Struggling to get a good night’s sleep? You’re not alone. I have battled with getting to sleep my whole life. So, what can you do about it? The best thing to aid is sleep hygiene. What sleep hygiene looks like is different for everyone. However, one of the easiest ways to get a good night’s sleep is to have a routine. Your body and brain naturally work better when following a routine. Creating a sleep schedule is an essential part of good sleep hygiene, and it could allow you to get better sleep long-term.
Let’s see how you can create the right routine for you.
Choose Your Times
The first step in setting up a solid sleep schedule is deciding when you want to lay down when you want to fall asleep, and when you want to wake up each day. Generally, the recommended amount of sleep you should get each night falls somewhere between 7 and 8 hours. However, this can be depending on your health and life situation but aim for at least 7 hours.
To figure out your best times, it usually works well to start from when you want to wake up and work backward. Choosing a set time to go to bed can be difficult when you’re first getting started, but it’s an excellent way to get your body into the habit of relaxing at a certain time every day. Even if you can’t fall asleep, go to bed according to your schedule each night. Unfortunately, following a routine does mean that you will also get up at the same time every day – even on weekends and days off. No sleeping in!
Here is what my times look like:
Lay down at 9:00 pm
No tablet/phone by 10:00 pm
Wake up by 6:00am
Avoid Disruptions
Now that you know your sleeping times, it’s important to remove anything from your schedule that might disrupt that pattern. For instance, it’s not a good idea to drink a cup of coffee at 9pm if you’re planning to go to sleep at 10pm.
Remove anything from your routine that might cause you to stay awake longer than you expected. This includes naps, late nights out, using tablets or phones in bed. If you notice that you’re still tired after following your schedule for a while, try going to bed a little earlier. You can adjust your schedule a small amount at a time until you feel great.
Craft a Pre-Bed Routine
Being able to fall asleep at your scheduled time each night isn’t just about deciding on a good sleeping time and removing obstacles from your schedule. It is getting in the habit of doing a few things each night that relax you in time for sleep.
There’s no one-size-fits-all strategy for creating a pre-bed routine. Generally, you should avoid things like alcohol and electronics, which can harm your sleep quality and make it tougher for you to get the restful night you need.
All about relaxation.
You could make yourself a cup of tea, have a
hot bath, color, or read a book. The best thing to do during this time is
disconnect from all devices. You may have to try a few relaxation strategies to
bring your mind into a state that supports sleep. Once you find what works follow
the same routine each night, and eventually, your brain will begin recognizing
the things you do as signs that it’s time to fall asleep.
Know-How to Deal with Problems
Finally, creating a sleep routine is great
for your body and mind in the long term, but it takes a lot of time and
dedication for everything to fall into place. Ultimately, you’re going to have
a few difficult nights and problematic experiences when you’re first
implementing your routine, so don’t expect to fall asleep straight away every
night.
Experiment with a sleep journal so you can track your sleeping habits and find out what works best. Sleep journals can be used to set goals, track sleep patterns, and chronicle dreams. Try using this free page to get started on your sleep hygiene.
If you
can’t fall asleep, get up and do something relaxing for a bit in low light.
This will help to avoid frustration in your mind
whenever you go to bed. If your routine of choice doesn’t seem to be helping
you relax, after a couple of weeks, try something new.
The key to proper sleep hygiene is commitment and persistence.
If you have committed to working on your sleep schedule, and you feel like
you’re not seeing any improvements, you may want to speak to a doctor. There
are medical and psychological reasons for sleep disruption.
Creating a sleep routine that works for you can enhance your life in many ways. Your productivity, physical health, mental health, metabolism, energy levels, and even relationships can all benefit when you’re regularly getting a good night’s sleep.
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