Getting enough sleep is just as important for our health as exercising and eating healthily. A good night’s sleep can improve our concentration levels and productivity. It can provide us with enough energy to exercise and make better food choices.
Most adults need 7 to 8 hours of good quality sleep each night. If you feel as though you are not getting enough sleep at night, try adjusting your routine before bed.
Create a bed time routine that works for you.
Humans are creatures of habit. Like any other routine, bedtime routines establish habits that help our brains recognize when it’s time to sleep.
A bedtime routine is a set of activities you perform in the same order, every night, in the 30 to 60 minutes before you go to bed.
Design your bedtime routine by following the steps below:
1.Decide on a set bedtime
Choose a set time to go to bed and wake up each day. Try to stick to this routine as much as possible. Following a consistent sleep routine helps to train your brain to naturally feel tired when it’s bedtime.
Try to begin winding down thirty minutes to two hours before your selected bedtime. If you own a smart watch, you can set up a daily reminder that will prompt you to begin winding down for bed.
2. Avoid electronics during your ‘wind down’ time before bed
Electronic devices including laptops, phones and tablets all emit strong blue light. The blue light emitted from these devices can trick our brains into thinking its day time. We can improve our sleep patterns by choosing to read a book before bed instead of checking our social media accounts on our phone.
3. Choose your ‘wind down’ activities
Your bedtime routine is personal to you. Whether you choose to read, have a warm bath, journal or meditate – try to keep your routine as consistent as possible each night.
4. Dedicate some time to preparing your bedroom for sleep
Spend 15 minutes of your bedtime routine to transform your bedroom into a sleep oasis. Close your curtains, dim the lights and make your room as quiet as possible by turning off any electronics.
Ensure that the final step of your bedtime routine is getting into bed. Once your head hits the pillow, don’t do anything else other than try to fall asleep. You want your brain to see your bed a place of slumber, and that’s all.
Conclusion
You will find your perfect bedtime routine through the process of trial and error. Try varying your ‘wind down’ activities such as reading or listening to music until you find one which works best for you.
Once you find which wind down activity works best for you, try your best to stick to a set bed time and keep your routine as consistent as possible. Happy Sleeping!
We hope you enjoyed our self care blog. Tune in next week for some more #selfcare and #selflove advice.
Reference: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-hygiene/bedtime-routine-for-adults