Do you find yourself exhausted in the middle of the day? Ready to go to bed as soon as you get home from work? You might not be getting enough sleep at night! In honor of National Sleep Awareness Week, we’ve got some ways to try catch more zzzzs. 

Whether you’re ready to nap at your ergonomic workstation, folding table, quilting table, or standing desk, you can probably use some help with snoozing. We’ve written about sleep before, but there’s plenty more to be said when it comes to designing a great sleep environment.

Hopefully by now you know to shut off the electronic devices an hour (or more) before bed; keep the bedroom dark and quiet and only for two activities (!); wake up about the same time every day. But we found some more tips and hacks for the sleepytime of your dreams.

1. Color me sleepy

Yes, a more soothing palette in your bedroom might induce more snooze time. Whatever is soothing for you works, just make sure you don’t pick something too shiny.

2. Socks it to me

When your extremities are too cold, it’s hard to sleep. Warm hands and feet help you fall asleep faster. Go ahead and pull on a pair of clean socks.

3. Alarm for bedtime

Most of us need an alarm clock to wake up. But what about an alarm for going to sleep? If you’re having a tough time getting to bed at the same time every hour, think about an alarm that tells you when it’s time to go to sleep.

You know when you need to wake up for work. Work backwards 7 or 8 hours to determine when you need to head to bed.

4. Get your own sheet!

Are you the one who’s too hot or too cold at night? Always wondering why you wake up in the middle of the night freezing, and it turns out your partner is hogging the covers? You can each have separate sheets.

If you pull a single comforter over your sheets, no nosy parker needs to know about it.

5. Inhale… exhale….

Deep breathing is a well-known way to relax. It tells your body to stop producing stress hormones.

6. I smell sleep

Aromatherapy may sound like something for California hippies, but scent really has been shown to relax people. Lavender, for example, has been shown not only to promote the deep sleep you need but also help insomniacs fall asleep faster.

The nose knows!

7. Write to sleep right

We’re all very busy and have lots of things to do. At night, that means a lot of us have minds swirling with thoughts. Did I do this right? What do I need to do before the meeting tomorrow? Why is Bert at work such a pain in the rump? I wish I’d told Jennifer to stop talking!

One of the best ways to get your mind to stop racing, especially if meditation and deep breaths haven’t helped, is to write it down. Once it’s on paper, your mind is freed of the burden of keeping that thought so you don’t lose it. And the act of writing itself can be very calming.

Try one (or all) of these this week and see if your sleep improves! You’ll be able to tell because you’ll feel more rested and refreshed in the morning.

What are you doing to get more sleep? Let us know in the comments!