Tossing and turning around in bed at night is never a good way to end the weekend, but that’s the reality for those of us with Sunday night insomnia syndrome. You know in your mind that you need to be rested for the work week ahead, but your body is unwilling to cooperate.

Don’t assume you’re alone if this feeling is all too familiar- millions of us struggle to calm down racing thoughts before bed at the end of the weekend. And here’s the good news; there’s a lot you can do to relax your mind, enjoy deeper sleep, and start the week rested and refreshed.

Let’s dig into the details below.

What Is Sunday Night Insomnia?

If you sleep like a baby throughout the week but struggle to get any shuteye before Monday morning, you might have Sunday night insomnia. This doesn’t make you stand out - research reveals that 60 percent of workers sleep worse on Sunday night than any other.

Lots of factors contribute to you getting little sleep at the end of the weekend, including anxiety about the future, depression about returning to a work schedule, or even an out-of-whack weekend sleep routine. However, it’s important to address this Sunday night sleeplessness because it can have consequences for your health.

The health effects of insomnia 

Getting enough sleep does more than leave you feeling less groggy in the morning, it affects almost every other aspect of your health as well. If you don’t spend at least 7-8 hours asleep each night, you’re likely to experience tension headaches, brain fog, and even reduced coordination. Drowsiness is a real danger for triggering workplace accidents, especially for those with physically demanding jobs or who operate heavy machinery.

Tips to control Sunday night insomnia syndrome

Thankfully, there are steps to follow to regain control of your weekend sleep routine and ensure that Sunday night sleeplessness doesn’t haunt your Monday morning. Some of the best ways to prevent insomnia and get the sleep you need includes the following:

• Make your bedroom dark, chilly, and comfortable
• Stay away from caffeine after 2 pm each day
• Don’t sleep in too late Sunday morning
• Exercise in the morning, not evening, so that your heart rate isn’t elevated when you make it to bed.

Anxiety about work is a major trigger of Sunday night insomnia and anxiety. A smart idea is to journal about your goals for the week so that you get them out of your head. It’s also good practice to practice a yoga routine before bed on Sundays. Not only will this stretch out your body and focus your breathing, but it will calm your mind and help you feel like you have control over your work situation.

Natural melatonin for Sunday night sleeplessness 

If these lifestyle strategies aren’t making much difference in your sleep levels, it’s time to turn to natural supplements for insomnia instead. In many cases, the reason you don’t feel tired when you crawl into bed is that your melatonin levels aren’t where they should be.

Melatonin is a hormone that is produced within the brain’s pineal gland based on light exposure during the day. When your eyes take in light, they “turn off” melatonin production, but diminishing light conditions in the evening stimulate the gland to produce it and release it into your bloodstream.

You’ll start to feel sleepy as your melatonin levels increase. In most cases, they will stay elevated from approximately 9 pm until you wake up in the morning.

Sometimes, though, your body doesn’t produce melatonin as it should. Too much late-night light exposure (especially from screens) can prevent it from building up, and the ageing process often affects your hormone production levels in ways that compromise your melatonin capacity.

How to choose a natural supplement with melatonin

Here’s the good news. You don’t have to live with lower than average melatonin levels if they are contributing to your Sunday night insomnia syndrome. There are ways to boost melatonin naturally through your diet or with a natural supplement.

Tart Montmorency cherries are a stellar natural source of melatonin, as are walnuts, tomatoes, and grape seeds. However, foods can vary significantly in the potency of their dose, so a better option is to get a standardised amount through a supplement so that you know you’re taking enough to fall asleep.

Melatonin isn’t the only ingredient to look for in your Sunday night insomnia supplement though. Other compounds like magnesium can help you fall asleep faster, and tryptophan and 5HTP to calm anxiety so that you can shut your eyes. The greatest benefit for your rest comes from combining these ingredients together, which is exactly what Advanced Night-Time Nutrients delivers to your body.

The benefits of Advanced Night-Time Nutrients

At The Restored, we designed Advanced Night-Time Nutrients to be a potent sleep supplement with natural sources of melatonin through a Melo-Fruit® blend cherry extract. Other ingredients that aid sleep include magnesium (to help you relax), the amino acid 5-HTP (to encourage serotonin production), taurine (to reduce anxiety) and biotin (to regulate your thyroid activity).

Survey results from our previous customers show that our natural sleep supplement helped them fall asleep faster and wake up less during the night, so consider this natural supplement as a solution for your Sunday night sleeplessness. If you combine a stress-relieving wind down routine like we mentioned above with a natural sleep aid with melatonin and magnesium like Advanced Night-Time Nutrients, the chances are good that your Monday mornings will be significantly more pleasant.

Visit The Restored Blog for more practical guidance to help restore your foundations in sleep, nutrition, movement and mindset.

The information shared in The Restored articles are not intended to replace qualified health care professional advice and are not intended as medical advice. Always seek the advice of your GP or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding any medical condition.