3 Tips for Sleep Success
The importance of sleep has been well researched and documented. During sleep, our bodies recover from the day, so we are rejuvenated and ready for the next day. Our brains sort through our experiences from the day so that we’re able to deal with whatever life throws us the next day. And if we have health and wellness goals, sleep is a vital component to ensure success for any exercise, nutrition, or stress management plan. However, though we may know how important it is, sleep is often one of the first things to be under-prioritized. So, how do we focus on our sleep success to improve our health and wellness? As with most goals, we start small and focus on the three tips below. Read on for ways to improve your sleep success today!
1. Incorporate a wind-down routine.
It’s common to try to pack as much as we can into our daily schedules. We have obligations to work, to our families, to our friends – the list is endless. Because of this, it’s easy to be on the go and on our devices from the minute we wake up until our heads hit the pillow at night. But then what happens? For many, our brains can feel overloaded and overstimulated causing us to stare at the ceiling instead of sleeping. By creating and incorporating a wind-down routine into our schedules, we signal to our bodies and our brains that we’re preparing for sleep so that when the time comes to get into bed, we’re able to fall asleep quickly.
What does a wind-down routine look like? It can be different for everyone; however, one proven method is to stop using our screens and devices 30-90 minutes before bed. The light from the screens and the barrage of information keeps our brains stimulated and removing these stimulations for 30-90 minutes before bed allows our brains to relax. This may seem like a lot at first, especially with our commitments and over-packed schedules. If this sounds impossible for you, try to start by shutting off your devices just 10 minutes before bed a few times a week. Once that becomes routine, you can add another 10 minutes or another day, and so on.
Wind-down routines can also include anything that is comforting or relaxing so that your body is prepared to sleep. A light stretching routine, a few minutes of reading, sitting with a cup of tea, or practicing meditation can help set you up for success and a restful night of sleep.
2. Give yourself enough time for success.
Most adults are recommended to get at least 7-9 hours of sleep each night, but every person is different. Some people function well on 7 hours of sleep while others need a full 9 hours to feel human. To meet this recommendation, we need to give ourselves enough time in bed in order to get a full 7-9 hours of sleep. For instance, if you’re getting in bed at 11 PM and need to be up at 5 AM to get ready for your day, you are only actually in bed for 6 hours. And if you’re like the millions of people who don’t fall asleep right away, you may be getting even less sleep than that. So, no matter how much we wish it were so, it’s not possible to get 7-9 hours of sleep at night if you’re only in bed for 6 hours. Set yourself up for success by giving yourself enough time in bed to get the full 7-9 hours of sleep each night.
3. Wake-up mindfully.
Like a wind-down routine, it can be helpful for our sleep hygiene to wake-up mindfully. Think back to when you woke up this morning. What’s the first thing you did? For many of us, the first thing we do when we wake up is grab our phones. Whether we’re checking work email, looking at social media, or doom-scrolling through the 2020 news cycle, we immediately jump into our day on our devices. Rather than becoming overstimulated and overwhelmed with all that we need to accomplish during the day, incorporating a mindful wake-up routine sets us up for a successful day. A mindful wake-up routine can be as simple as taking one to two minutes after you wake up to focus on your breathing, think of something your grateful for, and set one intention for the day. You could incorporate more into your mindful wake-up as this becomes routine, or you can continue to keep it simple. By giving yourself time after waking up and practicing mindfulness, you’re allowing your brain to ease into the day so that it’s prepared to handle whatever comes your way.
As with any new routine, these tips can take time to implement. Start slow and simple, and incorporate these keys for sleep success gradually to make them sustainable over the long-term. Reach out to schedule a complimentary consultation for more on improving your sleep for success!
