Like most things, quality is actually more important than quantity when it comes to having a good night’s sleep.

In this post, we’ll discuss why night routines are essential if you wish to sleep with sweet dreams. You’ll also learn some tips that can help you establish a routine that works well for you.

Why Healthy Sleep Habits Are Important

The fast-paced lifestyle of the modern world has gotten everyone chasing after more sleep. Unfortunately, this has led to situations where people have to deal with multiple things at a time.

As a result, the various stressors that you face can make it doubly difficult to head to dreamland — even when you’re incredibly exhausted from the day’s events.

While we may think that we simply go to sleep when our body calls for it, we actually have to plan for it. This allows us to utilize sleep in a way that’s most beneficial for our overall health.

Creating healthy sleep habitsis vital for 2 primary reasons. These are:

1. A night routine helps you relax before bedtime. A good amount of relaxation is key to preventing various sleep and behavioral issues.
2. Nightly consistency, even during weekends, ensures that your body clock is working as intended. This allows you to easily follow through with your morning and evening routines.

Studies show that having a night routine is strongly linked to improved sleep quality in children and adults. In fact, it can even minimize the rate of insomnia in elderly folks.

Thus, if you’ve been stressed out about your sleeplessness, a sleep routine may be able to solve the issue once and for all.

How Long Should You Spend on Your Night Routine?

If you’re going to build a new night routine, it’s important to remember that you shouldn’t rush into it. After all, it’s a dedicated time to help your mind and body relax.

That said, allotting 30 minutes to 1 hour for it should do the trick. This should give you enough time to go through the motions as patiently as possible.

Just like most fitness programs, a night routine is meant to be followed consistently in order to be effective. This will prime your body clock to recognize when is it night time, and therefore time to sleep.

6 Night Routine Tips to Sleep More Soundly

There are many factors that can prevent you from sleeping soundly at night. Examples include physical, mental, and emotional stress, anxiety, illnesses, or even medications.

Sometimes, it’s not exactly possible to control the sources of stress and anxiety. Health issues are also another matter that needs its own separate solution.

This is why we’re encouraging you to focus on what you can control, such as your sleep routine.

If you’re tired of not getting the sleep you deserve, listed below are 6 tips that can completely change your sleep experiences:

1.  Set an Alarm for Winding Down

While alarms are generally associated with waking up, you can also use it to signify that it’s time to start doing your night routine.

As mentioned earlier, night routines are all about consistency. Set a specific time each night and make sure that you follow it daily.

Remember, your night alarm serves as a hard stop for any activity that doesn’t belong to your night routine. This means that you should be done with all your day’s responsibilities by the time your night alarm goes off.

If, by any chance, you haven’t finished what you’re supposed to do, you should leave it be and go back to it tomorrow, instead.

2.  Limit Use of Electronic Devices

As mentioned in #1, the night alarm is a hard stop for all activities that are not sleep-related. This includes your being on your very stimulating electronic devices.

Studies show that the blue light from devices like computers, smartphones, and TVs can stimulate your body clock and decrease melatonin levels.

Melatonin is a hormone that’s secreted by the pineal gland. Its role is to keep your body clock consistent by sending signals for waking up and sleeping.

When you have too much blue light exposure, you’re more likely to stay awake even if it’s way past your bedtime. Experts suggest that you put away your electronic devices 30 to 45 minutes before your desired sleeping time.

3.  Avoid Eating So Close to Bedtime

Make sure that you don’t stuff yourself full before going to bed. If you plan to eat dinner, keep your meals as light as possible. Additionally, it’s recommended to get it done at least 2 hours before your sleep time.

In the same vein, it’s also not recommended to go to sleep hungry. If you’re used to fasting, that’s great. However, intense feelings of hunger can distract you and keep you awake.

Additionally, Watch What You Eat!

Of course, you shouldn’t only take note of when you eat, but you must also consider what you eat.

If you wish to increase your melatonin levels at night, you can try eating melatonin-boosting food items like yogurt or oatmeal.

Additionally, it’s best to avoid caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine when it’s nearing your bedtime. Caffeine and nicotine are very good at keeping you awake, and it can take a while before they wear off.

Alcohol, meanwhile, can induce sleepiness, but it can lower melatonin levels. Thus, it can mess with your sleep later on.

4.  Engage in a Mind Dump Exercise

One of the main reasons why many people feel anxious at night is because they’re thinking of all the things that they need to do tomorrow.

Of course, your personal problems may also be taking up some precious mental space in your head.

To eliminate what’s cluttering your mind, journaling is a great way to dump onto paper whatever’s going on in your mind.

For instance, if you’re worried about tomorrow, writing a short to-do list at night can take your mind off of it. That’s because you’re already mentally sorting how the next day is going to look like.

It’s best to limit your to-do list to your 5 must-do’s that are non-negotiable. This will not only help you stay focused with your priorities, but it also limits what you really need to worry about.

The same thing goes for problems that are currently bothering you. Writing them down allows you to process them so that you can sleep with a lighter mental load later.

5.  Make Your Sleep Environment Relaxing

It goes without saying that a relaxing environment is incredibly inviting for sleep. Thus, try to make your bedroom as ideal for sleeping as possible. Just being in it must serve as a cue that it’s already time to sleep.

A sleep-friendly environment is dark, cool, and silent. If you prefer listening to relaxing sounds, you can go for unadulterated nature sounds, ambient meditation music, or colored noises (ex. pink, blue, brown, etc.).

6.  Include Physical Activities in Your Daily Routine

It’s already common knowledge that regular exercise can reduce the risk of serious illnesses like diabetes and stroke. Apparently, engaging in physical activities daily can also improve sleep significantly.

Research shows that exercise improves sleep quality by minimizing sleep onset. This refers to the time it takes to get yourself to sleep. Additionally, it decreases the time you spend lying awake and rolling on your bed at night.

And, even though exercise can initially seem energy-draining, it can actually keep you more awake and alert during the day. As a result, you’re more likely to retire early in the evening.

Regular exercise also prevents weight gain, which is actually a big hindrance to good sleep. In fact, studies suggest that there’s a link between sleep deprivation and obesity.

Hence, not only is exercise a great sleep solution, but an overall health improvement aid as well.

Stick to Your Routine Every Night

At this point, it’s really worth reiterating that the mind and body are both big fans of consistency. The more you repeat something, the more you’ll be able to keep your new cues ingrained in your system.

Thus, if you wish to teach your body to sleep at a particular time each night, consider incorporating at least 2 of the tips that we discussed here. If you can do all 6 of them right away, that’s even better!

Ultimately, the night routine that you’ll build for yourself must be relaxing enough to take your mind off all your worries. Besides, you’ll have plenty of time to think about them tomorrow if you still need to.

Follow Your New Night Routine to Wake Up Refreshed!

All types of stress can indeed prevent you from sleeping like you should. Fortunately, a few simple tweaks in your pre-bedtime habits can already reduce nightly restlessness.

The more your body recognizes that it’s time to sleep based on your routines, the easily you’ll fall asleep. Over time, falling asleep will come naturally to you once you’ve set a routine around a certain time.

Applying your new night routine for at least 3 days is usually enough to see a significant difference in sleep quality. You can just imagine how much more your sleep can improve if you stick with it long enough.

Five Reasons Why Wake Up in The Morning Song Is Good For You

1.  Wake up in the morning song will make you happy

It all boils down to the basic truth that music makes everyone happy, regardless of age, skin color, cultural, and religious beliefs.

Several studies have concluded how music makes us feel better. For this reason, why would you choose a buzzing alarm sound rather than the sound of soothing and calming music, right? How to wake up in the morning easier is by setting the tone of your alarm clock from the beep, beep, beep to a song like ‘you make me feel like a natural woman by Aretha Franklin’.

2.   Wake up in the morning song improves brain functions

Your brain begins to work in the morning as soon as you hear a beautiful song. How to wake up in the morning easier? Try to imagine waking up each morning to the sound of your fave song, isn’t that a wonderful feeling? Singing along with your fave songs helps your brain function better and clearer.

Did you know that singing is beneficial for your mental and cognitive functioning? That said, jump out of the bed, take a shower and start a concert in your bathroom. After all, your health is affected in a positive way if you wake up in the morning song.

3.   Wake up in the morning song lowers your cortisol levels

If you are unfamiliar with the term cortisol, well, it is a stress hormone that works with some parts of your brain to control your emotions like fear and mood. Too much cortisol in your bloodstream will lead to anxiety, increased stress levels which we all know contribute to bad health.

One of the ways to bring down your cortisol level is by listening to the calming sound of music. By this, it means that your choice of song is purely subjective. In fact, even if you are listening to the hard rock songs of Bon Jovi, it is okay for as long as the songs make you feel relaxed upon waking up in the morning.  Thus, it is better for you if you start your mornings by waking up to your favorite music genre and that is a good way on how to wake up in the morning easier.

4.  Wake up in the morning song strengthens your immunity

According to one study conducted by Sussex University, the level of antibodies in the bloodstream of volunteers went up after listening to uplifting dance songs for a period of fifty minutes. This only means that by listening and waking up to your fave morning songs, you can enjoy the same results, that is, increased resistance to sickness.

5.   Wake up in the morning song makes you more creative

It does not matter if you are working for an art gallery or not, each one of us needs to increase our creative juices to be more productive in our respective line of work. But, how can you achieve that goal if you will wake up to the sound of the deafening buzz of your alarm clock? How to wake up in the morning easier and more creative with ideas? By listening to your favorite music upon waking up in the morning.

So, girl, there you go, those are the reasons why you have to update your alarm clock phone settings. Get your day started beautifully and creatively if you will wake up in the morning song.

In this next section, we want to talk to you about how you can sleep better by altering your daily habits that have a direct effect on your sleep cycle.

How To Wake Up In The Morning Easier?

If you are having a hard time waking up in the morning, we’d like to help by giving you tips on how you can have a sound sleep so you can wake up easier. Your sleep difficulty may be caused by any of the following:

• Issues like sleepwalking and night terrors may hinder you from having a good night’s sleep
• Sleep apnea causes stop-gap in breathing while asleep
• Depression
• Stress and anxiety
• Medicines like muscle relaxants and beta-blockers
• Chronic pain
• Circadian rhythm sleep disorders

How to wake up when you are still feeling tired? There are various ways that you can do to make waking up in the morning a breeze like the following:

1.  Establish a sleep schedule

The best way on how to wake up in the morning easier is by having a fixed schedule of sleeping and waking up. Figure out how much sleep your body needs in order for you to function productively the day after. For some, 8 hours of sleep is necessary but it can less for some.

Stick to your sleep schedule, even on weekends so your body is programmed to wake up at a certain time in the morning. So, if you go to bed at 10 in the evening and then wake up at 5 in the morning, make it a habit to be in bed at 10. In that way, you are telling your brain that it’s time for you to sleep so you’d be awake and feel refreshed at 5 in the morning.

2.   Establish a bedtime routine

The best way to improve your bedtime routine is to avoid drinking coffee, tea, and alcohol 6 hours before your scheduled bedtime. Also, avoid using devices like your cellphone because what you want to avoid is the blue light emission from these gadgets.

Instead, indulge in relaxing activities like reading a good book or have a warm bath just before you go to bed.

3.   Exercise

Engaging in physical activities like jogging has been proven effective in battling insomnia.

4.  Sunlight

Having enough sun exposure will help regulate your circadian rhythm and improve the quality of your sleep.

If you wake up in the morning song, make an effort to go outdoors because sunlight is a good mood booster throughout the day. Not only that, sunshine in the morning resets your body clock and maintains your circadian rhythm.

5.  Eat a light dinner

You should only have a light dinner in order to avoid putting pressure on your oesophageal sphincter when you are lying down. This is the body muscle that is located at the end of your esophagus. It is also ideal that you eat dinner 2 hours before your bedtime to ensure that the food you’ve consumed has been properly digested.

Additionally, avoid drinking too much liquid so you won’t be bothered too much by bathroom breaks.

6.  Ideal sleep environment

You can sleep better if your bedroom is dark and quiet, comfy beddings, and by setting the thermostat to an ideal temperature.

With these tips that we’ve shared, we hope that you’d be able to sleep better in the coming days. And, of course, don’t forget to set your alarm to the soothing sound of a wake up in the morning song that you can listen to while you are prepping up for your day-to-day activities.

A List of Wake Up in The Morning Song That Will Perk You Up

1.  Brave-Sara Bareilles

Yes, girl, you’d feel brave and ready to conquer the day by listening to this song in the morning. In fact, this awesome wake up in the morning song was also used by then Presidential candidate Hilary Clinton as her entrance song during one of her campaigns. The message of this song is they we can all try to be stronger and shine a light on some better things ahead.

2.   Lovely Day-Bill Withers

If you are feeling down and discouraged in the morning, why don’t you try singing this uplifting wake up in the morning song and for sure you would face the world in a lovelier way.

3.   Beautiful-Christina Aguilera

How to wake up in the morning easier and with self-confidence? Listen to this song that talks about embracing your weaknesses, flaws, and your insecurities. You are beautiful in spite of your imperfections.

4.   Walking on Sunshine-Katrina & The Waves

A classic wake up in the morning song that will never fail to perk you up and makes you feel good all day long.

5.   Good Morning-Kanye West

What a better way to start your morning than by listening to this confidence-boosting song?

6.  The Cure-Lady Gaga

This pulsating song by Lady Gaga will definitely help you wake up in the morning easier. The message of this wake up in the morning song is that whatever you are going through with your life, it will get cured by your love.

7.  I Smile-Kirk Franklin

A gospel wake up in the morning song that will inspire you to do good to others. The message of this beautiful song is to live your life based on God’s words.

8.  Happy Face-Destiny’s Child

The best way on how to wake up easier is by listening to songs that tap the inner child in you. To appreciate small and seemingly unimportant events in your life. To be always grateful and remain happy.

All of these songs and many more are available at Amazon Music.

Conclusion

Having enough sleep is important for your well-being. You can think clearly and can form a positive interrelationship. But, if you are having a hard time going to bed, follow the tips we shared above. Plus, it helps if you set your alarm tone to wake up in the morning song to help you face your day with enthusiasm and zest.

Red days. We, girls, are always on alert mode whenever we are on our period. Most of the time, it is hard for us to move around, sit comfortably and sleep soundly. Why? Because we are always self-conscious:

Is there a spot on my pants? 

Oh no, I sneezed!

How do I sleep without my period leaking?

I can’t sleep…period cramps!

All girls experience these things. No exception at all! Our period is like the antagonist in our lives, the Freddie Krueger of our dreams and the vampire who sips all the blood from our body. Our cycle deserves its own series of Walking Dead and we, as the Walkers in the story. 

I am not being emotional here, this is the truth. When we are on our period — one day, we look like a princess, then the next day, we look like a zombie. Our emotion changes often, our cravings make us bloated and our overall appearance… well, never mind. No comment. Let’s just leave it like that. 

Why is it really difficult to sleep during my menstruation?

We often get tired easily when we are on our period, which means aside from pizza, sleep is our best friend during this time. But, the sad part is, our cycle won’t let us have a good night’s sleep.

Sleepless nights? Well, I am not going to lie. Women are experts on that, thanks to our menstruation.

Based on the research of the National Sleep Foundation, it is harder for women to sleep before their period starts and during menstruation. Not surprising for some, but for others who still do not have any idea about the reasons for their sleepless nights, the following might help you understand it. 

Insomnia

Our menstrual cycle causes insomnia because the soporific hormone that helps us feel sleepy drops dramatically. This hormone is called progesterone and it drops during our period.

Body temperature

Our body’s temperature increases over the course of our menstruation cycle. This can be an issue because one of the things that make us feel drowsy is an evening drop in our body temperature.

Note: Based on the study of the National Sleep Foundation, changes in hormones during our period can influence how well and how much we sleep.

Mood swings

Mood swings during our menstrual cycle are very normal. No need to feel so pressured about this. We all experience this. 

The estrogen and progesterone hormones in our body drop right before our menstruation. This can cause changes in our emotions, making us feel depressed and/or anxious. These negative feelings make it harder for us to fall asleep.

Headaches, cramps, and body pain

These are the most common reasons why it is harder for us to sleep during our menstruation. It is always like a battlefield when these things hit us all at the same time.

Just like me and for most women, period means pain and pain is equal to sleepless nights. 

The best girls sleeping positions to ease period pain

Some women are lucky to not experience period cramps. Unlike me. I am already in my late 20s and I still cry whenever period cramps hit me — I can’t walk straight, sit properly, eat peacefully, and sleep soundly.

For a career woman like me, sleep is my best way to relax… to escape from all the papers and meetings that I had to deal with the whole day. But, period cramps (and period leaks) can surely ruin everything that I plan for a good night’s sleep. 

On some occasions and for some women, period cramps are bearable. Thank goodness, right? But for others, like me, sleeping with my menstruation while dealing with cramps is like a bloody horror story. 

I know we are all dying to know how we could sleep with period cramps. Good thing there is a way to ease it. It turns out there are sleeping positions that may help us solve our painful problem.

Since this is the most common issue when we are on our period, various studies have already been published about this. With all that research, sometimes we get confused about which one we should follow. But, no worries, I have compiled the best of the best sleeping positions for girls.  

• Child’s pose
• On your back
• Fetal position

Child’s pose

No, this is not the fetal sleeping position. The child’s pose sleeping position is a bit different from that one. 

A child’s pose sleeping position involves folding forward your body and putting your head on your cushion with your knees curled underneath you. In short, you will sleep like how a toddler usually sleeps. 

This pose is also used in yoga. It is effective in relieving period cramps because the pose relaxes your back and soothes your nervous system. According to Sky Ting Yogas Krissy Jones, poses that include folding forward loosens your lower back and reduces period cramps. But, overall, yoga, in general, can be useful to relieve cramps. 

On Your Back

Some of us are not used to sleeping on our back. We usually prefer sleeping sideways or sleeping on our stomachs. But, when you are on your period, it is better to train yourself to sleep in this position because it helps relieve period pain. Sleep experts have been saying that sleeping on your back is the best position to fall asleep because it relaxes your body. 

You can massage your abdomen or you can put a warm compress on it while lying on your back. Using aromatherapy while relaxing on your back or massaging your abdomen can also help ease your period cramp. 

Note: Did you know that sleeping on your back has a lot of benefits?

• It reduces tension headaches
• It can relieve sinus pressure
• It relaxes your shoulders and back
• It helps relieve chronic pains
• It avoids facial skin irritation, wrinkles, and creases

Fetal position

Last but definitely not the least, the fetal sleeping position. Sleep experts have agreed that this is considered the best sleeping position for girls who are on their period. 

The Fetal sleeping position involves resting on one side with your legs tucked up next to your abdomen. — just like a fetus! According to Gynecologist Jennifer Wider, sleeping in a fetal position reduces pain because it relaxes the skeletal muscles around your stomach. Take note, less body tensions mean fewer and less period cramps. 

Another benefit of sleeping in a fetal position is that it lowers the possibility that your period could leak out because your legs are pressed together — in short, no more pool of blood every time you wake up. 

How to stop your period from leaking when you are sleeping?

Sleeping on your period without leaking is the best morning gift a woman could ever have. But, the sad reality is, it only happens once in a blue moon. 

Leaking at night is very common… and it is a pain. Feeling that trickle of blood while laying on our bed and seeing that wet blood stains on our pajamas and bedsheets are by far, the worst scenarios during our menstrual cycle. Imagine, waking up in a puddle of blood after having period cramps and a disrupted sleep — it is a nightmare! There is nothing worse than needing to change or wash your pajamas and sheets almost every day because of bloodstains.

In short, period leak is a curse. A curse that we always need to break every month but fails over and over again. 

I know most of you are frustrated every time you have to deal with period leaks. Same as me. But, the thing is, I am sure we are all aware of the reasons but we ignore it most of the time. Maybe we are too lazy to move around or read the description of the pads that we buy. No worries, you are not alone! Guilty here!

Here are the usual reasons:

• Wrong sleeping position
• Wrong pad
• Your pad is not positioned properly
• Your pad is already at its maximum absorption
• Gladly, there is a way to prevent this and it is very easy!

Choose the right period product

There are many period products in the market. Those brands offer comfort and period leak-free on your red days. I get that it is sometimes confusing but choosing the right product is the best choice to avoid leaking.

There are overnight pads, which are totally different from pads for heavy flow and regular flow. If your menstruation is really heavy, there are even adult pads or diapers available in the market. 

If you feel uncomfortable wearing period pads or you feel like buying different kinds of period products for different kinds of period flow is too expensive for you, there are other options in the market — tampons and menstrual cups.

Choose the right sleeping position

As mentioned above, there are three best sleeping positions for girls during their period: the child’s pose, on your back, and the fetal position.

Note: I know some of us love sleeping on our stomach, guilty here! But during our menstrual cycle, avoid it… I repeat avoid it. Do not sleep on your stomach no matter how relaxing it makes you feel. Why? Because it can squeeze your uterus, resulting in more blood coming out –hello, period leakage!

Track your period

Tracking your period cycle is a must. This could help you prepare the things you need. There are plenty of apps online that could help you know when your next period will start and when it will end. 

Wear the right pants

Wear something comfy but not too large. Giving too much space for your underwear to move will only result in leakage. We do not want that. So, wear something that is not too fit, but not too large. 

What are the ways to get better sleep during your period?

• Keep it cool

Remember what we have discussed above? Evening drop in body temperature makes us feel sleepy. So, one of the ways to get better sleep is keeping your bedroom cool.

• Sleep hygiene is a must

Have a nighttime routine. Before going to bed, clean your room, take a bath, reduce your screen time, etcetera. It is up to you what kind of night routine works for you. Make sure to follow it consistently so, at the end of the day it will become your habit. 

Yes, it will not be easy, but training yourself to maintain good sleep hygiene is worth it. 

• Yoga… meditate, stretch that body

We all know that yoga is a helpful tool to feel at peace and relaxed. Doing a breathing exercise and doing a few movements like stretching can ease your body pain, as it relaxes your muscles. 

Through yoga, you can de-stress yourself before going to bed. If your mind and body are free from negative thoughts, your whole body will be relaxed. Feeling at ease can help you from having mood swings that can affect your sleep.

Conclusion

Sleeping on your period can be a real challenge for many women but always remember, you are not alone. 

Period leaks? That’s common… even supermodels suffer from that. 

Period cramps? It is every woman’s nightmare… there is no need to cover it up with a smile. 

We are all experiencing these things, so we hope the tips above can help you during your cycle. Sharing is caring, girls!