I promised that this series, Keeping Up with Kate would be a random assortment of topics and well, it doesn’t get more random that me titling something “sleep”. 😂

But, ya’ll I love sleep and I have a really hard time sleeping and today I am really feeling it so I thought, what better topic than sleep.

I know I am not alone in my sleep struggle. It is something that I talk to my friends about all the time and the censuses is, so many of us struggle with getting a good nights sleep and often feel restless throughout the night. My husband can lay his head on a pillow and be asleep in minutes, sleep through the night and wake up feeling rested and ready to take on the day. On the other hand, I can lay there for an hour before I fall asleep, be up and down all night long and wake up feeling like I was hit by a truck. Lucky me. 😒

Anyways, over the years I have done a few things that help me sleep better and I definitely notice a big improvement and while my sleep isn’t the best, it is so much better than it was before. So, here are my top 5 tips and tricks on how I get a better nights sleep.

1. No TV, phone or other screen before I want to go to bed. I don’t have a hard and fast rule of an hour or whatever but when I start to feel myself getting sleepy, I stop all electronics. I color or read or rest…just avoid the screen because it overstimulates me and keeps me up.

2. Use a sound machine. Last Christmas I randomly grabbed a sound machine and put it in my stocking for Christmas. I was hopeful that it would work and I swear this is the number one thing that has helped me. I grabbed a cheap one off Amazon but when I travel I also use you tube (I just search, white noise black screen) and now, I literally cannot sleep without one. I think it mostly gives me something to concentrate on and drift off too.

3. Limit my drinks at night. I love water and drink water nonstop all day long. Between my cup of coffee and my water I swear to you, I pee 100 times a day. But, then I am up all night long. So after dinner I try to limit what I am drinking so I am not up and down going to the bathroom all night long.

4. Use my oils. I have gotten in a bad habit of not using the things that I know work for me. It’s a cycle we all get into at some point and here I am with my oils and forgetting to use the very things I know will support me. So, using my oils like Lavender or Peace and Calming at night help my mind and body relax.

5. Prioritize sleep. I love sleep but I don’t always prioritize it. I just keep going until I crash. Not good at all. I have learned that in order to be rested and have a good nights sleep, I must make it a priority to get sleep so now, I start planning for and getting to bed earlier. This helps me sleep for longer and not lay there stressing about how much sleep I will or won’t get.

What are your tips for a good nights sleep? Do you use any of these?