All sleep tips and tricks seem very logical and easy to follow in a perfect world, but in reality, they are not. Follow this guide for creating new sleep habits which are effective and will be followed to the letter.
Always Begin With Your Wake Time Not The Bed Time
The key to a sustainable sleep routine is counterintuitive: start with your wake-up time since it will help direct your focus throughout the morning. Choose a regular wake-up time – yes, even for weekends or special occasions. It sets the sleep/wake cycle for your body and is also effective in gradually moving its timing to a preferred sleeping schedule.
Tips on Preparing Your Evening Runway (2-3 Hours Before Going to Bed)
Think of the hours before bed as your “runway” for sleep:
- Limit your food intake to 3 hours before going to bed so that you do not have to wake up with heartburn or indigestion.
- Put on low light to encourage hormone melanin secretion naturally.
- Set a ‘tech boundary’ – define when you are going to read your work emails and scroll through your social media feeds.
- Set a time when you cannot take any more caffeine and no alcohol at least 3 hours to bed time
Design Your Wind Down Routine (30- 60 Minutes before going to bed)
Your pre-sleep routine lets your body know that you should start preparing to sleep. Keep it simple and enjoyable:
- Strip down to your pajamas or sleepwear if you haven’t already.
- Do your basic hygiene routine
- Choose ONE relaxing activity like:
- Reading a physical book
- Light stretching
- Listening to calming music
- Journaling
- Deep breathing exercises
- Do not over-complicate your ritual – it should be something you can perform even when weary or on a trip.
How to Get Better Sleep
Your bedroom should be a sleep sanctuary:
- Maintain room temperature within the range of 65 – 68 °F or 18 – 20 °C.
- For darkness use a dark covering such as a blackout curtain or an eye mask to ensure that there is no light coming into the room at all.
- If sounds are disruptive to your sleep use white noise.
- Buy economical pillow and mattress that will provide the comfort to the individual based on the choice of temperature.
Handle Common Disruptions
Plan for real-life situations that affect sleep:
- You should not spend more than 20minutes in bed trying to fall asleep; if this does not work, then leave the bedroom and do something quiet until you feel sleepy.
- For shift work, also have to stick to their bedtime and wake up time regardless of whether this is in the day.
- When on the go, it’s beneficial to bring things that reminding you of normality (such as a small bottle of the favorite lotion or an application that plays white noise).
Make It Sustainable
- The best sleep routine is one you can maintan. To make a lasting transformation, Settle for incremental change as opposed to radical shift
- Practice portion control without the guilt so that you can allow yourself flexibility for events as needed.
- Concentration on the journey more than the destination
- Keep tabs on what you respond well to and then make changes based on that.
Red Flags It’s Not Working
- Watch for signs your routine needs adjustment:
- Sleeping for morethan 30 minutes frequently
- Stiff neck and still the hours used were enough
- Grown men who otherwise cannot function properly without heavily dependent on caffeine.
- Sitting less in the evening or consuming food before bedtime
Final Tips for Success
- A final factor is to be patient because it will cost about 3-4 weeks to develop new sleep patterns.
- A larger focus should be placed on sustained practice time at first
- It is also important to note that, everyone has different sleeps requirement – so get the right one for you.
- Closely monitor your calendar and adjust it to the number of hours that you have during seasons that experience changes in the number of hours of light.
The best sleep routine is simply the sleep routine that fits your life style and that which you will be able to maintain in the long run. First, try making slight adjustments, stick to your wake-up time, and then create other daily practices that would improve your bedtime.
