How to Sleep Better While Wedding Planning?

Planning a wedding can be both fascinating and overwhelming. But the excitement you feel may often result in difficulty sleeping. Continuous sleep deprivation, in turn, may adversely affect your mood and look on the big day.

You don’t want that, do you?

The best way to prevent this and feel like a queen on your wedding day is to make sure proper rest can fit into your daily schedule. And the recommendations below will help you do just that.

#1 Outline Your Routine

So, you probably already have your wedding day planned down to minutes.

But what about your sleep routine?

The thing is, the earlier you start following your sleep schedule, the more well-rested you will be. Usually, your body needs about a week to adjust to a new regimen. So, if you start a month or two before the wedding, you will look glowing and healthy on your most important day.

Here’s what you need to do:

• Find out how much sleep you need. Even though the World Health Organization recommends getting 8 hours of sleep, two-thirds of adults worldwide neglect it. Still, some people might feel functional and energized after sleeping 6-7 hours per night. So, try to track how much sleep it takes you to feel alive and make this your starting point.
• Integrate your sleep needs into your daily life. Now, adjust your sleeping schedule so that you will be able to meet the recommended amount of sleep while still taking part in wedding planning. Don’t be scared that you will end up unproductive; in fact, the effects will be quite the opposite. When you are well-rested, you will actually do much more compared to a sleep-deprived caffeine zombie.
• Stick to your new routine. Finally, don’t skimp on sleep at any cost. Of course, a hen’s party is a staple for wedding plans, so you totally can’t miss out, but during other nights, try to make proper rest your priority.

The goal here is to gradually integrate enough sleep into your life and let its beneficial effects do their job. It’s a sure way to look great and happy on the most important day of your life.

#2 Dedicate Some Time to Yourself

Choosing the location, cake design, decorations, and flowers for your wedding bouquet may trigger a lot of positive emotions. In fact, this state of overexcitement and euphoria is called ‘eustress’ — contrary to ‘distress,’ which has negative connotations.

Now, in some cases, eustress can serve as a sort of healing for your nervous system. However, it still can provoke a hormonal response similar to ‘fight-or-flight’ reaction by triggering adrenal hormones and cortisol.

And these hormones can interrupt your sleep in the same ways as anxiety does. Which is why it’s essential to create some relaxing rituals that can boost your endorphin levels and leave you calm but in a positive mood.

Some ways to increase endorphin levels are the following:

• Massage. When you are running around the town, doing preparations for your wedding, you may feel sore and stiff by the evening, and getting good sleep may become challenging. Self-massaging in a hot shower or referring to a professional will help you relax and drift off easily.

• Aromatherapy. Some aroma oils have a soothing effect on your nervous system. Infuse your evening bath with lavender and jasmine, or rub your temples with a drop of ylang-ylang to ease your sleep.

• Yoga. Yoga teaches you to feel your body energies (and hence understand your emotions better). Besides, working with your body weight can release some deep muscle knots the way that massage does and provide you with additional relaxation.

These techniques aren’t something you need to do daily, but they may help you wind down on the most hectic days.

#3 Upgrade Your Bedroom

Source: www.flexiwood.com.au

The bed you sleep on, along with pillows and sheets, might be another thing preventing you from catching your dose of ZZZ’s. To find out if this is the case, answer the following questions:

• How old is your mattress? On average, the lifespan of a mattress falls between 8-10 years. Old beds become uneven and cannot offer you proper support, which results in different painful sensations. Along with that, all mattresses tend to accumulate dust — and hence, dust mites — inside their layers, which is the main contributor to allergies and other respiratory problems.
• Is your pillow comfortable? An old or initially uncomfortable pillow can cause a variety of problems, with the most common one being neck strain. Creating awkward curves in your cervical region can contribute to morning headaches and pains, which certainly isn’t uplifting.
• Are your bed sheets natural? While synthetic bed sheets are the most common choice on the market today, they do have a number of drawbacks. For example, they can make you sweaty during the night or may generate static electricity when the weather is dry.

So, if you aren’t ready for unexpected spendings in the form of a new mattress, start small and replace your pillow. Thankfully, there are a lot of different pillow types that can meet every demand. Or, buy a natural bedding set that will help you get a more refreshing shut-eye.

#4 Turn to Sleeping Aids

Finally, if something prevents you from establishing a healthy routine, you may use sleeping aids. Unlike prescription medicines, these remedies do not have habit-forming mechanisms. Also, they are typically derived from plants or provide you with analogs of compounds that are naturally found in your body.

Sleeping aids can also help you fight stress, especially if they contain adaptogenic herbs, which can soothe your nervous system. Note that such pills do not give you immediate results, so it’s a good idea to start taking them earlier to feel their potency.

Here are some sleeping aids you can try:

• Melatonin. This is a synthetic analog of your body’s sleep hormone that naturally releases during evening hours. Melatonin helps you fall asleep faster and provides you with deeper sleep, so you may even sleep less than usual and still feel well-rested in the morning.
• Glycine. Glycine is an amino acid involved in serotonin synthesis. It can provide you with a feeling of calmness and relaxation, which results in better sleep.
• Ashwagandha. This is an adaptogenic herb that can help you reduce stress, thereby promoting quality sleep.

Note that even if you’re buying over-the-counter meds, it is highly recommended to schedule an appointment with your healthcare specialist to determine which type of sleeping aid will work best for you and its dosage.

25 Reasons Why a Good Night’s Sleep is Essential

Graphic courtesy of dumbbellsreview.com