Nicole Gleichmann
Nicole is a health and wellness writer who has spent many years perfecting the science of sleep. Now her days are filled with adventure and writing, and her nights with peaceful slumber.
Nicole is a health and wellness writer who has spent many years perfecting the science of sleep. Now her days are filled with adventure and writing, and her nights with peaceful slumber.
You lie in bed, ready to fade into dreamland and wake up in the morning feeling refreshed. But instead of peacefully entering the realm of sleep, you toss and turn, unable to quiet your mind. Once you finally drift off, something wakes you up in the middle of the night, and you’re left wishing that you could get a good night’s sleep for once.
Now you’re here, learning what you can do to set yourself up for a successful night of sleep. Fortunately, there are many things you can do that might help. One of the first things that you start doing right away is creating a bedtime routine.
Do you have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting enough deep sleep to feel refreshed the next morning? No matter which category you fall into, it’s likely that there are some extenuating circumstances that contribute to your sleep troubles.
For example, the following can make it hard to sleep well:
As you can see, there are a lot of factors that influence how well you sleep. Setting up a bedtime routine can address many of these factors, improving your sleep hygiene.
Do you have to wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, or do you experience indigestion or acid reflux at night? Both of these could be caused by eating or drinking too much or too soon before bedtime.
As a general rule, try to limit or avoid any liquids two hours before you go to bed. Additionally, caffeine and alcohol can both disrupt your ability to sleep. Try to not have caffeine late in the day, and if you have trouble sleeping, try to limit (or completely cut out) alcohol, especially late in the day.
Additionally, some people will experience trouble sleeping when they eat too close to bedtime. This can either be from eating a large dinner that doesn’t digest in time or eating too large of a snack shortly before bed.
One note here: everyone is different. Some people will do better not eating anything within a few hours of bedtime, while others will sleep more soundly when they have a light snack that’s healthy and high in protein shortly before bed.
Limiting technology has two benefits:
Blue light, in particular, can disrupt your circadian rhythm. Think of your circadian rhythm as an internal clock that dictates your sleep/wake cycle. This clock is biologically tied to the natural light/dark cycle, and therefore, light exposure late at night can interrupt it. If you watch TV, check your email, or text your friends, this light can delay the release of melatonin, a hormone that helps you prepare to fall asleep.
It is best to limit blue light exposure within three hours of bedtime. If this is too difficult, try purchasing blue light glasses that block this spectrum of light. Wear them after the sun has set to begin to prepare your mind and body for sleep.
As part of your routine, try taking a warm bath or shower about an hour before bedtime as it can help you fall asleep. This is thanks to the drop in temperature that happens when you get out of the bath. When this happens, the sleep hormone melatonin is released, and your body thinks that it’s time to get to bed.
Do you ever go to sleep but have trouble quieting your mind? Maybe you’re thinking about a fight you had with your spouse earlier that day, compiling a mental to-do list for tomorrow, or feeling nervous about a meeting that you have the next morning.
An important step in preparing yourself for sleep is clearing your mind and getting it into a relaxed, peaceful state. This isn’t easy for most of us, so don’t worry if it feels like you’re fighting an uphill battle to learn how to relax and allow yourself a mental break.
There are a few things that can be extremely helpful when you’re trying to prepare mentally for bedtime. Use one or more of the following, depending on what you find the most helpful:
There are a few things that you will want to pay attention to in regard to sleep environment to help you fall asleep and stay asleep:
Creating a bedtime routine can help you improve sleep quality and quantity. Every night about three hours before you go to sleep, try to follow this 5-step bedtime routine to help you get a good night’s rest. Feel free to change things up to best fit you and your personal sleep habits and needs.
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