5 Things I am Doing to Sleep Better!

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The other day, I mentioned how I have decided to follow along with The Happiness Project. January's resolution is to boost energy. Being happy energizes you; and having more energy makes it easier to engage in activities that boost your happiness.

So ... to be happier, one must boost their energy. And to do that, the physical aspect of energy must be taken into account. That means getting enough sleep and exercise!

Normally, it takes me a long time to fall asleep. I am also easily woken by noise, or having to go pee in the middle of the night (so annoying!). If I don't get minimum 8 hours of good sleep, I am not the happiest person in the morning.

Because my end goal is to be happier (and to have more energy), this is what I am doing to get a better night's sleep.

1. Turn off electronics. At least 30 minutes before bed time, I am turning my laptop and TV off, and putting my iPhone/iPad away. If I don't, it takes forever to shut my brain off.
2. Go to the bed at the same time, every night. For example, I plan to be in bed between 10 to 10:30 pm every night. Once in bed, I will usually read a book for 30 minutes, or until I am sleepy. Getting my body onto a consistant sleep schedule really makes a difference. I also try to wake up at the same time every day! 
3. Avoid Alcohol & Caffeine. I know this is an obvious one. I love soda pop, and often find myself finishing a glass right before bed. Big, big mistake - I don't think I need to explain why! 
4. Go dark. Light is a big disruptor of sleep, so making your bedroom as dark as possible is crucial! 
5. Stretch before bed. Stretching before bed helps to relieve aches, but it can also help calm and make for a deep, wonderful sleep! This is something I really need to work on and make a habit!!

Happy sleeping!

What I'm Reading // The Happiness Project.

Back in January 2013, I started reading The Happiness Project.

I finally finished reading it just last month, December 31st to be exact (it was one of my four simple goals before 2014!) ... I am really, I mean really, really bad at reading books. I become easily distracted by the internet, television, life and forget all about them.

The book itself was fantastic. It was easy to read and even easier to relate to. If you haven't read it before, go buy it, its well worth the read!

After finishing the last few pages, I decided that I wanted to read the book again and try my best to follow along in 2014. I may not follow everything exactly, might make a few changes along the way, but I think it will be good thing. This time around, I decided that I was going to read a chapter at the beginning of each month - there are twelve chapters, one for each month with different resolutions. My hope is that by only reading one chapter, it will be easier to follow along and to be successful in my own happiness project!

For example, January's resolution for Gretchen (the book's author), was to boost her energy. And to accomplish her resolution of more vitality, she decided to focus on both the physical and mental aspects of energy. For her, these included:

01 // go to sleep earlier
02 // exercise better
03 // toss, restore, organize
04 // tackle a nagging task
05 // act more energetic

Pretty simple when you break it down. As I read each chapter, I also decided to make notes about what I related to, found helpful, wanted to focus my efforts on, etc. I will admit, I have a short term memory. Taking notes will help keep me on track, plus it will give me something to blog about!

Have you read this book before? Thoughts?