5 Things You Should Stop Doing Before Bed

Most of us don’t put an immense amount of thought into what we do before bedtime and how it affects our sleep. You’d be surprised to find out you might be single-handedly sabotaging yourself every night! Some of these things might even surprise you, but hopefully, our little informational session will help you get back to sleeping like a log. If you still have trouble sleeping, CBD fruit gummies help you fall asleep because let’s face it, some of us just need a little extra help in that department sometimes–in general. Check out these 5 things you need to stop doing before you hit the sheets!

Caffeine

This might seem obvious, but some of us think that we have a certain immunity to caffeine. That might be true to a certain point, but caffeine is a stimulant and it can “stimulate” at the most random times. Sometimes, you might drink a cup of coffee or tea and still be tired because it blocks the Adenosine from your central nervous system, but most of the time it’s working in a way to disrupt your sleeping cycle.

As an alternative to caffeine before bed, you might want to opt for a non-caffeinated cup of herbal tea. You can try something along the lines of chamomile, passionflower, or even lavender. All of these herbal teas have been proven to promote sleep and relaxation.

Sleeping Pills

If you’ve had one too many sleepless nights, you’ll probably start looking into pharmaceuticals, but this might not the greatest idea. Some of these prescription-strength sleeping aids are very heavy and also habit-forming. Another negative aspect of taking these pills is that you’re going to sleep very, very heavy. If you have kids, or elderly loved ones that you take care of this could be dangerous.

Many people have replaced sleeping pills with CBD products because there’s a wide range of herbal products and concentrations. If you’re new to CBD, you could start with one of the lower concentrations and get some of the best sleep you’ve ever had, but on the other hand, they have products like CBD capsules that have a higher concentration and last longer. CBD is great because it’s natural and non-habit forming.

Eating Heavy Meals

Have you ever noticed that you have nightmares when you eat a really heavy meal late in the evening? That’s because it works to boost your metabolism and temperature and both of these factors can lead to an increase of REM brain activity–ie–nightmares.

Make sure you’re giving yourself enough time in between that heavy meal and bedtime. If you just can’t avoid it, it’s said that people who sleep on their left sides have more nightmares than those who sleep on the right side. However, it’s also noted that sleeping on the left side helps with digestion, so take your pick and see what works for you!

Drinking Alcohol

You might think that having a cocktail before bed is a good idea because it makes you kind of relaxed and tired, right? The truth of the matter is that you’ll go to sleep, but the quality of sleep you get won’t be that great. Alcohol actually decreases the amount of REM sleep you get, and REM sleep is the sleep you want to get because without it you’re going to wake up groggy and still pretty tired.

The only real alternative to alcohol is not drinking alcohol before bed. Drink some water, stay hydrated, and get the sleep you’re looking for!

Tension

When you’re laying in bed, staring at the ceiling, it’s kind of hard to not think about those pressing issues that you have to take care of. You’ve got this bill, that bill, that thing for the kids you have to pay for, and if you don’t have money for it all, it’s easy to fall into patterns of worry before you close your eyes. There are a few reasons why you should stop this immediately. For one, the more you focus on the negative aspect of things in your life, the more negativity and worry that you’ll bring to it. Secondly, why would you want to end your day with all that worry, fear, and dread?

You need to do the exact opposite! Sure, we have to be realistic and be aware of the things we must attend to, but we need to align ourselves with a more positive approach. Try some mindful mediation before bed. Focus on all of the positive things that happened and visualize how you want the next day to go. It won’t hurt to throw some affirmations in there while you’re at it!

Conclusion

Sometimes, we get in the habit of doing things before bed, and we don’t even realize that those things are holding us back from a beneficial 8 hours of sleep. Take these tips and revise your bedtime routine in a way that works for you!