How to Avoid Sleep Deprivation before Your Upcoming Wedding

Are you getting butterflies in the stomach about your upcoming wedding day? It’s quite normal and justified to be a little nervous about tying the knot. On the other hand, it should never cause lack of sleep, so you can look and feel your best on the big day.

Let’s face it: preparing for your matrimony ceremony and reception can be stressful. There’s so much planning to do, from flowers to fondue, and from wedding invitations to wedding cake, so you might even feel some jitters. That’s OK! It’s still important though to make sure you practice good sleep habits, so you’re well-rested, energized, and alert before you say “I do.”

Big Planning for Your Big Day 

A wedding day can easily be one of the biggest events of a person’s life. If you’re experiencing some pre-wedding jitters it’s not only common but also reasonable. 

For starters, you’re preparing to tie the knot in front of your family, friends, and maybe even some wedding crashers.  

Wedding Jitters vs. Second Thoughts

There’s a good chance you’ll have at least a little sleep deprivation before your wedding day. It can be quite common to anticipate starting a new life with your partner, and achieving happily ever after. That’s super-exciting, right?

This is a completely different situation than having cold feet before you qualify for a marriage certificate. If you’re having serious second thoughts, then it’s probably best to think about the situation and get some good advice from unbiased friends or relatives.   

Meanwhile, research shows that 80% of engaged couples experience a certain degree of wedding jitters, according to Wedding Wire.  

So the key is to figure out how to deal with a racing mind about details like wedding photographers, caterers, and DJs. Planning ahead can help to minimize stress levels. The average wedding takes about one year to 18 months to plan, according to Pop the Knot.   

Full Night’s Sleep

Getting a full night’s sleep so close to your wedding date may be close to impossible. Aside from your emotions and general excitement for the big day, life has to go on, as well. You may not get a leave of absence from work until just a day or two before the wedding, for example, so you’ll have to juggle work with wedding preparations. Of course, your sleeping schedule will be disrupted. 

But, gearing towards one of the most important milestones in your life, sleep is very important for your overall well-being. Here are some helpful tips and tricks for a full night’s sleep.   

Tip #1: Create a Sleep Schedule

Make a sleep schedule for yourself 3+ weeks before your wedding day. This involves setting your bedtime and wake-time. Here’s why. It’s important to set your circadian rhythms (internal clock), which can help you get more restful sleep at night.

Make sure to follow your sleep schedule as closely as possible. That includes on weekends and holidays when we’re more likely to hit the snooze button until noon.

Wedding planning adds to your daily responsibilities at work, home, and school. On the other hand, one of the best pre-wedding beauty tips is to get a full 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night, so you’ll have all the energy and alertness you need to get everything done. 

It also boosts your immune system so you’ll be less likely to catch a cold the day before your big day.

Here are some helpful tips to follow a regular sleep routine:

• Only go to bed if you’re sleepy so you won’t toss and turn
• Avoid caffeine 6+ hours before bedtime
• Start your bedtime routines about an hour before going to bed
• Meditate to stay in the moment 
• Ditch any wedding-related issues that might cause nighttime worries
• Get a full night’s sleep most nights before your wedding day
• Minimize daytime naps to 20 minutes   

How to Fix Your Sleep Schedule Fast (video)

Tip #2: Use Daytime Rituals to Boost Nighttime Sleep

Pulling double duty that adds wedding planning on top of regular responsibilities might seem overbearing. However, you can take some basic steps between PM-ing the wedding coordinator, selecting playlists for the reception, and learning if any wedding guests are allergic to avocados or marshmallows 

Here are some helpful tips:

• Get enough natural light including morning sunlight
• Consume 6 to 8 small meals during the day 
• Drink 1 to 2 litres of water per day and drink early-morning
• Have a mid-afternoon pick-me-up coffee or tea 
• Stay physically active with some light stretching or exercise

Tip #3: Sustain a Sleep-friendly Environment

Just as you should have a sleeping routine, you should also try to maintain a sleep-friendly atmosphere. This can help you to fall asleep faster and go through the five sleep stages. So-called “deep sleep” or rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep happens during the fifth stage and is when dreaming usually happens.

There are various steps you can take to help make your sleeping environment more sleep-friendly:

• Declutter your room to help clear your mind before sleeping
• Add essential oils through massage or diffuser
• Create a happy/balanced environment using Feng Shui
• Invest in a “sleep robot”
• Consider a new bed, mattress, or beddings
• Add “cool” colours like blue, green, and violet
• Find the perfect mattress, pillows, sheets and bedding.
• Minimize exposure to artificial light
• Maintain a room temperature of 18°C (65°F) 
• Minimize noise but add a sound machine or soft music
• Use sleep aids like earplugs and eye masks when sleeping away from home 

When the sun sets, this is a cue for the human body that it’s sleeping time. It boosts the sleep hormone melatonin, which can help you doze off faster. That’s why a dark room and other elements are so important to get a full night’s sleep.  

Tip #4: Limit Your Daily Wedding Planning 

Preparing for a wedding can be like picking up an extra gig—minus the paycheck. Starting wedding planning late is one of the biggest wedding planning mistakes since you’ll be working overtime for free.  

It’s important to start the process early enough so you won’t be rushed or stressed in the final weeks leading up to the wedding date. This can make it easier to wind down at the end of a busy day.  

It’s highly recommended that you set aside your smartphone, tablets, and planner a few hours before bedtime. This creates more me-time and time for bedtime rituals.

Biggest Wedding Planning Mistakes (video)

Tip #5: Learn the Causes of Wedding Jitters

It’s cliché but you can’t solve a problem that isn’t defined, right? Here are some of the most common causes of wedding jitters based on studies and surveys:

• Becoming a husband or wife
• Dealing with future in-laws
• Partner’s personal flaws/problems
• The wedding day itself
• Future life plans

It’s not rare to have such concerns, so it’s important to talk them over with your soon-to-be life partner.

Conclusion

Most couples experience some sort of anxiety before getting hitched. This is normal and can involve issues related to wedding plans, making a legal contract, and an uncertain future. At the end of the day it’s still critical to get enough restful sleep. Dark rooms, light exercise, and new mattresses can help you drift off to dreamland before you walk down the aisle.