Falling Asleep vs. Staying Asleep

The one thing that affects almost every part of your overall health and well-being? Sleep. From your immune system to your energy and stress levels, so much is influenced by getting (or not getting!) enough rest. 

While sleep is incredibly important, many of us struggle to get the recommended 7-9 hours, often finding it challenging to fall asleep, stay asleep, or both. Here are the different factors that could be contributing, and a few tips for getting the rejuvenating rest you need:

Trouble Falling Asleep 
Your mind is racing, and your body just can’t seem to relax enough to fall asleep. At some point or another, all of us have experienced this common issue. While a variety of factors can be at play here, trouble falling asleep often stems from a disrupted circadian rhythm. 

Our circadian rhythm is what signals to the body that it’s time to sleep, and it can be easily disrupted by everything from caffeine too late in the day, to inconsistent bedtimes, and screens or bright lights right before bed. 

The best way to reset your circadian rhythm? Following a wind-down routine. Try to turn off technology an hour before bed, dim the lights, and engage in a few relaxing activities to calm the mind and signal to the body that it’s time to sleep. Aiming to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day can help encourage a healthy sleep cycle as well. 

If you find you need extra support after implementing your new routine, these plant-based ingredients can help:

Valerian Root
This flowering plant reduces the time it takes to fall asleep in the first place.

Find it in: Hum Nutrition Mighty Night, Healist Sleep Chews, The Good Patch Dream Patch

Magnesium 
This mineral helps calm the mind so you can drift off into dreamland. 

Find it in: Alo Yoga Magnesium Reset Spray, Rae Wellness Sleep Capsules, Hilma Sleep Support

Problems Staying Asleep 
Trouble falling asleep can be endlessly frustrating, but waking up multiple times throughout the night is even worse. This can also be caused by a disruption to your circadian rhythm (and solved by establishing a proper night routine), but, sometimes, trouble staying asleep may be the symptom of a larger issue.

Prolonged stress, in particular, can keep your mind active at night, making it difficult for you to achieve the deep, quality rest that you need. In this case, looking at the root cause and making changes accordingly is the best step. We have a few tips here, and recommend implementing the following ingredients into your routine:

Lavender
Deeply soothing, the lavender plant is known to improve overall sleep quality (so you can stop waking up throughout the night!).

Find it in: Sagely Naturals Calm + Centered Roll On, natureofthings Fortifying Magnesium Soak

L-theanine 
This amino acid can help you relax before bed, and also helps you sleep more deeply. 

Find it in: Flora + Bast Deep Sleep Vegan Gummy, Plant People Be Calm Capsules, Moon Juice Magnesi-Om

CBD
Balancing the body’s endocannabinoid system, regular CBD use helps reduce stress and inspire balance in the body and mind.

Find it in: Rose Los Angeles x SD Day + Night Delights, Standard Dose Tincture, Dusk Sleep Tincture