Almost everyone has a morning routine, whether they realize it or not. How one starts their morning sets the tone for the rest of their day. For instance, if you wake up early and have ample time to eat breakfast and get dressed, the rest of the day can be approached from a stress-free state of mind. On the other hand, if you get up at 8:20 and only have 15 minutes to get out the door, the remainder of the day may seem more hectic and not as fulfilling. What some people may not realize is that the way in which they end their day also has an impact on their stress and happiness levels. Here are the top three ways that I’ve found to get the most out of my “night-time” routine.
1. Make the Bed a Place of Rest and Relaxation
Doing homework and other potentially stressful activities on the sack can harm your ability to fall asleep later in the day. According to a survey conducted by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), “43 percent of Americans between the ages of 13 and 64 say they rarely or never get a good night’s sleep on weeknights. More than half (60 percent) say that they experience a sleep problem every night or almost every night (i.e., snoring, waking in the night, waking up too early, or feeling un-refreshed when they get up in the morning).” This survey shows that if you experience sleeping issues, you are not alone.
Using the bed solely for relaxing purposes, such as lying down or taking a nap, will help you fall asleep later. This is because your brain will associate the bed with sleep, and will dissociate it from work- or school-related feelings. As a result, it is important to promote a relaxing state of mind when going to bed.
2. Power Down
The blue light emitted by our phones, TVs, and computers can seriously interfere with the body’s productions of sleep hormones. Production of melatonin, a major sleep-inducing hormone, is greatly reduced when we use our devices late at night. This hinders our ability to fall asleep because the artificial blue light coming from laptops and phones tricks the brain by essentially telling it: “No, don’t feel tired—it’s still daytime; it’s light outside!”
Charles Czeisler, PhD, MD, from Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital also states that usage of electronics “enhances alertness and shifts circadian rhythms to a later hour—making it more difficult to fall asleep.” To fix this, turn off phones and computers at least one hour before hitting the hay.
3. Establish A Night-time Routine
A key factor in creating a successful night-time routine is to go to bed at the same time every night. This is easier said than done, so going to bed at a similar time each night will suffice. For example, if you usually go to bed at 11:15, and the next day you hop into bed at 10:45 and fall asleep within about 15 minutes (the average amount of time it should take to fall asleep), it may be a sign that you are in a good sleeping pattern.
Something else to be cognizant of when creating a night-time routine is that it takes a while to truly get into a sleep schedule—it doesn’t happen overnight! If you go to bed at a similar time each night, make a habit to power down devices, and perform similar activities like brushing your teeth right before bed, you can craft your perfect winding-down routine in a few slumberous months.