It’s hard to fall (and stay!) asleep when you’re stressed out, wound up, and on edge. So, if you want to get better sleep, where’s a great place to start? Getting more relaxed.

Prioritizing relaxation can put you in the right state to get an A+ night of rest. But in today’s hyper-stressful world, how, exactly, do you go about making relaxation a part of your daily routine and reap the better sleep benefits in the process?

Why Is Relaxation Such an Important Piece of the Sleep Puzzle?

First things first. Before we jump into how to relax (and how to leverage that relaxation to improve your sleep), let’s quickly touch on the reasons relaxation is such an important part of the sleep puzzle.

“It is terribly important to give priority to relaxation when you want to have a better sleep,” says Dr. Paul Daidone, the medical director at Arkansas-based True Self Recovery and an internal medicine and addictionology doctor.

Why? Relaxation can boost sleep in several ways, including:

Lowering Cortisol

Relaxation can cause actual changes in your body, including lowering your body’s production of stress hormones. “When someone is relaxed both physically and mentally, the production of cortisol, a type of stress hormone, decreases, which gives room for an easy switch to the sleep stage,” says Daidone.

Cortisol isn’t called “the stress hormone” for nothing; when cortisol levels are high, you can feel stressed and anxious. As such, reducing cortisol through relaxation techniques can play a huge role “in reducing anxiety and stress, which are some of the greatest impediments to a good rest,” says Daidone.

Switching the Body From “Fight or Flight” to “Rest and Digest”

When you’re stressed, your sympathetic nervous system is activated (also known as “fight or flight” mode). Actively taking steps to relax “can also help activate the parasympathetic nervous system, known as a calming response,” says Daidone. This, in turn, can make it easier to get high-quality sleep.

Strategies To Feel More Relaxed

Clearly, relaxing can be a great avenue for getting better rest. But for most people, relaxation doesn’t just happen at the snap of their fingers; they need to take active steps to make it happen.

So the question is: What steps can you take to prioritize relaxation — and improve your overall sleep in the process?

Create a Spa-Like Ambiance

Between bright overhead lights, blaring TVs, and blue light-emitting screens, many environments aren’t exactly designed to promote relaxation. So, if you want to relax, one of the best things you can do is be intentional with your environment and create a space that feels truly relaxing.

One way to start is by using spas as inspiration.

Recreating a spa-like ambiance in your home can help get your brain and body into a more relaxed state, which, in turn, can help you unwind and set yourself up for better sleep.

• Turn down the lights. “The stimulation from bright lights interferes with melatonin production, which is responsible for regulating sleep,” says Daidone. Dim harsh overhead lights, swap in warmer bulbs, or even light candles to create a more relaxing vibe.
  
• Turn off the screens. You won’t see many screens in a spa. And for good reason! “The blue light produced by phones and computers can disrupt melatonin production,” says Daidone. Come dusk, minimize or eliminate screens, and opt for non-screen-centric activities, like reading a book or listening to music. “Music also plays a big role in how we relax,” says Daidone.

Take a Bath

If you have a tub, a great place to leverage the above tip and create a spa-like ambiance is the bathroom. Why? Because taking a bath is also a great way to relax — so when you combine the ambiance and the soak, you’ve got a one-two punch for maximum relaxation.

“A hot bath may relieve tense muscles and remove physical tension, thus contributing to an overall relaxation state and readiness for sleep,” says Daidone.

Not only that, but the temperature shift that happens when you get out of the bath can also help you get better sleep.

“[Getting out of] a warm bath leads to a drop in core body temperature, which mimics what naturally happens when falling asleep,” says Daidone.

So, if you want to relax and get better sleep in the process, dim the lights, turn on some soothing music, and settle in for a pre-bedtime soak.

Try Aromatherapy

Another great way to promote relaxation — and get the sleep-boosting benefits that go along with it — is aromatherapy, which has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety.

“The use of calming and relaxing scents in aromatherapy can help you get better sleep,” says Daidone. For example, “some essential oils such as chamomile, bergamot, or lavender have an anxiety-reducing effect,” which can help you lower anxiety before bed and promote better sleep. Sweet orange and clary sage are two other fragrances that have been found to lower stress.

There are a number of ways to incorporate aromatherapy into your pre-bedtime routine to relax and get better sleep, including:

• Add scents to your bedroom. Using aromatherapy in the bedroom — for example, by adding essential oils to a diffuser or diluting the oil as a room or linen spray — can also help promote relaxation as you’re falling asleep.
  
• Add essential oils directly to your body. A simple way to try aromatherapy is to put a few drops of a calming essential oil, like lavender, into your hands. Then, cup your hands around your nose and slowly breathe in the scent.
  
• Add scents to your bath. If you’re planning a bath, up the relaxation ante by adding a few drops of a calming essential oil. You could also opt for scented Epsom salts, which can help relax and soothe sore muscles.
  

How To Give Yourself an At-Home Spa Treatment

A spa-like atmosphere is great for promoting relaxation as well as setting the scene for sleep-supporting relaxation rituals that feel like an actual spa treatment.

Here are a few at-home spa treatments courtesy of Ashley Stafford, a licensed massage therapist (LMT) for Pennsylvania-based Tranquil Therapy Wellness, to help you relax, unwind and support a great night’s sleep.

Fractionated Coconut Oil Sugar Scrub

A scrub is a great way to remove dead skin and rejuvenate the body, and it can also be an extremely relaxing ritual.

To try this spa treatment, you’ll only need two ingredients:

• Sugar: Sugar will give the scrub texture. You can choose the type of sugar depending on how rough you want that texture to be. “I use turbinado sugar when I want more of an exfoliant and regular table sugar when I want [the scrub] to feel smoother,” says Stafford.
  
• Fractionated coconut oil: Stafford recommends using fractionated coconut oil, as it stays liquid at room temperature. You should be able to find this at a health food store.

Once you have the ingredients, all you need to do is add the sugar to the coconut oil. “The goal is to saturate the sugar…enough to form a nice paste,” says Stafford.

Once you’ve gotten the scrub to a paste-like consistency, “take a small amount — and in small circle motions rub it into the skin,” says Stafford. “You can start with the hands and arms before moving on to the feet and calves.” (Stafford recommends avoiding the face.)

According to Stafford, less is more with this scrub — “so use just enough to move it around, and reapply if you start to pull at the skin,” says Stafford. Rinse it with warm water in a bath or shower, then store any leftover scrub in an airtight container for up to a week.

Self-massage

Self-massage is a great way to treat sore muscles and help yourself unwind at the end of a long day.

Stafford recommends using fractionated coconut oil or unscented lotion for self-massage. You can add essential oils for the extra aromatherapy benefit.

To massage yourself, Stafford recommends taking a small amount of the oil or lotion and starting by “[using] circle motions [to] massage the hands, arms, feet and calves,” says Stafford. You can also massage your shoulders, neck, and anywhere else that feels tense. This will help relax tense muscles, which, in turn, can help you get better sleep.

Foot treatment

If your feet need some extra TLC, you can also do an at-home foot treatment to help you relax. Similar to the self-massage, Stafford recommends adding essential oils to fractionated coconut oil or unscented lotion for the foot treatment. (While you can use whatever blend of essential oils you like and/or have on hand, Stafford recommends adding four drops of lavender, two drops of peppermint, and two drops of rosemary to half a cup of oil or lotion.)

Beyond using the lotion to massage your feet, you can apply it and then wrap your feet in warm towels to soften your skin and ease tension.

As a bonus, while your feet are being treated, consider engaging in other relaxing practices — like deep breathing or meditating — to heighten the relaxation benefit.

Don’t Forget To Practice Good Sleep Hygiene

Relaxation can help you get better sleep. But it’s hard to relax when you’re exhausted and sleep-deprived, so just as relaxation supports sleep, sleep supports relaxation, which is why practicing sleep hygiene is an absolute must.

It’s a cycle; having good sleep habits can help ensure you get the rest you need to feel your best, and when you feel your best, it’s easier to prioritize relaxation, which in turn leads to getting even better sleep.

So, if you’re looking to relax as a way to get better sleep, make sure that you’re ticking the sleep hygiene boxes that promote better rest:

• Maintain a regular sleep schedule. “Always go to bed and wake up around the same time every day,” says Daidone. “This helps in regulating your body's internal clock.”
  
• Avoid screen time before bed. As mentioned, the blue light emitted from screens can mess with your melatonin production, making it harder to fall asleep, so “try to turn off screens an hour prior to bedtime,” says Daidone.
  
• Create a sleep-supporting bedroom environment. Your bedroom can play a huge role in whether you consistently get good rest or spend your whole night tossing or turning, so make sure you’re setting your bedroom up in a way that promotes sleep. “It should be cool, dark, and quiet where you sleep,” says Daidone. “In addition, comfortable bedding and supportive mattresses also make a big difference in terms of sleep quality.”