Getting enough sleep is something that many people struggle with. Being a parent, balancing life and work, dealing with stress, and struggling with insomnia are all factors that can cause a person to not get enough rest. While we all know that rest is important, it can be challenging to find a sleep routine that will fit your needs. Today, let's take a look at some tips for creating a sleep routine that you can stick with. Hopefully, these sleep schedule tips help you create a routine that fits your needs. Let's get started!

How Much Sleep Do I Really Need? 

Before we go any further, it is important that you understand how much sleep a person really needs. As you probably already know, sleep requirements vary from person to person. Newborns and babies up to 3 months old will need 14 to 17 hours of sleep. 12 to 15 hours of sleep is recommended for children 4 to 11 months old. Toddlers need 10 to 13 hours of sleep each day, and 6 to 13-year-olds need 9 to 11 hours of sleep. Teenagers will need slightly more sleep than adults, ranging from 8 to 10 hours of sleep. Finally, adults need at least 7 hours of sleep, but it is recommended that you sleep for 9 hours. With the proper amount of sleep, you'll feel energized and refreshed when you start your day. 

Symptoms That You're Not Getting Enough Sleep 

Not sure if you're getting enough sleep? Even if you don't feel exhausted during the day, there are many symptoms that show up when you're not getting the amount of rest that you need. Here is a list of symptoms that you may notice when you're getting as much sleep as you should be getting: 

Tips For Starting A Sleep Routine 

1. Start A Sleeping Schedule - And Stick To It!

Begin by creating a sleep schedule that works for you. In order for you to get the amount of sleep you need but still wake up early, you'll need to go to bed earlier. Make sure you go to bed early enough, because it takes the average person about 15 minutes to fall asleep. If you struggle with insomnia, it may take you even longer to fall asleep. Therefore, make sure you go to bed at an appropriate time. Not sure what time you should go to bed? Use this sleep calculator to find out what time you should go to bed in order to get enough rest. 

Once you have created a sleeping schedule, it is important that you stick to it. Avoid going to bed early one night and then staying up late the next night. Sticking to a sleep routine will prevent you from dealing with insomnia, a symptom that can develop when you don't feel tired at night. 

2. Make Your Bedroom An Enjoyable Place To Be

Do you dread going to bed each night? Perhaps your bedroom isn't as comfortable as it could be. Invest in a mattress that is soft and comfortable, as well as pillows that offer your head enough support. Make sure your sheets are soft and made with warm materials. If you find yourself shivering at night or overheated, you may need blankets that are made of thicker or thinner materials. Every 7 to 10 years, or as often as you need it, it is recommended to replace your mattress. It is also recommended to replace your pillows annually so that they always provide enough support. 

Make sure you don't have any bright lights in the room when you are asleep. While a night light can be comforting, it can also keep you awake. If you find that a night light keeps you awake, try unplugging it. Use curtains to block out light from outdoors. Make your bedroom a peaceful and quiet place to sleep. 

3. Watch What You Eat And When You Eat It 

Eating food right before bed can often cause you to not fall asleep or to wake up a few hours after going to bed. Make sure to eat dinner at least four hours before bedtime. Also, try not to eat a high-carb dinner. While a high-carb dinner may help you fall asleep faster, it can cause you to wake up in the middle of the night. Never eat a large meal right before bed. If you are wanting something to eat, try having small snacks. Good foods to eat may include almonds, teas, bananas, fish, and milk.

In addition to avoiding late night snacks, you'll want to watch your caffeine intake. Caffeine, as we all know, can keep you awake. If you are someone who grabs a cup of coffee as soon as you wake up, then you know how effective the caffeine is at waking you up. While this can make you feel energized during the day, it can also prevent you from getting enough sleep at night.  Try to not drink as much (or any) caffeine and see if your sleep routine changes. 

4. Take A Bath Before Bed

Have you ever gotten out of a hot bath or shower and found yourself extremely drowsy? There's a scientific reason for this drowsy feeling. Taking a warm shower or bath at night adjusts your body temperature. When you get out of the bath/shower, your body temperature will drop, and as a result, you'll begin feeling sleepy. Therefore, if you have trouble falling asleep at night, it may be a good idea to take a hot bath before bed. To make it even more relaxing, have soft music playing, candles lit, and essential oils or bath bombs filling the air with scents. This will make you feel even more relaxed, which will promote a tired feeling. 

5. Get Enough Exercise

Sometimes the reason why people don't feel sleepy at night is that their body isn't physically tired. In order for your body to become tired at night, you'll need to get enough exercise during the day. Try going for a walk or jog, swimming, biking, taking yoga classes, or doing simple moves that will strengthen your muscles. The more active you are, the more tired you'll be at night. If possible, try to exercise outdoors so that you get fresh air and vitamin D. Getting vitamin D and fresh air will help you fall asleep at night as well. But during the winter, it may be easier for you if you workout indoors. Click here to learn helpful tips for exercising, as well as great exercise moves to try. 

There are also many bed exercises that you can do to tire yourself out right before bed. Leg lifts, dolphin planks, plank, scissor legs, sit-ups, and push-ups are great bed exercises to try. These are also great exercises you can do right before you get out of bed in the morning. 

6. Don't Take Naps

While it may be tempting to take naps during the day, if you want to create a good sleep routine, you'll want to skip taking naps. The reason why you feel like you need a nap is that you aren't getting enough sleep at night. If you take a nap, you'll feel refreshed, but at night you won't be tired. As a result, you'll feel like you need a nap the next day as well. But if you resist the urge to take a nap, you'll feel more tired at night. Therefore, you'll get a restful sleep. 

7. Use Essential Oils 

There are so many essential oils that can be used to make you feel sleepy. Lavender is a popular essential oil scent to use to make you more tired feeling. Other essential oils to try using include the following: vetiver, patchouli, sandalwood, ylang-ylang, chamomile, neroli, marjoram, cedar, bergamot, clary sage, frankincense, and rose. There are many ways you can use essential oils to promote sleepiness. One way is to leave a jar of it open or use an essential oil diffuser. Or you could sniff the essential oils right before you go to bed. Another option is to spray the essential oils onto your pillows or somewhere you can easily smell it. 

8. Don't Look At Your Clock 

Having a clock in your room can cause you to become stressed when you see that you aren't falling asleep quickly. And when you feel stressed, falling asleep becomes even more difficult. If possible, get rid of any clocks you have in your bedroom. If you need a clock in your bedroom to set alarms, try turning the clock away from you so that you can't see the time. This will prevent you from becoming stressed when you realize that you aren't falling asleep quickly. 

9. Read Before Bed

If you find it difficult to fall asleep at night, you may want to consider reading a book before bed. This will give your body time to relax and prepare for bed. Make sure you read a book or magazine that you enjoy. You can also read something on your phone or iPad, but avoid spending too much time looking at a screen. Some studies have found that the blue light on smartphones and tablets can cause insomnia. Therefore, avoid spending too much time looking at a screen if possible. 

10. Listen To Relaxing Music Before Bed

You may also want to add time into your sleeping routine for listening to relaxing music. Make sure it is calm music and nothing that is too exciting or emotional. There are many sleep induction music options to choose from. You may want to do relaxing activities as you listen to soothing music, such as yoga, reading a book, or making crafts. 

Final Thoughts

I hope this article has helped you understand how to fix your sleep routine so that you have a restful night. There are many ways to make your night routine more relaxing. In this article, I covered ten of the top tips for creating a sleep routine for you and your family. I hope this article has answered all of your questions about how to create a sleep routine. 

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