5 Sleep Tips for the Summer Months

In the summer months when it is bright out until after 9pm, it is even more important to have a sleep ritual. 

Vacations, holidays, kids out of school, (and did we mention the new normal under coronavirus?) are some of the many reasons your sleep schedule may be less consistent and it can be harder to get quality sleep. 

Sleep is so important to our physical and mental health, it enables us to enjoy and savor life to the fullest.

Here are 5 ways to get your sleep ritual back on track during the long summer days:

1. Keep a consistent sleep schedule- When you’re not on vacation or enjoying time off, keep to a regular schedule that has you going to bed and waking up the same time every day. It can be easy to watch that extra episode of the show you are binging, but going to bed every night at the same time can help you fall asleep faster. 
    

2. Pre-bedtime alarm - Once you decide when you want to go to sleep at night, set a pre-bedtime alarm about an hour or so before that time to remind you it is time to start wrapping up, putting your phone away and transition to a sleep routine. 
    

3. Use an eye mask or blackout blinds- Going to bed before it’s fully dark outside? It can be so hard to fall asleep and stay asleep if there is still light in your room.  Try using an eye mask or invest in some blackout curtains that will totally block out the light.
    

4. Cut back on the caffeine- Drinking coffee later in the day or after dinner? (I mean, what’s better than an afternoon affogato!) Caffeine is often the culprit of why you can’t fall asleep. You can still enjoy your afternoon or evening coffee by switching  to decaf or half caf for your last couple cups of coffee. To get started, try any of our amazing coffees without all the caffeine!
    

5. Unplug from electronics- You’ve probably heard this before, but avoiding your electronics before bed can help you fall asleep faster. The blue light in the screen messes with your natural melatonin and can make it harder to fall asleep. Also, it is a lot of stimulation before bed. A good practice is to have no electronics in the bedroom or none an hour before bedtime. I often struggle with this one, so I’m trying to replace nighttime screen time by enjoying my evening decaf with physical books and magazines.

Enjoy all that summer has to offer by improving your sleep.  Better rest equals feeling better and soaking up the beautiful moments in your life, even if that looks different this summer than in the past.