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With your wedding just a few weeks away, getting proper sleep might seem impossible.
Countless things need to be taken care of, such as sending invitations, deciding on flower arrangements, and selecting the venue, among others. And in most cases, your normal sleep schedule gets disturbed when you start planning for the wedding.
But as your family members and friends might be telling you time and again, getting proper sleep is essential to stay healthy for the wedding. And this guide lists some of the best ways to get it.
Almost everyone knows that getting an adequate amount of sleep is vital for good health. However, if you're getting married, it is even more so, as explained here.
When you decide to pull all-nighters in the week before the wedding, the chances of stress levels going through the roof become extremely high. High-stress levels can lead to anxiety, headaches, strokes, and other issues. Also, you may become extremely reactive to people and events, which can affect those around you.
Not getting a good night's sleep for most days of the week can lead to memory problems, and you may have trouble remembering things and events. You may also not be alert for most of the day and, thus, unable to focus on the wedding planning.
Sometimes, lack of sleep is responsible for the stress that can creep into relationships. And then there is the fact that it affects your appearance, resulting in under-eye dark circles, reddish eyes, more fine lines, wrinkles, and paler skin.
Fortunately, there are a few ways to ensure your sleep cycle does not get disrupted and such problems do not occur. Let's take a look at them now.
The first thing to do is to create a bedtime for yourself at least three weeks before the wedding day. Decide on a time by which you should be in bed each day, including weekends. Similarly, set up a wake-up time and follow this routine regularly.
Your internal clock needs to reset and maintain its circadian rhythm, for which it requires the rays of the sun. One way by which you can easily get some sun is to spend about 15 minutes outside every morning. However, be careful not to get sunburnt as the big day comes close.
Taking care of various aspects of wedding planning while dealing with your job and family can be quite hectic. That is why setting aside a few moments to relax is crucial.
The best way to do so is to divide different tasks and establish realistically achievable goals for each week as far as the preparations are concerned. Trying to take on everything all at once can be overwhelming and will lead to a build-up of stress.
Many people think that if a job needs to be done properly, they have to be the ones to do it. But this may not always be true, and delegating some tasks to others can help you lessen your burden. For such purposes, hiring a wedding planner can be quite beneficial.
Such professional planners have a lot of experience, and you can count on them to take care of everything in the best possible manner. This can help free you from some responsibilities and provide time to catch up on lost sleep.
Creating a wind-down routine before bedtime is another method that can help you get some rest. This routine can include turning off distractions like emails and texts, dimming the lights, and listening to soothing sounds or music. Ideally, this routine should be started an hour before going to bed.
If you're someone who loses track of time while working, setting up an alarm can be quite helpful. Creating such a routine will help train your brain to get ready for sleep at a fixed time daily.
Working out is one of the most effective techniques to help reduce stress, and people with a regular workout routine tend to have better sleep quality. So, make some time for exercise before going to bed. This will also help keep you in perfect shape and in good health for the big day.
With so much going on, it can be hard for some people to incorporate a proper workout routine into their regular workday. If that is the case, you can opt for an easier method that won't take as much time.
Instead of going for a complete workout, you can try some yoga poses and light stretching. Such poses can be performed for as little as ten minutes but will help your body get ready for sleep.
You may already be aware that consuming caffeine before bed will make it difficult to fall asleep. But what many people do not know is that caffeine can remain in the body for up to eight hours. So, even a cup of coffee in the afternoon may prevent you from catching a quick nap.
To prevent that from happening, reduce your caffeine intake by avoiding beverages like coffee in the afternoon.
Having a glass of wine at the end of a long day is okay, but consuming too much alcohol can prevent you from falling asleep when it's bedtime. Alcohol is known to reduce rapid eye movement or REM sleep, which is important for memory and allows the brain to recuperate.
Loss of REM sleep will make you feel drowsy throughout the day and prevent you from focusing.
We all love spending time on our smartphones and tablets, whether posting pictures on social media pages or watching funny cat videos. Unfortunately, too much screen time can adversely affect your sleep while also causing eye strain. The reason is that the screens of devices like smartphones emit blue light, which can trick the circadian rhythm of the body into thinking it is daytime.
When that happens, your body remains active instead of winding down. While many devices come with a setting to reduce the emission of blue light, it is still better to avoid using such devices before sleep.
One scientifically-proven way of avoiding the symptoms of sleep deprivation is to spend time in a hot bath. A warm shower increases your body temperature, which goes down when you step out of the bath, similar to how it falls during sleep.
This allows your body to prepare itself for sleep. Adding one cup of chamomile tea or essential oils like lavender can make this method even more effective.
There may be several things left to do as you prepare for the wedding, and thinking about them can keep the mind racing and prevent you from falling asleep. In such instances, it is best to write them down as a to-do list in a notebook as part of your bedtime routine.
Doing so can help the brain relax and make it easier to fall asleep.
Sometimes, it is better to have someone to share your feelings and anxieties with instead of making notes. A confidant can provide comfort, allowing you to let go of all the stress that is affecting mental health and leading to sleep problems.
Like yoga and stretching, breathing exercises can help you relax and become stress-free. Incorporating such exercises and meditation into your sleep schedule in the weeks leading up to the ceremony is a good idea.
Preparing for the wedding by going on a special diet? That might be responsible for adversely affecting your ability to fall asleep easily. Look for foods rich in tryptophan, an amino acid that helps create serotonin. Serotonin, in turn, is required for the production of melatonin, a sleep hormone.
Tryptophan is present in warm milk, eggs, bananas, and yogurt.
Not having a proper sleep environment can be a major obstacle when it comes to getting some beauty sleep. So, make sure to have a warm and cozy bed and avoid wedding planning when going to sleep. Also, consider using eye masks and adding luxurious sheets or pillows for comfort.
Instead of scrolling through social media feeds on your smartphone or watching TV, consider winding down with a book. And when selecting a book to help you fall asleep, go for something light to help calm the mind.
For some people, a natural supplement might be the best option to help them fall asleep. If that is the case, you can look for a sleep medicine that contains melatonin and take it during the wedding week in case of sleep problems.
Weighted blankets are proven to help reduce anxiety, which is crucial if you want to get some shut-eye. Such blankets can put the mind in a relaxed state and make it easier to get sleep.
You may think getting some sleep after the wedding will be easy, but surprisingly, it isn't. Fortunately, the tips mentioned in this section can help.
You will likely be exhausted after the wedding, so it is best to take some time to rest before leaving for the honeymoon. This way, you'll be refreshed and capable of enjoying the trip to its fullest.
A honeymoon might be the perfect opportunity to visit destinations like Paris or Venice, but such a journey can be pretty strenuous. And experiencing jet lag after spending the past few weeks preparing for the wedding can make the trip pretty unenjoyable.
So, a better option would be to spend your honeymoon in the same time zone.
Setting some time aside for relaxation is important after dealing with a huge amount of stress in the days leading up to the wedding and the wedding itself. You can set aside certain hours for recharging or avoid sightseeing for the first couple of days.
Taking the time to rest properly is especially vital when visiting locations that are warmer than where you're from.
You'll likely want to share updates of the trip on social media or collect pictures of the wedding shared online by friends and family. However, these can be highly distracting and can lead to an increase in stress levels. So, it is best to limit the use of smartphones and enjoy time with your new spouse.
If you wish to take in the sights, but your partner wants to rest, there is no rule that prohibits that. It is not compulsory to spend every moment together, and it can be helpful in letting go of the stress that prevents sleep.
Getting married is one of the most exciting things in life, but the period leading up to the special day can be extremely stressful. With so much to do, getting proper sleep can be quite difficult. Hopefully, with the methods mentioned here, you may be able to overcome the difficulties involved and finally get some much-needed sleep.
These techniques are some of the best ones recommended by sleep experts and are suitable for most people. However, if you're still having problems getting proper sleep, it might be better to consult a specialist. Doing so will reduce the chances of falling ill or suffering from other problems caused by sleep loss before or after the wedding.
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