Can’t Sleep in Quarantine? These 20 Tips Might Do The Trick
Sleep is such a peculiar beast. We all know it’s great for us, crucial to our health and overall wellbeing, but why can so many of us not crack our sleep codes? As I’ve mentioned before, times are weird right now, and so our sleep habits are also, well, weird. Our internal clocks are screwed: some of us are sleeping far fewer hours than usual, while others are sleeping until noon. Personally, I barely slept during the first month of quarantine due to my stress and anxiety. But when I finally began to prioritize sleep again, and forge a new routine, my sleep schedule got back on track.
This post is for all of us—and I guarantee, it is all of us—who are having trouble sleeping during quarantine. Whether you’re laying in bed at night, unable to fall asleep, waking up at 2AM each night like clockwork, or having bizarre q-tine nightmares, these tips will hopefully help you relax when the lights go out.
Over the past week, I’ve consulted my friends and family for advice regarding useful nightly regimens that help them get their best Zzzs. Admittedly, I am no sleep expert; I cannot offer you any new scientific discoveries. And 20 tips is a lot, I know, but while 18 of them may be useless for you, I’m hoping those final 2 will help you ease into a few bad-ass quarantine slumbers. It’s Snoozin’ Szn, cuties!
Daylight Habits:
I bet you knew this one was coming… Exercise, beauties! When you move that bod for at least 30 minutes per day, you will (hopefully) fall asleep faster and (definitely) sleep deeper. Just try not to workout too close to bedtime, or else that boost of energy and endorphins might keep you up for a little.
Fresh air! Sunlight! If you are able to pop outside, even just for a few minutes each morning (while abiding by the CDC’s precautions), the fresh air will help reduce your stress levels and the sunlight will signal to your body that it is the start of a new day.
If spatially possible—and this is coming from an NYC gal who understands that often times it is not—do not use your bedroom as your home office. Let’s try to turn our bedrooms into safe havens where we can wind down when we’re off the clock.
Use a foam roller (less intense) or a Theragun (more intense, and my fam’s new obsession) on your muscles if you feel any soreness throughout the day. There is nothing worse than laying in bed at night with your muscles throbbing from the q-tine body challenge.
If you are fortunate enough to go to bed feeling satisfied, do it. When you go to bed hungry, you will have a much harder time falling asleep. Getting in a healthy, hearty meal before 8PM should leave you feeling good until morning. And if not… night eggs! Or my personal favorite, night cheese!
For a mind that’s a little too active:
If you have an iPhone, you can now give your phone a bedtime! Night, bish! I set the time constraints through my Clock app. At 10:30PM every night my phone goes on “Do Not Disturb” mode, then at 8AM my phone wakes us both up with a soothing lil’ melody.
I love devouring news and content as much as the next chick, but I think this small change will be helpful for many of us: Turn off all news notifications on your phone until quarantine is over. When you wake up, check your go-to outlet, of course; but nobody likes to read a horrifying “Breaking News” update right after they snuggle under the covers.
Download the Calm App: a highly rated, simple, mindful app that offers soothing music and guided meditations (based on preferences you select during a welcome questionnaire).
Another favorite to try: Yoga Nidra Meditation. This 15-minute, guided sleep meditation moves through your body to relax and unwind your muscles. Super soothing—you can also find longer versions on Spotify.
READ IN BED, HUNNIES—don’t watch Ozark before you tryna sleep! No, queen, not even Vampire Diaries! This one is tough to stick with because there is so much content out there with Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, etc., but winding down with a good book works every time. Normal People by Sally Rooney is an easy way to jump into this habit because it’s impossible to put down.
If you are like me and find yourself fixating on not forgetting things you need to do the next day: Keep a little notepad next to your bed and make a to-do list before you lay down. This way, you don’t even need to open your phone and go into your Notes app!
Nighttime Rituals:
Straightening up your bedroom can be extremely calming. Each night, try tidying your bed a little before you hop in, even if it’s already made (also, SLAY, if it is made).
If possible, take a soothing bath before bed with lavender epsom salts. Baths are a great nightly ritual to relax your body and signal that it is time to wind down from your day.
Don’t skip your nightly skincare regimen! I need to have my skin feeling clean, poppin’ and hydrated before I get into bed; the various steps (and I mean, various) have become a soothing ritual. I bounce around between products, but recently I’ve been loving the “Early Signs of Aging” line from Innisfree.
Pop a CBD gummy. I like this brand, Not Pot, because their products are all-natural, triple lab tested, and vegan. Cannabidiol (CBD) has been reported to lessen the symptoms of stress, and decrease anxiety and insomnia. Interested in learning more?
Brew a warm hug of Chamomile or Sleepy Time tea and bring it to bed with you. (My personal bedtime staple.)
Use an aromatherapy diffuser with calming scents like lavender and eucalyptus to create a soothing atmosphere in your bedroom.
Take a nightly vitamin that promotes healthy rest. A few weeks ago, I began taking HUM Mighty Night vitamins and, I’m not totally sure they have been helping me fall asleep faster, but as someone with a squirmy sleep buddy (Franklin The Silky Hotdog), after only two weeks I’ve been experiencing deeper sleeps, and have not been waking up in the middle of the night when Lil’ Frankie gets up to roam about house.
Cover all ambient light in your room, like your clock or cable box (if you’re boujee and still have one of those). You will have a better chance of getting deeper sleep with no blue light creepin’ into your zone.
Get in bed and dim the lights in your room to start your nightly process earlier. It’s quarantine—why not get cozy a few hours earlier if you’re able to?
Again—she’s no sleep doctor—but I hope these tips help!
Please message me if you have any other ideas. :)
