Our nightly routines are very similar and arguably even more important than our morning and daily routines For those of us struggling with sleep setting an effective nightly routine can produce drastic improvements in your quality of sleep
Ask yourself the following questions
What time do I go to sleep
Do I stick to a regular bedtime
Do I watch TV right before going to bed
Do I fall asleep watching TV
Do I check my smartphone right before going to bed
If you answered yes to any of the questions above it may be time to reevaluate your bedtime habits But the good news is that it doesnt take a herculean effort to improve your nightly routine With a few simple tweaks and changes you can start getting the sleep you deserve
Establish a Regular Bedtime
According to the National Sleep Foundation adults need 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night Since most adults have places to go and things to do in the morning knowing what time we need to wake up is easy However according to a recent Gallup Poll Study 40 of adults in the United States are not getting enough sleep
Establishing a regular bedtime may mean cutting some things out of your schedule You may need to wait till the next day to watch a TV show or movie come home early from hanging out with friends or manage other competing priorities as needed
Gradually Wind Down
Now that you have an established bedtime schedule some time to unwind before going to sleep
The Good Sleep Expert Sammy Margo advocates that adults need time to relax before going to sleep She compares sleep habits to light switches Some of us believe we have an on off switch associated with our heads hitting our pillow However after staring at the ceiling and counting sheep were still wide awake
Margo says Were going going going we lie down in bed and were wide awake Were not switches Were dimmer switches We need to be gradually wound down
Although we all have different ways to relax and unwind the important thing is to make time to do it before going to sleep Some may need 10 minutes and some may need 30 If your bedtime is 1030 pm and you need 10 minutes to unwind start that process at 1020 pm not 1030 pm This will ensure youre not eating into actual sleep time
To unwind choose an activity that will help you unwind You may want to read practice relaxation exercises see our post on simple sleep breathing exercises listen to music pray or meditate or talk with your partner family or friends
Limit Technology
The National Sleep Foundation counsels to turn off electronics in the bedroom before going to sleep Electronics emit light to the brain and promotes wakefulness making it difficult to unwind However in a plugged in world unplugging can be difficult
Last year Deloitte released a study of smartphone users in the United States Among their findings Deloitte reported that smartphone users check their phones on average 46 74 times a day with nearly all participants checking their phone within 5 minutes of waking up and going to sleep
If you are struggling with sleep try turning off your phone during your time to unwind If youre using your phone as an alarm clock invest in an alarm clock or use another device that is not connected to the internet There are options on most smart phones to restrict notifications and alerts during sleep hours as well if that works best for you
You may want to limit electronic devices from your bedroom altogether James Bond star Daniel Craig and his wife Rachel Weisz currently ban all technology from their bedroom
Although that may be extreme for some of us think about other ways to limit your exposure to electronics before sleeping Simply not checking your phone before you go to sleep is a great start
If you live in Alaska and you would like to speak to a sleep specialist about improving your bedtime routine please click the link below
