7 Tips for More Restful Sleep ⏰

Alicia Dickson

Do you wake up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day? Or do you feel groggy—sometimes even more tired than when you went to bed?

The truth is that 70% of adults don’t get enough sleep. On top of that, our habits and lifestyle lead to poor quality sleep, leaving our bodies unable to rest and rejuvenate properly. That means even if you do get a full eight hours, you might not be resting well enough!

So what do you do about it? How can you ensure that you’re not only getting enough sleep, but that you’re getting the right quality of sleep?

Read on to find out what’s holding you back from a good night’s rest and how to change it!

Stress vs. Sleep: Why Quality Matters More than Quantity

Our daily habits impact the quality of our sleep. Everything from the foods we eat to the amount of exercise, and even how much blue light we’re exposed to can make a difference when it comes to how well we sleep at night.

It’s no wonder that so many of us struggle to get good sleep—we’re working on the computer more than ever, spending time on our phones more than ever, and living a more stagnant lifestyle than ever!

But there’s one habit that many of us have that affects our sleep possibly more than any other—stress.

According to the American Institute of Stress, 48% of people report that their stress affects their sleep.

Stress puts your body in a heightened state, making it easier for you to temporarily complete tasks. But when your body stays in stress mode, it can make sleeping well very difficult.

Your mind races, your adrenaline pumps, and you think about your neverending to-do list. Not only does it take you longer to fall asleep, but it also makes it more difficult for your body to reach the deep REM sleep it needs to truly rest.

That impacts your health both in the short-term, making it harder to wake up and be productive, and in the long-term—increasing your odds of developing diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and depression.

A Bedtime Routine to Destress (And Sleep Better)

It’s clear that we’re doing ourselves no favors by leaving our stress unchecked and letting it wreak havoc on our sleep. But for many of us, de-stressing before bed seems impossible.

With the right tips in place, though, you can build a simple night-time routine that releases stress and sets you up for a better night’s sleep.

1. Stick to a schedule

One of the most important parts of your sleep routine is sticking to a schedule—both for bedtime and waking up. Our bodies follow an internal process—circadian rhythm—that helps us know when to rest and when to wake up.

It can be tempting to catch up on some z’s on the weekend, but in reality, going to sleep and waking up at the same time each night helps our bodies regulate and get better sleep.

2. Set up a sleep environment

Making sure your room is prime for sleep is also very important. The ideal sleep environment is dark, cool, and quiet.

Consider removing electronics like television and video games from your bedroom and saving those for living areas. Put up blackout curtains and keep your thermostat below 71 for ideal sleep.

3. Put away the phone

Many of us enjoy mindlessly scrolling our phones before bed. But the blue light from our phones suppresses our body’s melatonin production, making it harder to sleep well.

Give yourself a cutoff time, preferably at least an hour before you lay down to sleep. Leave your phone in another room if you need to!

4. Destress before sleep

Build something into your routine that helps you destress and sleep better. Try one of these ideas:

Journaling to release your thoughts and worries
Meditating
Diffusing calming oils like lavender
Reading
Deep breathing

Play around with it and find what works for you, then stick to it consistently!

Other Simple Tricks to Help You Wake Up Feeling Rested

Having a bedtime routine sets you up for quality sleep, but there are other things you can do throughout the day that can help you sleep better as well.

5. Cut the caffeine and alcohol

Limiting your caffeine and alcohol intake can help your quality of sleep. Both stimulants and depressants impact your body’s natural melatonin production.

Caffeine has a half-life of 5 hours, meaning that after 5 hours half of it is still in your system. So if you drink a 150 mg cup of coffee at 5:00 p.m. and go to bed at 10:00, you still have the equivalent of half a cup of coffee stimulating your body. Try to limit caffeine to the morning.

Many people think alcohol will help them sleep, but studies have shown it can actually prevent your body from dipping into REM sleep. If you enjoy a glass of wine or a beer after dinner, just limit it to the one, and give it some time before you go to sleep.

6. Exercise regularly

Research shows that people who exercise at least 30 minutes everyday sleep better at night (and are less stressed in general!) Exercise gives your body an outlet to release cortisol and endorphins, and makes your body tired in a good way.

If vigorous cardio for 30 minutes is not an option for you, try adding a walk after dinner or some light jogging. Any little bit helps!

7. Supplement for stress and sleep

In addition to a balanced diet, the right supplements can help you get a better night’s sleep—particularly OPCs (nature’s super antioxidants.)

We’ve all heard that red wine helps you sleep better at night. The reason is resveratrol, a compound in red wine and red wine extract that can help your body regulate its sleep/wake cycle. Red wine extract gives you the benefits without the REM drawbacks associated with alcohol.

Green tea extract has also been linked to decreased stress and increased quality of sleep. Pine bark extract has likewise been shown to help the body manage the effects of stress.

That’s why we recommend OPCXtra to help reduce stress and promote a healthy sleep environment in your body.

What Our Optihealth Family is Saying About OPCXtra

“Feeling good...this is a very good product, it help me to think more clearly and sleep better I would recommend this product to any one that has low energy and gets sick all the time. Thank God for your product cause it helped my and my husband a lot!!!” -Sherry

“Great product for good price! I'm on my third bottle! I feel good, less pains and aches for sure. My skin looks better and my sleep pattern improved significantly!” -Patricia

“Awesome product. Started taking OPC about 3weeks ago, I can tell my energy level is up, don't feel tired or sleepy in the afternoon. I feel like OPC is feeding my body on a cellular level and it's working. Thank you for this amazing product.” -Mary

A Better Night’s Sleep is Waiting

If you find yourself struggling to wake up feeling rested, follow these tips and add in OPCXtra to your routine!

It’s worked for hundreds of happy customers, and we know it can make a difference for you too. That’s why we offer a 365-day money-back guarantee. Try OPCXtra at no risk today!