Recently a friend of mine and I were talking about how we’ve been off our sleep schedules. It seems silly to keep blaming the energy from the holidays for us developing a late night bedtime routine but, truly, any slight change can cause our sleep to be thrown off.
If you’re one of those rare few who can drink an afternoon coffee and still go to bed at 9pm AND fall asleep the moment your head hits the pillow, then more power to ya! Though, from my experience and the experience of those around me, a sleep routine can be a difficult thing to master.
Some might argue that sleep is variable depending on whether you are a night owl or a day person. I’ll refute that by saying sleep is a matter of routine. Honestly, a couple of nights of staying up late once in a while are not a big deal. When those few nights start to form a routine where you aren’t getting the necessary 7-8 hours of sleep then you’ve got some work to do.
The biggest reason I feel we stay up later than we wish is because we tend to stay active up until bed and that makes it harder for us to actually fall asleep.
Not what you expected to hear? Well, I figure if you’re reading a post like this you’ve probably tried what you think is everything to solve your insomnia.
- You probably already know you shouldn’t consume caffeine, i.e. coffee, caffeinated teas and sodas, or energy drinks in the afternoon.
- Sugar can be just as bad as caffeine for some people. It is worth minimizing or eliminating sugar in the evenings to see if that helps sleep arrive sooner.
- Also, as important as exercise is for us, no one is going to be ready to sleep after sweating, lifting, and maybe chugging a protein shake at 8:30pm or later. I won’t tell you not to do an evening workout but I will let you decide where it best fits in after reading this post.
Food and exercise can certainly impact your ability to sleep at night but so can a few lesser addressed areas.
Time is everything when it comes to sleep.
If you’re still up at 9pm doing laundry, cooking, walking around, or even watching TV, you’re stimulating yourself to stay awake. Think of it: our bodies have protection mechanisms built-in. How safe would it be if we were to be taking a walk and just drop down and fall asleep all of a sudden? Yet, you’re doing all of these activities at night and then going to bed and asking, “WHY CAN’T I FALL ASLEEP?”
The best thing we can do to help our bodies get ready for sleep is to draw the activities in a little earlier. That means eat an early dinner, try to work out in the morning or during the day, and stop scrolling through your phone or surfing the internet late at night.
I think most people know the artificial light from screens like the TV, computer, and phones have a way of keeping us up. Though, I’ll just mention that as a sidenote here incase you didn’t know! If you must do late night work, keep red lights turned on in your house or choose blue-light blocking filters for your electronics. I like f.lux for my computer (PC and MAC) and Twilight for my cell phone (Android) .
Anyway, let’s get back to drawing in those late night activities. I know many people have jobs that prevent them from being home early. So, it is only natural that cooking and leisure time will happen later. Still, keep in mind the time you want to go to bed. Remember that old rule about how we should avoid eating two hours before going to bed? Well, that rule is relevant not just for the sake of digestion but so that you also have a chance to relax as well.
If you can’t meal prep, at least plan your meal out so that you can prepare something to eat right when you get home. It might be tempting to arrive home and take off your shoes and chill but save that for later! I promise you’ll get a chance to do that and it will coincide with better sleep, too. Go ahead and get your food cooking, throw your clothes into the washing machine, or take out the trash. When you get the chores out of the way first, you’ll have nothing but rest time leading up towards bedtime. It’s much more streamlined this way rather than going into spurts of activity and rest then activity and rest.
So, let’s apply that two hours rule to not just food but to avoid ANY stimulating activities before bed. Dim the bright lights in your house, shut down your computer and TV, and puh-lease shut off your phone or put it on airplane mode. You don’t need to do these all at once but aim to slowly knock out each of these one at a time.
It sounds like I’m playing hardball here. You might be wondering what the heck you’re supposed to do with yourself if not eat or scroll through your phone.
Think: leisure and relaxation.
Example activities: playing with your pets, reading a book, taking a shower, doing some light yoga or stretching, and meditation. Instead of wondering what can entertain you at night, opt for self-care and figure out ways to entertain yourself!
If you need to pack a lunch or pick some clothes for the next day of work/school, then consider those as the first activities to do in the evening. Get those done before settling down into your night routine. Once you start the leisure time, you want to stay in relaxation mode.
🌔My night routine for better sleep⭐
I start thinking about how to wind down around 5pm. Yes! This might sound extreme but I aim to be in bed by 10pm. Honestly, I am not so structured that this can’t be adjusted for a date or a trip the movies but I know I want to rise early the next morning (6am is ideal). I want to make sure I get enough sleep so that I can feel my best!
By 5pm, I’m not doing heavy exercise anymore. That is for earlier in the day. I am definitely still doing some computer work but my red-light filter has probably kicked in already.
Around 5:30pm I start preparing dinner. Depending on if I am cooking for myself or for my family, I usually have a meal ready between 6pm and 6:30pm. I aim to stop eating by 7pm. This is more of a metal bookmark rather than a strict rule. More often than not, eating past this hour wouldn’t be feeding actual hunger for me so 7pm benefits me but maybe another time would be a better bookmark for you.
So, after eating, I brush my teeth. I try to do that immediately—again, so that I don’t feel tempted to snack. Then, I might do some more computer work if I’m feeling up for it or watch a movie/tv program with my family. Whatever I choose, I wrap this up by 8pm so that I can take a shower. Hopefully most people already take a nighttime shower but this is a great way to ease into that relaxation mode we’re looking for.
After the shower, it is around 8:30pm and I usually put on a podcast while I dry brush and rub myself down with lotion. I also might do a face mask or jade roll my face at this time, too. Notice how I said I listen to a podcast at night still? I’ll allow a podcast up through around 9:30pm, if I’m feeling it. Like I said earlier, the goal is to ease out of your lights and electronics slowly throughout the evening. BUT if you’re tempted to go on Instagram by having your phone/media device available then say no to the podcast. I’ve developed more of a routine that I don’t feel as inclined to go online at this time of day.
After my dry-brushing and jade-rolling, I like to do some light stretching or foam rolling so that my muscles can relax. Lots of rolling is going on here but it’s all gentle, I promise! 😉 From here, it is around T minus 45 minutes. Depending on how I feel, I might sit and meditate; this could also be a moment for me to journal or read my book.
In an ideal schedule, I’d be feeling sleepy and hop into bed at 10pm. Of course, I’m human and this fluctuates a little bit but I try to stick with this routine as much as I can because I know it’s what makes me feel best.
Alright, I’ve explained my tips for getting better sleep which primarily involves starting your nighttime routine earlier. Just to recap:
Eat dinner earlier ✓
Get your chores or workout done earlier ✓
Turn off electronics ✓
Shower and self-care ✓
Unwind with relaxing movement ✓
Bedtime! ✓
If you can’t do all of these things then try to integrate one change at a time but I guarantee this will change your sleep game. These habits have been years in the making so I’m happy to be able to share with you guys what works for me. If you have any sleep hacks that help you, be sure to tell me what those are in the comments or message me on social media. I’d love to hear!
Happy sleeping!
Xoxo,
Melanie