If you struggle to relax at night, there are a lot of sleep rituals that can help. As humans, we’re not exempt from earth’s rhythms (as much as we’d like to think we are), and peaceful sleep often comes when we reconnect to nature.
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I bet you’ve seen this content on Instagram. Your favorite influencer just hopped on the red light therapy trend and says she’s never slept better. Whew, our culture has really shifted in the past ten years, hasn’t it? We used to say things like, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead,” and now we’re all nerding out about lightbulbs that mimic the sun.
I’m here for it, though. As a chronic illness survivor, I’m stoked to no longer be the one person on the girls’ trip who’s like, “Sorry guys, gotta get the full ten hours.” Anyway, trust me. As a self-proclaimed pro, I’m happy to share that I’ve tested all the crunchy girl sleep hacks to see which ones are worth the hype.
6 Crunchy Girl Sleep Rituals to Help You Wake Up Feeling Like a New Person
1) Red Light Therapy
Red light devices, like face masks and panels, use low-level light frequencies to supercharge the cells. The great thing about these devices is how multifunctional they are. You can use a red light panel for skincare, optimized sleep, back pain, inflammation, workout recovery, and hormone balance all at the same time.
- Why I Love It: Any time I use a red light device, I get better-quality sleep. I can use the device in the morning, afternoon, or evening, and the effects are the same. I fall into a deeper sleep and don’t hit “snooze” when I wake up in the morning.
- What You Should Know: There’s a learning period that comes with red light devices. You should use them no more than twice a day for 20-minute sessions (and for less time on your face). If you have a chronic illness, it’s best to start even slower and work your way up to longer sessions.
2) Earthing Devices
When you make contact with the Earth’s magnetic field, studies show you can dramatically decrease inflammation levels in the body.
- Why I Love It: Earthing isn’t a hoax. There are so many scientific studies behind it. When I spend time grounded, I notice that I feel ready to sleep at a decent time and don’t run on nighttime adrenaline.
- What You Should Know: I love a biohack that’s completely free. All you need to do is walk outside barefoot on anything that conducts electricity (brick and concrete usually count!). If you want to stay connected to the earth’s frequency for longer, a grounding mat works great, too.
3) Homeopathy
Now’s the time to hop on the homeopathy bandwagon before the influencers do. Homeopathy is genuinely the most effective natural medicine I’ve ever used (and trust me, I’ve tried everything). Try coffea for racing thoughts at night, ignatia for lack of sleep due to grief, and arnica if you’re too tired to sleep.
- Why I Love It: I find that homeopathy works best on the emotional side of insomnia. Red light isn’t going to help if you’re awake due to stress or racing thoughts, but homeopathy often does.
- What You Should Know: Before you start experimenting with homeopathy, you should know it’s a little complex. Homeopathy functions on the “law of similars,” believing the same thing that makes you sick can also make you well. Blindly throwing the dart with remedies you find at your natural health food store usually doesn’t work. Instead, you need to find an expert or study homeopathy for yourself.
4) Circadian Rhythm Support
If you want to slow down and experience life again like it’s 2007, you have to start nurturing your circadian rhythm. Our bodies aren’t machines, and we can’t power through life with so much disconnection to nature. Trust me, this is the reason you get that “second wind” of energy at 10:00 PM. It’s because your body doesn’t know what time it is, so it’s flooding you with adrenaline and hormones.
- Why I Love It: I didn’t start circadian rhythm work for a long time because it felt too easy. Eating meals at the same time every day couldn’t possibly make me more tired at night. Spoiler alert: it does. It’s also improved my mental health, and makes me feel more present throughout the day.
- What You Should Know: Influencers will tell you to wake up and watch the sunrise, but I recommend you start even slower. Take midafternoon walks in the sun, eat on a predetermined schedule, and get a salt lamp to use at night (instead of overhead lights). This should shift your sleep schedule enough to make a sunrise breakfast much more achievable.
5) Magnesium Baths
It’s estimated that 80% of Americans (or even more) are magnesium deficient. In unscientific terms, that’s basically everyone. Magnesium is known as the “calming” mineral that helps your muscles relax for optimal sleep. While that’s true, it’s a poor representation of magnesium’s actual role in sleep. Magnesium is a cofactor for serotonin production, and you can’t have melatonin without serotonin. In other words, it’s a mineral building block for great mental health (serotonin) and even better sleep (melatonin).
- Why I Love It: You can absolutely take magnesium supplements if that’s easier. I just love a magnesium bath, since it’s a calming experience, and it helps to make bedtime a ritual.
- What You Should Know: Magnesium baths are easily dismissed, since they require a certain amount of skin absorption to actually be effective. But the good news is, skin absorption isn’t really a problem. In studies, magnesium has shown to enter the body through hair follicles.
6) Disconnect Devices
There are a few reasons why your sleep quality could be impacted by phones, computers, TVs, and other devices. The first is the blue light (which mimics daylight), and the other is EMF exposure (frequencies generated by our devices). I’ll be the first to admit that I use my phone to play noise while I sleep, so I don’t throw it out of the room. That said, I have noticed that my sleep quality does improve when I move it farther away and keep it on airplane mode. Wild, right?
- Why I Love It: Switching off devices isn’t just about better sleep. It’s helpful for reducing overall stress on the body. I notice better-quality sleep when I read at night and limit phone and TV time.
- What You Should Know: There’s a lot of scary language when you do a deep dive on EMF exposure. I personally believe in doing as much as you can to reduce exposure without over-stressing.
The Bottom Line: Nothing Makes Up for a Poor Sleep Schedule
Here’s what the influencers aren’t saying: nothing makes up for poor sleep hygiene. The red light devices, circadian rhythm adjustments, and magnesium baths can’t replace your commitment to going to bed at a reasonable hour. And they won’t change your habits if you truly believe sleep isn’t a priority.
We’re all products of our culture, and I often find it difficult to separate myself from the “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” mentality, too. But we have to take an honest look at our lives and see that we’re worth more than what we accomplish. We exist to experience the world around us, and nature tells us that rest is part of that experience.
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