7 Tips to Beat Bridal Insomnia

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April 9, 2019

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When you fall in love, the world feels new. It's as if everything is happening for the first time. That's why we love photographing weddings. Each wedding has us falling in love over and over again—it reminds us that there is wonder and mystery in this shared life we all build together. The most aspirational thing to us is rekindling that initial spark of falling in love. We want to give you that experience with your wedding photos, perfectly captured and forever remembered. It's here, in our journal, we celebrate your love story so all can enjoy it.

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We remember it all too well. You just spent the past few months going over every wedding detail. Every box checked. Every “T” crossed and “I” dotted. It’s the night before the big day. There is just one thing left to do. You lay down and close your eyes. Time to get that all-important beauty sleep. Any minute now…sleep will come. Any minute now….come on….maybe not.

Turns out one of the best things you can do to enjoy your wedding day is also nearly impossible. Getting some sleep. With so much to plan and coordinate the day before the wedding, sleep has a way of escaping you the night before.

With so much to do and so little time to plan, bridal insomnia is not really surprising. The night before your wedding is a magical mix of stress and excitement that is a more potent cocktail than caffeine.

We know first hand because we have been there. Which is why we created this list of a few simple tips on how to beat pre-wedding insomnia. Here are our tips on how to fall asleep when you’re having trouble so you can wake up on the right side of the bed the morning of your wedding day.

1. Cut Back On Caffeine

The day before the wedding, make sure you go easy on the coffee and caffeine. Too much caffeine is a sure way to induce bridal insomnia. Caffeine can stay in your system for up to 12 hours. So best to stop drinking before noon the day before your wedding. Even if you had a poor nights sleep before. This way you are tired before bed.

As a side note, this is also one of our Engagement Session Guide tips to improving your skin health for your photos! Caffeine can dehydrate you like sodium or alcohol. When your body is dehydrated, it can show in your skin.

2. Make A List

You know that running list you already have in your mind? Time to put it on paper. When you commit the list to paper, it takes the responsibility of your brain. This is why we work so hard to plan the wedding day timeline for our brides. It’s one less thing to think about!

Try keeping a pen and paper on your nightstand. When you close your eyes and start to drift off if a great idea pops up then write it down. Remember, pen and paper! Not your phone. If you open your phone you will be hit with a ton of pre-wedding distractions. So give your poor head a break, write it down, and take the opportunity to relax!

3. Minimize Screen Time

Your phone is a distraction machine full of notifications and messages. And while it’s fun to binge-watch Say Yes To The Dress, it’s not the best way to relax your mind. Also, screens emit blue light which will make bridal insomnia worse. Blue light signals your brain to stay awake. So put your phone down before you go to bed. Unless you are laying in bed reading this blog post right now…we’ll allow that. You’ll need to read all the tips!

4. Do Not Disturb

Speaking of your phone, try silencing or turning off your notifications. Try the Do Not Disturb feature before bed to limit the night phone activity. We all look at our phones before bed but breaking the cycle the week before the wedding day will help you get to sleep faster. This will also help with those pre-wedding nightmares.

5. Guided Meditation/Relaxing Music

Okay, so we must admit we have two really great apps for this. The first is Calm which can coach you with guided meditation and deep breathing. The second is Pzizz which plays a certain frequency sound that helps lull your brain to sleep. Don’t worry, there is music over top of this sound it’s actually very effective and the secret Josh’s superpower of power napping any time of day.

6. Deep Breathing

One of the simplest things you can do while laying down trying to sleep is to take slow, controlled, deep breaths. Simply take three, deep breathes in and a row, holding them at the top, and exhaling slowly. This will send a message to your brain that it’s time to relax and fall asleep.

7. Natural Supplements

When all else fails, you can try a sleep aid. No, we don’t mean wine. While wine makes you sleepy it doesn’t lead to a solid night’s rest. Try an herbal tea or non-additive solution such as valerian root or melatonin. Both will help you fall asleep and stay asleep.

You Are Getting Very Sleepy…

The night and even the week before your wedding can give you a healthy dose of bridal insomnia. Hopefully, these tips will help you get better pre-wedding sleep. Just remember, don’t stress about it. The more you stress the harder it will be to fall asleep. If you tried all of these tips and you still can’t sleep, don’t worry about your wedding photos. Leidy is a master wedding photo editor and nobody will be able to tell. So relax!

SWEET DREAMS!

Still looking for an amazing wedding photographer? You can Google, “wedding photographers Grand Rapids MI” and search through the 100’s or photographers out there. Or you can simply save yourself a ton of time and just check us out!

Michigan Wedding Photographer - The Fourniers

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