Let’s face it––we all suffer from a lack of sleep at some point or another. Especially in today’s fast-paced world full of attention-grabbing influences, it can be especially difficult to turn your mind off at night. In fact, getting a good night’s sleep may sound like an unreal fantasy for many folks.
If you’re one of these people, then you know all too well how it feels to not get a good night’s sleep. You find trouble sleeping at the same time every night. Every morning after, you wake up feeling tired, hopeless, and achy, only to repeat the same process over and over again.
If you want to get more sleep and feel energetic in your day again, know that there’s some hope. While getting a good night’s sleep is definitely reliant on a number of deeper factors such as your diet, fitness, and mental health, there are actually some hacks to get a good night’s sleep.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at five weird sleep hacks that are actually backed by science. They may seem a bit taboo, but these sleep hacks have been proven by science to work. It doesn’t get any more legit than that. Let’s dig in.
#1: Try to stay awake if you can’t sleep.
This may sound counterintuitive, but one study has found that when people who suffered from insomnia were instructed to try to stay awake with their eyes open, they actually fell asleep much quicker than others who were told to go to sleep.
The idea behind this is that simply overthinking about trying to go to sleep can keep you up longer. So by trying to do the opposite, you actually prevent your brain from overthinking, allowing yourself to succumb to your body’s naturally tired state. So next time you can’t fall asleep, try laying in bed and staying awake.
#2: Keep clocks out of sight (and out of mind).
We’ve all had those nights where we’re laying in bed, staring at the clock, and watching time pass by as we desperately try to fall asleep. However, this is probably one of the worst things you can do. When you’re constantly looking at the clock, it actually keeps you stressed and therefore unable to sleep. Try keeping your phone or clock across the room and facing away from you instead.
#3: Get up and do something.
If you’re trying very hard to fall asleep and can’t seem to do so, studies show that getting up and doing something may actually be a better solution. Instead of making your brain associate sleeplessness with your bedroom, it’s better to just get up and do some quick activity, such as washing the dishes, working on a puzzle, or reading. Try going to bed again after thirty minutes.
#4: Blow bubbles right before bed.
Yes, seriously. Studies have shown this to be effective since it causes you to breathe deeply and slowly, much like a deep breathing exercise. So next time you can’t sleep at night, try blowing some bubbles!
#5: Drink banana water.
Banana water is made by boiling a whole banana––peel and all––in water. The thing is, bananas are especially rich in magnesium, which is helpful in calming your body and mind.
To make the banana water, simply slice off both ends of a banana and put it in a pot of boiling water. After boiling for ten minutes, filter the banana water (with a colander) into a mug and add some cinnamon. Drink this right before bed.
To add even greater sleep benefits, try mixing in a scoop of Nutrii’s Super Premium Collagen powder as well. Collagen contains glycine, which has been shown to help with relaxing the body even further.
