We know we need to get to bed in good time to get enough sleep but sometimes it’s easier said than done.
When there’s one more episode to watch, or even worse one more email that always needs to be sent it can be hard to get yourself into bed, and then once you’re there it’s sometimes even harder falling asleep.
So what can you do? You can create the perfect bedtime routine that will ensure you get a great sleep every night.
Figure Out When You Need To Go To Bed
This is a really important step and one that might take some trial and error.
You need to figure out how much sleep you need, if you have no idea start with 7.5 hours, that’s about normal for an adult, and if you need more then scale it back, I know a lot of people who need 9 hours every night to fully function.
Then add on the time it takes to fall asleep, for most people that’s about 10-20 minutes but if you are prone to lying awake take that into account. I’ll call it 30 minutes for the sake of easy maths here.
So if you need 7.5 hours of sleep and 30 minutes to fall asleep then you need to be in bed ready to go to sleep 8 hours before you go to bed, so if you get up at 7am then you need to be in bed for 11pm.
Unplug From Electronics For At Least An Hour
This is a really important step because there are few things worse for your sleep than screens. Doesn’t matter if it’s your phone, your TV or your computer get it switched off at least an hour before. This way your eyes can relax and your brain can calm down so you can fall asleep properly. And no you’re not going to sit doing nothing for the next hour, just keep reading.
Set A Going To Bed Alarm
Crazy right? You already have to get up to an alarm why would you go to bed with one? Because it helps make sure you know when it’s time to start the bedtime routine. For our 7am wake up call we need to have our bedtime alarm set for 10pm. That gives us an hour to finish our routine screen free.
Hydrate The Perfect Amount
Stay hydrated throughout the day. Because being dehydrated is an absolute sleep killer. make sure to hit your 7-8 glasses target and sip through the day, have a glass of water before your evening meal too and if you’re prone to waking up during the night, keep a cool glass of water besides the bed.
Go For A Bath
A hot bath will warm up your body so that when you get out it starts to cool. And when your body starts to cool that sends signals to your brain that tell you it’s time for sleep. Because when you go to sleep normally your body cools itself down so this tricks your body into getting ready for bed. A hot shower works too but it’s not quite as effective.
Read
Reading is one of the best ways to calm yourself down before bed. A good fiction book allows your eyes to tower and take your mind off any worries that might be floating around your brain. And if you’re not normally a reader now is the time to start, it gives you something to do in bed besides play on your phone which is we know isn’t good for sleep.
Stick To It Every Night For A Week
It’ll be tough but try stick to this routine for a week and see how you feel, I have a very strong feeling that your sleep will be transformed.
Thanks to Kieran MacRae at the The Dozy Owl,blog for htis feature article.
