4 Ways To Get More Sleep Before Your Wedding
The last thing any bride wants is to look at their wedding snaps and see bags under their eyes – bigger than the bouquet – staring back!
Weddings equal stress. Simple as that. There is no way to avoid it short of eloping to Gretna Green – and well that’s a little bit old school.
And while losing an hour here and there is unavoidable, what you don’t want to happen is that you lose so much sleep in the run up that you’re too zombified to enjoy a single moment of the biggest – and probably most expensive – day of your life.
Below are a four commonsensical suggestions to ensure you can keep your eyes open for the speeches and still have enough energy to dance the night away…
Save the champagne until your big day
Despite what you may have been conditioned to believe by tv and films, a glass of wine before bed is not the best way to wind down. Alcohol in general is no friend to sleep.
While half a bottle of Merlot may help you nod off initially, the processes that alcohol sets in motion in both your body and brain are almost guaranteed to lead to a rubbish night’s sleep.
In particular, alcohol reduces our bodies ability to get that lovely deep REM sleep that powers us through until the end of the next day. Meaning, that while you may not be hungover after a couple of drinks, you will still be groggier the following day.
I’m presuming you’re going to have a few bevvies on the day, so why not save yourself for the afters. In the last week leading up to the ‘big I do’, maybe opt for a herbal tea instead of a G&T.
Cut out the caffeine
Weddings involve a lot of organising. And what always helps a good organisation session? A nice cup of coffee of course.
Often this is because of social norms, you’re meeting more people and of course drinks will be offered.
No harm in a cup of joe surely? No, not in moderation. But when coffee is involved it’s very easy to slip into bad habits
Caffeine is one tricksy devil, it remains in your system far longer than you would suspect. Up to six hours in fact. And it keeps us awake. Then, when tired the following day what do we turn to? Only bloody coffee of course.
And so begins a cruel cycle that ends with you being wide awake and pulling your hair out at 4am the night before you’re supposed to be looking your finest.
So, my top tip for all soon-to-be brides – a blanket ban on all caffeine after midday in the fortnight before the ceremony.
Outsource your DIY
All of us want to put our own personality into our big day. But if you’re one of those crafty types and do plan to do the flower arranging yourself, maybe think about having a small enough wedding. Just an idea.
Handmade touches are brilliant but I would highly recommend outsourcing any of the very last-minute flourishes to friends or family. Too many couples I know have been up to the early hours the night before they get hitched assembling their own party favours. Fools!
These are the little things that always seem manageable. However, when you multiply anything by the size of a wedding party, then even the simple becomes overwhelmingly time-consuming.
Ditch the unneeded stress. The night before the wedding should be spent either fast asleep on your comfy bed or in tears to your mum asking ‘am I doing the right thing?’ It definitely should not be spent icing the names of all your guests onto freshly baked biscuits.
So here is another top tip: Identify a particular bridesmaid, sister, aunt, etc., and have them on speed dial and pre-warned to be ready to pounce on any last minute jobs that crop up the night before.
Maintain your bedtime routine
Having a sleep routine is one of the best ways to ensure a good quality night’s sleep. If you have one great, if you don’t then you reallyshould!
Whatever your pre-bed routine is, try and maintain it in the days and weeks before your wedding day.
This may be hard simply due to all the extra activities a wedding brings. But if you can keep your same bedtime routine then you reallywill be doing your body and mind the world of good.
If you need to find time for all the pre-wedding activities then cut elsewhere but don’t eat into your slumber.
My top tip: Schedule out the last two weeks before your wedding and make sure to set aside at least 60 minutes of wind-down time before bed every night.
Well there you have it, four top tips that may help you get to the church on time. Don’t forget to let us know your advice for getting a good nights sleep before the big day below.
Blog from https://www.bespoke-bride.com/2017/12/06/4-ways-to-get-more-sleep-in-the-lead-up-to-your-wedding/