5 Sleeping Tips For Restless Sleepers

Updated on June 5, 2020

Do you find yourself tossing and turning every night in the lead up to getting to sleep? Or perhaps struggle with staying asleep through the night? You’re far from alone – about 23% of US citizens report themselves as light sleepers, who struggle to get a full eight hours every night. 

Luckily, there are several different strategies for achieving a full night’s sleep, and putting them into practice can help you deal with some of the more common problems faced by light sleepers. 

From finding the best mattress you can to figuring out how to minimize distractions in your bedroom, here are our top tips and tricks for combating a lack of sleep and restlessness through the night: 

Tip #1 – Getting the best mattress for restless sleepers

Finding the best mattress for your sleep is an important and obvious way to help interruptive sleep cycles. Memory foam mattresses are a versatile option for light sleepers for a number of reasons. One of the most attractive features of memory foam mattresses is their motion absorption capabilities, which ensures that any disturbance on your bed will remain unfelt as you stay asleep.

This feature can be especially useful if you’re sharing your mattress with a partner or a pet who tends to wake you up if they get disturbed through the night. The best mattresses for pet-owners will also be hypoallergenic and stain-resistant, so be sure to look out for these features as you shop around for your own ease. 

Remember that finding the best mattress is going to be subjective to your personal priorities and desires from your bed. A useful place to start is by listing these out so that you can begin your search efficiently. 

Tip #2- Creating a nightly ritual to prep your body for rest

Having a nightly ritual in place as you get ready to go to sleep can help prime your body for a good night’s rest. You may wish to indulge in a hot cup of cocoa or herbal tea right before bed-time – this will help your mind associate this activity with rest. 

There are other soothing activities you can try to help get your mind in rest mode. Nighttime yoga can be a great way to relax your muscles and mind before you go to sleep. Warm showers have a similarly calming effect on those who struggle with sleep and work to bring your body temperature down (once you’re out of the shower) to a point that feels conducive to rest. 

Tip #3- Finding sleep accessories made for restless sleepers

You might find certain sleep accessories might be a useful way to supplement your sleep cycles. Weighted blankets can be a particularly useful place to begin, especially if you’re confident you’ve found the best mattress for your sleep possible. 

Weighted blankets work by distributing an even amount of weight across the body to bring up the feeling of being swaddled or embraced. This weight creates a sense of security and comfort that is central to having an uninterrupted night’s sleep.

Weighted blankets have also been shown to help those who suffer from Restless Leg Syndrome, as they can calm and soothe nerves by distributing an even amount of weight across them. 

Tip #4- Eating the right foods for uninterrupted rest

We tend to save our heaviest and heartiest meals for dinner, but science shows that consuming a large amount of food right before bedtime can actually set you up for more interruptions through the night. 

The same can be said for alcohol, so save your nightly glass of wine for special occasions. Certain foods can, in fact, encourage a healthy sleep cycle. Certain kinds of seafood, nuts such as almonds and walnuts, and berries that are rich in antioxidants can all contribute to a healthier version of yourself, as well as your sleep cycle. 

If you are tempted to snack before you go to sleep, try some of the above for a far more healthy and sleep inducive alternative to regular snacks, which tend to be high in sugar and result in energy spikes and crashes that can actually disturb your rest.

Tip #5 – Exercising daily for better sleep

Even if you do have the top rated mattress in the world, sleep can come a lot easier and quicker if you’re hitting the bed feeling tired. Exercise is a healthy and productive way to burn off the energy you have remaining from your day, and can also go a long way to regulate your sleep cycles. 

Getting into the habit of working out in the morning can actually have a direct impact on your sleep. This is because when you work out, you raise your internal body temperature – later in the evening, as this drops naturally, it can actually trigger a physiological response of drowsiness. Meet your fitness goals for the year, along with your sleep ones, with just one new habit. 

Whether you’re looking to invest in the best mattress you can for your fidgety habits, or you’re simply looking for lifestyle changes that can help, following these tips will get you that much closer to a respectable sleep cycle. 

The best way to action a plan for improving your restless sleep is to understand where the source of it may be. If you find yourself struggling with sleeplessness due to anxiety, weighted blankets can actually go a long way in helping you through the night. If you find yourself up and buzzing with hyperactivity, exercise and a healthy diet can help you build the routine you need for good sleep.

A healthy sleep cycle can help in so many ways – it improves your focus through the day, your energy levels, and even your mood and heart health. That’s why it’s well worth investing the time and energy it might take to correct a sleep routine that has been a source of trouble for a while. 

With a little planning and patience, you’ll be able to put these into practice with ease and find yourself going to sleep and staying asleep easier than ever before. 

+ posts

Throughout the year, our writers feature fresh, in-depth, and relevant information for our audience of 40,000+ healthcare leaders and professionals. As a healthcare business publication, we cover and cherish our relationship with the entire health care industry including administrators, nurses, physicians, physical therapists, pharmacists, and more. We cover a broad spectrum from hospitals to medical offices to outpatient services to eye surgery centers to university settings. We focus on rehabilitation, nursing homes, home care, hospice as well as men’s health, women’s heath, and pediatrics.