Sleep Tips - How To Get Better Sleep


For most people, the goal is to get 7 to 8 hours of a quality restful deep sleep to maintain your good health and a long productive enjoyable life. Yet, with the everyday stresses of life, getting a good night's sleep isn't always so easy!

A 'Basic Recipe' for Better Sleep

  • Make your bedroom cool, quiet and cozy.
  • Use darkening blinds or curtains to block out light, especially if you need to sleep during the day.
  • Play soothing white noise sounds to block out noises, as well as create a tranquil yet subtle blanket of sound conducive to sleep.

Additional Sleep Tips 
Okay, so your bedroom is ready for you.  However, family, bills, work and all other things that happen in life may keep your mind and body from being ready for sleep!  So, here are some simple yet effective tips that can get you ready to get into your comfortable bed and sleep through the night.

Daytime Preparation

    1. Get your exercise in earlier in the day, preferably before 6:00 pm and before your dinner, but do exercise. However, some people prefer a 30-minute brisk walk after the evening dinner. You can enjoy positive benefits from a brisk 30-minute walk after your evening dinner. Just be sure to allow at least 3 hours' time between the exercise and bedtime.

    2. Avoid caffeine after 2:00 pm. Caffeine from coffee, tea and cola can stay in the body for hours. Cut out caffeine after 2:00 pm and your bedtime will be more successful. However, a nice cup of a non-caffeine soothing tea like chamomile can be beneficial.

    3. Finish your evening meal 3 hours before bedtime. Going to sleep with a full stomach can be lead to disruptive and restless sleep. Also, it is best to avoid spicy foods as they can have a negative effect on quality sleep.

    4. Avoid alcohol 3 hours before bedtime. Although alcohol can make you drowsy initially, it can cause disruptive sleep and lessen the quality of your sleep.

    5. Limit your liquids 3 hours before bedtime. You will sleep better if your bladder is not full. Besides, you don’t want to have to disrupt your sleep by making bathroom trips during the night.

    6. Try to avoid taking a nap during the day. If you must nap, take a short 30-minute nap, and nap no later than 3:00 pm.

    7. Do not use any tobacco or nicotine products 3 hours before bedtime (or anytime!).

    8. Spend some time outdoors in the sunlight. Exposure to daylight will help you sleep better.

Bedtime Tips
    1. Try to maintain a regular sleep and wake time schedule. Babies and children are not the only ones whose bodies respond well to a sleep schedule. If possible, try to keep the schedule on the weekends or days off work. Going to bed at the same time every night will put your body into a healthy routine.

    2. Have a regular routine to prepare for bedtime, such as a hot shower or long bath followed by reading or listening to relaxing music.  Here at Pure White Noise®, we offer a variety of soothing sleep sounds featuring a mix of our smooth white noise and relaxing music for your bedtime.

    3. Stretching, yoga and meditation can be of great help and benefit, too. Doing these routines consistently each night will signal your body that the time to sleep is at hand. Some slow deep breathing can be helpful to relax. Take in slow deep breathes through your nose and you will see your stomach expand. Then slowly exhale releasing all your stress from your body. Feel the stress leave your body with each exhale. Do 10 of these deep slow breathes to rid yourself of stress and relax your body as it prepares for a wonderful night of quality sleep.

    4. Make sure your bedroom is dark, quiet, cool and comfortable. Light and sound can interfere with your ability to get a good night's sleep.  Block your windows with heavy curtains or wear a comfortable sleep eye mask to get the room dark.  We offer effective sounds to help you fall asleep and stay asleep (and they also block out disruptive noises!).

    5. Only use the bed for sex and sleep. Remove distracting items like work and study related reading materials, laptops and TVs. Watching the evening news in bed with stories of death, violence, wars and destruction can be too stimulating and diminish your ability to enjoy quality sleep.

    6. Many people find it easier to sleep with an electric fan running in the room. This is great until the chill of fall and winter arrive!  To enjoy the soothing and relaxing fan sound all year long without the cold wind blowing on you, check out our Calming Electric Fan CD and mp3 download.  Our Baby's Electric Fan sound provides a more gentle fan sound especially made for newborns' sensitive hearing.

    7. Aroma therapy can be of benefit at bedtime also. Relaxing scents such as Vanilla and Lavender can be very relaxing and soothing. But do not leave a candle burning while you sleep! You might enjoy the new scented fragrant reed diffusers that are much safer than candles.

    8. Avoid sleeping with pets. Pets can be disruptive to quality sleep.

    9. If you can’t sleep, get up out of bed and go to another room to watch TV, surf the net, read or whatever will help you relax. Then return to your bed when you are ready to sleep again.
      Got some additional sleep tips that have worked for you?  Please be sure to share them with us!


      NOTE: If your ability to get a good night's sleep becomes a chronic issue, seek professional help from your doctor. Sometimes insomnia can be a symptom of other health issues.