Transform your nighttime routine
What you do before bed can make or break your sleep quality and therefore, your entire next day. It’s essential that we take this magic time before bed seriously so that we can set ourselves up for success with a great night of sleep.
Welcome to my pre-bedtime ritual:
1️⃣ When you wake up in the morning, try to get as much bright light as possible. Natural light is great when you can get it, but any bright light has been shown to increase cortisol and set a timer saying that in about 16 hours, your brain should release melatonin to start winding down.
2️⃣ 10 hours before bed, stop drinking caffeine. Caffeine has a half-life of 5 hours and will still be circulating in your blood stream to reduce sleep quality even if you can still fall asleep no problem.
3️⃣ Move your body. Research shows that exercise improves sleep quality, so make sure to get some sort of movement in - preferably at least 3 hours before bed.
4️⃣ 2 hours before bed, stop drinking liquids. We’re trying to reduce the number of times you have to get up in the middle of the night to pee. If this isn’t a problem for you, fuck you. If it is, let’s be diligent about our liquids before bed.
5️⃣ 1 hour before bed, stop the stimulating activity. Social media and new TV shows are incredibly stimulating. The more we can give our brain time to down regulate before bed, the higher the likelihood of us falling asleep faster.
6️⃣ 1 hour before bed, avoid bright lights. Dimming the lights will signal to your brain that it’s time to release melatonin and get ready for bed.
“Social media and new TV shows are incredibly stimulating. The more we can give our brain time to down regulate before bed, the higher the likelihood of us falling asleep faster.”
7️⃣ In that 1 hour period without your phone/tv, plan your next day, practice gratitude, read a book, or do all three. This process allows us to de-stress and not be anxious about the following day which leads to better quality sleep.
8️⃣ Make sure your room is cold, dark, and quiet.
9️⃣ If you’re having a hard time falling asleep, don’t stay in bed. Go to another room (with dim light), read a book until you feel sleepy, then go back to your bed to try falling asleep again.
🔟 The most important factor in sleep is just getting enough of it. Make sure to start your wind down routine with adequate time to be able to get 7-9 hours of sleep.
Have a great night! 😴
