sleepy.
turn your devices off or put them away at least 30 minutes (ideally 2 hours) before your bedtime. if you have any devices that stay on overnight, make sure they aren’t within arms reach and notifications are turned off. if you’re using your phone as an alarm make sure it’s on the other side of your room, so that you have to walk to turn your alarm off in the morning.
make sure dinner is a light, satisfying meal. don’t eat after dinner, as this can lead to acid reflux and interrupted sleep.
avoid caffeine and sugary drinks in the afternoon and evening. keep your caffeine intake under 400mg per day.
sleep with your curtains or blinds open. this will help adjust your circadian rhythm to the day/night cycle.
find a relaxing hobby you can do before bed. some ideas include crochet, knitting, reading, journaling or building puzzles. these are well known in helping with stress management and can help you unwind before you go to sleep.
create a relaxing night routine. make sure you feel clean and comfortable by the time you go to sleep.
make use of a lavender scent before you go to bed. whether it’s a linen spray, incense, a candle or an oil diffuser. lavender is calming and can help you feel sleepy, especially if you learn to associate it with sleep.
in the morning:
get out of bed the second you wake up. you need to get up, turn off your alarm and stay out of bed.
make your first activity of the day one you enjoy. your skincare routine, cooking a nice breakfast, a warm shower or even sitting on the couch watching netflix is an option. there’s no shame in what you choose to do first thing in the morning, even if it’s not productive. if it gets you out of bed, it’s the right choice.
expose yourself to sunlight as soon as possible in the morning. just 10 minutes could help your circadian rhythm adjust. if it’s dark in the mornings because of the weather or the different seasons, turn your lights on.
other tips:
avoid pulling all-nighters or taking naps. staying up all night is bad for your health, full stop. lack of sleep weakens your immune system and ruins your focus during the day. taking naps regularly can impair the sleep schedule you’ve been working so hard to build. however, if you’re really tired, a 20 minute nap is better than a cup of coffee.
make your mental health and stress management a priority. depression, anxiety and stress result in poor sleep. they can be managed with a well balanced lifestyle and professional intervention.
having a well balanced diet can improve your general health as well as your sleep. make sure you aren’t skipping meals. have of each meal should be fruits and vegetables, a quarter grains (preferably wholegrain) and a quarter protein. eat as much variety as possible.
stay well hydrated. the common recommendation of 8 glasses a day is a good goal. staying hydrated can help you stay more alert during the day.
regular exercise can improve quality of sleep. exercise during the day if possible, but definitely not within 2 hours of your bedtime.
make a list of reasons why you want to wake up early. read this every night before you go to bed and first thing in the morning. make sure your reasons are important enough to motivate you.
if you’re struggling to adjust to a new sleep schedule because your current sleep schedule is so far off, adjust your bed/wake times in 30 minute increments. this can make the adjustment more comfortable.
stay as consistent as possible. try to keep the habits you’ve built, even over vacations or exam seasons. discipline will eventually become a habit.
only drink in moderation, alcohol can do serious damage to your circadian rhythm. alcohol generally is bad for you and should not be overconsumed.
if you’re having persistent issues with sleep, reach out to a doctor or a sleep specialist who can help you.
finally, be kind to yourself. you can’t force yourself to sleep, and stressing about it will only make sleeping properly more difficult. change comes gradually, and you can achieve anything you set your mind to as long as you’re consistent.
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i hope you’re having a lovely day. if you have anymore tips for achieving a healthy sleep schedule, please let me know. i would love to hear it.
it’s important to take time to maintain yourself and prepare for bed every day. often we get caught up with life events and neglect ourselves in the process. this results in a messy sleep schedule and undue stress. each evening is a chance to work at consistency and self care, and we miss out when we rush our night routines.
planning:
figure out how much time you have, realistically. do you eat dinner with your family at a certain time? do you go to the gym with someone in the evenings? what time do you need to be in bed? ideally you would have at least an hour to wind down for bed.
write out a schedule. make sure you have enough time to prep for your night routine, clean up and do your skincare and hair care routines, prepare for the next day and wind down for bed.
make sure you have everything you need. use product that you already have before buying new stuff, but make sure you have the essentials you need to carry out your routine comfortably.
example schedule:
8.00pm - 8.10pm: get everything together, turn off the big lights, choose music for the evening
8.10pm - 8.40pm: shower, moisturize body
8.40pm - 9.10pm: skincare, hair care
9.10pm - 9.30pm: pack bags for the next day, choose outfit
9.30pm - 10.00pm: read, get into bed
a note onadjusting your schedule:
if your schedule doesn’t work well, don’t force yourself to fit into it. your schedule should work for you and you should change it whenever necessary to make sure it does. it’s important to remember that you are the priority here and this is your time to take care of yourself.
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hello my loves. this is a follow up post to how to wake up earlier. i believe that having a good day starts the night before. if you have any essential steps in your night routine that i haven’t mentioned here, please let me know. wishing love and prosperity to all <3
babe. be real with me. if i were a plain little rock on a beach would you pick me up and turn me over in your hand and marvel over how wonderfully ordinary i am. like really take the time to ponder how there isn’t necessarily anything special about me but that the very deed of choosing me out of countless other rocks raises me to a precious, almost sacred level of irreplaceability that is only accessible through the act of being seen and loved?
Reminds me of this poem I wrote. I’m glad my feelings are not my own.
There’ll be a moment when you realise you’re 27 when yesterday you were just 17; and you wouldn’t be able to tell how a decade passed away and your life got divided into before and afters. The fury of youth will subdue and nothing will really change but everything will feel different when you look at old photographs and blurry videos taken on cheap mobile phones. Scents will remind you of childhood and certain friends you don’t talk to anymore, hangouts will become reunions and mom’s burnt pie will become the best food you ever had. And I know on some days you won’t be able to show anything of those 10 years but I hope you remember to breathe, and let go of the knot in your chest. I hope you go out in the sun and live a little, because tomorrow is 37.
Edit- I added the visualizer for this piece on my YT, check it out here
Friendly reminder to check you’re not holding tension in your body. Let your shoulders drop, unclench your hands and jaw. Take a deep breath. Much better.
ALT
