Easy Ways to Get Quality Sleep Even as a Busy Professional
Easy Ways to Get Quality Sleep Even as a Busy Professional
Being a busy professional woman, chances are you’ve had some restless nights and maybe some sleepless nights.
The kind of nights when you lay down to sleep and just think about your to-do list for the next day, look at the clock, and now it’s 2 hours since you’ve laid down.
Or you wake up at 3 AM and can’t get back to sleep.
The reality is these kinds of nights can impact your days and if you stack enough of these kinds of nights up other parts of your life can begin to suffer - work and productivity, your mood, your relationships, and your overall health.
But you’re not alone, women tend to experience a lot more sleep challenges than men.
This makes it extra important as a busy professional woman that you create some helpful sleep routines and speak to other helpful wellness professionals about your sleep challenges.
In this blog, I’m sharing with you helpful tips on ways to improve your sleep.
I’m an online therapist located in Wilmington, NC, and work specifically with stressed-out and overwhelmed busy professional women in North Carolina and Maryland. Often the women I work with are experiencing challenges with perfectionism, imposter syndrome, or burnout.
Want to start getting help with your stress levels so your sleep can also improve? Click the button below to schedule your free 15-minute consultation with me to get started.
Keep reading to learn helpful tips to get better quality sleep.
8 Tips for Quality Sleep for the Busy Professional Woman
Sleep is essential and impacts so many parts of your life. So when your sleep quality is poor, you’re going to feel it somewhere and in some way. Check out these helpful tips for better sleep quality.
Establish a regular sleep schedule
One of the best ways to ensure quality sleep is to establish a regular sleep schedule. Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day helps to regulate your body’s natural sleep rhythm, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Create a relaxing bedtime routine
Another way to promote quality sleep is to create a relaxing bedtime routine. This can involve taking a warm bath, reading a book, doing some gratitude journaling, or doing some gentle stretches. Doing these activities will help to cue your body that it is time to sleep and make it easier for you to fall asleep.
Make your space nice and cool
Creating a comfortable environment in your bedroom can also help you get quality sleep. Keeping the room cool and dark promotes relaxation and makes it easier to fall asleep. Additionally, using comfortable sheets and pillows can make it more likely that you’ll stay asleep throughout the night.
Limit your screen time
The blue light that comes from your screens can disrupt your body’s natural sleep rhythm, making it more difficult to fall asleep. If you must use a screen before bed, consider using blue light-blocking glasses, shifting display colors in settings, or downloading a blue light-filtering app for your device.
Avoid alcohol before bed
Did you know that while alcohol may make you feel drowsy, it actually decreases the quality of your sleep? Alcohol prevents you from reaching the deepest stages of sleep, which are important for feeling rested the next day. Therefore, it’s best to avoid alcohol in the evening if you want to get quality sleep.
Avoid caffeine before bed
Caffeine is a stimulant that can make it harder to fall asleep. So, it’s best to avoid caffeine in the evening hours. If you do consume caffeine, try to do so early in the day so that it doesn’t interfere with your sleep at night. Try switching to decaffeinated coffee and teas at bedtime.
Move your body throughout the day
Regular exercise has numerous benefits for overall health, including promoting quality sleep. Exercise can help to improve sleep by reducing stress levels and promoting relaxation. However, it is important not to exercise too close to bedtime as this can make it more difficult for you to fall asleep.
Talk to healthcare professionals
Let your doctors and other healthcare providers know what is happening with your sleep. For women, it isn’t just about your stress levels or worrisome thoughts that could be blamed for poor sleep quality. There could be other reasons why your sleep quality could be poor.
Start Online Therapy for Stress in North Carolina and Maryland
Poor sleep can quickly increase stress levels and take a toll on your mood.
Getting quality sleep is essential to your well-being because it can impact so many parts of your life and yet the importance is often overlooked.
When providing stress therapy to busy professional women, I utilize a style of therapy called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
ACT therapy helps work through stressors, being more present, and engaging in things that matter most to you. Learn more about ACT therapy and if it could be helpful for you.
Learn how to get started in online therapy for stress with Laura, your ACT therapist.
1| Schedule the consultation - Pick a day and time of your choice for your consultation.
2| Complete the questionnaire - Within 24 hours of the consultation request, you will receive an email confirming and providing you with a link to complete a brief questionnaire for the consultation. This must be completed 24 hours before the consultation.
3| Have the phone call - Once the questionnaire has been completed, I will call you on the day and time you choose for the consultation. At this time, I will learn more about you and your priorities for therapy.
Still, Have Questions?
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Written by: Laura Rippeon, LCSW, LCSW-C