How to Sleep Better Despite Wedding Jitters

Wedding jitters are normal. After all, there’s a certain amount of anxiety and stress that comes when two lives are joined. However, stress can get in the way of sleep, which can lead to emotional changes that interfere with your personal relationships. To keep yourself grounded and at the top of your wedding game, we’ve put together a few of our favourite ways to destress along with the sleep habits that will have you dreaming in no time.

Deal with Stress Before Bedtime

There’s a certain amount of stress that’s unavoidable when preparing for a wedding. However, by managing your stress on a daily basis, you’ll not only reduce your stress levels but also help yourself get the full seven to nine hours of sleep you need.

1. Create a Buffer

Our bodies and minds prepare themselves for the task at hand. That’s why you can’t go from a busy work environment to sleeping in your bedroom in a matter of minutes. Your mind and body need a buffer time to transition from work to home.

A workout at the gym or walk with your fiancé can relieve tension to transition you from your professional to your personal life. Your buffer time should be full of activities that aren’t related to work so your mind gets out of that hyper-focused state. Making dinner, washing dishes, or spending time with family can all bring work-related stress to a halt in preparation for bedtime.

 

 

2. Meditation and Yoga

Meditation brings the mind’s focus into the present moment and away from stressful future events. It’s also been shown to decrease heart rate and blood pressure. In as little as 10 to 15 minutes a day, you can bring yourself to a calmer state.

Yoga works well for those who need a movement to help relieve stress. Gentle yoga poses accompanied by meditative breathing can help reduce inflammation due to stress. It’s also been shown to improve mood and overall energy levels.

 

3. Make Time for Exercise

Exercise works wonders for all aspects of your health. It helps relieve tension while triggering the release of feel-good endorphins that improve mood and overall well-being. But, your exercise doesn’t have to be vigorous to help you sleep so it’s worth trying even if you’re not an athlete.

 

Put Sleep at the Top of Your List

Sleep patterns can be altered by personal behaviours so there’s a lot you can do to improve your sleep with better habits.

1. Transition with a Bedtime Routine

Your buffer time prepared you to leave work behind while a bedtime routine prepares your body to leave consciousness. A bedtime routine should include activities that help your mind and body fully relax. Try meditation, reading a book, or taking a warm bath to soothe yourself into a sleep-ready state. The activities should be performed at the same time and in the same order to help trigger the release of sleep hormones.

2. Skip the News

The news can often be stress inducing or overstimulating, which is the opposite of what you need at bedtime. Not only that but televisions, laptops, and smartphones can emit a blue spectrum light that suppresses sleep hormones. Turn off your devices two to three hours before bed and wait to read the news until morning.

3. Create the Right Bedroom Conditions

Your sleep environment can either help or hinder your ability to fall and stay asleep. Cool, dark, quiet conditions are ideal as they eliminate interruptions. There are other subtler room conditions that can influence your sleep as well. Better air quality, for example, has been shown to deepen sleep while clutter can keep some people tossing and turning. Pick up your room, close the curtains, or turn on a ceiling fan to create the ideal conditions for you.

Daily stress management can keep your jitters from ruining your pre-wedding preparations. With adequate sleep, you’ll be set to enjoy your special day and the opportunity to start a new life with your partner.