When I chat with other moms, the conversation about sleep often comes up. All these ladies in their early to mid 40’s, with young kids in tow, seem to have the same story….go go go all day, can’t wait to get in bed, then boom- cannot fall asleep despite being past the point of exhaustion.

After doing a little digging and a little trial and error with my personal sleep habits, I have discovered there are often little changes we can make in our day that will aid in our ability to drift off quickly come bed time.

Below are some common reasons we struggle to fall asleep quickly and some tips to help manifest a better night’s rest.

You ate dinner way too late: to avoid your body working late at night digesting food (which may lead to being awake) eat your last meal 2-3 hours before bedtime.
The screens have your body tricked into feeling like they are awake 24 hours a day. Our brains look at screens like we look at the sun., so we need to trick them into hibernation mode for better sleep. Cut screens an hour before going to bed to fall asleep easily.
Your mind won't quit! It isn't easy to leave work at work, avoid running through the next days tasks, running through your to-do list...to help keep this controlled, keep a journal by your bed to jot down your list of things you are reminded of as soon as your head hits the pillow. The simple act of putting them on paper will ease your mind.
Your caffeine habit is out of whack. Even if you don't think it effects you, sleep experts say at bedtime, your body feels the jolt from hours before. Cut the coffee 6-8 hours before bedtime. Also, if needing a boost in the late afternoon (but before cut off time), a few sips every 10-15 minutes is better than gulping down a cup. This will help prevent the crash afterwards.
Lacking a schedule- one of the biggest lifestyle factors contributing to insomnia is not maintaining a regular sleep-wake schedule. Yep- this means you shouldn't be sleeping in super late on weekends. The goals is to wake up and go to bed around the same time every single day.

If you struggle with falling asleep quickly, cross check some of these things to see if there is a simple fix. Here’s to a good night’s sleep.