According to the APA, 75% of Americans self-report as stressed. Seventy-five percent! And almost half of all American adults report lying awake at night as a symptom of their high stress levels. Sleep deprivation can be a serious problem. While we can’t magically remove stressors from our lives (although we do admit to the occasional desire to throw our smartphones in a lake…), we can help ourselves de-stress and improve our mental health during our bodies’ downtime. The following are easy, science-backed tips on how to sleep when stress is too much.
1. Sleep aligned
Did you know that sleep problems can be caused by bad posture during bedtime? For a good night’s sleep, experts agree that keeping your shoulders, spine, and hips aligned when falling asleep will leave you feeling more rested, less tense, and without all those neck and shoulder problems. Balancing your personal sleep comfort with what’s good for your spine can be tricky, and you generally just get one shot to figure it out when you’re looking for the right pillow.
A pillow that props you up too much will leave your head sitting too high, while a super duper soft pillow (we’re looking at you, feather down!) will leave your head sitting too low and cause more sleepless nights. Both positions leave your neck misaligned with your spine, causing poor sleep quality because of soreness and pain in the neck and shoulders.
So, if you are on the hunt for pillows for neck pain, options like the Coop Original Pillow are designed with a supportive medium-firm density–and the fill is adjustable, so you can figure out what’s comfortable for you without buying five pillows.
2. Put away the phone–seriously!
Do you want to go to sleep fast? Number one: all that blue light messes with our melatonin (a.k.a. the sleep hormone) levels and circadian rhythm, so our poor brains get confused and cause insufficient sleep. But it’s not just the blue light we need to worry about. Doctors say that since our phones are designed to keep our brains engaged, our minds will continue to race and our stress levels increase if we don’t actively put them away an hour before bedtime for a healthy sleep.
3. Cuddle up… with your pillow
Although snuggling with our partners is great, a supportive body pillow will help you achieve better sleep soundly and comfortably through the night. Adjustable body pillows are especially great for those who are pregnant or have back problems because they add extra support and help keep your body aligned. Like we mentioned before, sleeping aligned means waking up with less aches and pains.
4. The sound of silence water
According to researchers, the “slow, whooshing noises” of water are the sounds of what we perceive as “non-threats,” making them lull us to deep sleep. Whether you prefer the sound of the ocean, rain, or a babbling brook, incorporate water sounds to help de-stress as you fall asleep.
5. Cool off
Having good sleep hygiene is important and setting the right temperature can help you improve it. Sleeping cool will not only help you have better sleep quality, but it also helps you fall asleep faster. While cranking the AC creates a cool space, the costs can quickly add up on your electric bill.
Cooling pillows like our Coop Eden Pillow help regulate body temperature without messing with the thermostat. Add a cooling pillowcase on top of it, and you can say hello to deep sleep. Plus, the cooling sensation on your face won’t mean reversing the pillow to the “cool side” throughout the night.
