Frank R.Without proper sleep, we are bound tobe plagued by fatigue, inaction, and restlessness the following day. It’s a disservice to our future selves to not take the proper time, and effort, to be properly rested and prepared for the day ahead. Thankfully, there are choices you can make that improve your ability to get to sleep at night, and to maintain better sleep habits moving forward. My sleep routine involves a deliberate evening wind-down, where I prepare my mind and body for a lengthy rest. Without it, I would not be able to get to sleep on-time as consistently, and would definitely be lagging behind in many areas of my life. Here is a peek into my evening wind-down, and I hope it provides you with ideas to help you get to sleep more easily, too!
The Importance of Getting Good Sleep
The quality and length of our sleep is vitally important to our overall physical and mental health. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, it is recommended that adults get anywhere from a minimum of 7 hours to a maximum of 9 hours of sleep each night. This means that oversleeping constitutes rest exceeding 9 hours, and undersleeping would be any rest that totals less than 7. It is important that the amount of sleep you get each night falls somewhere in that 7-9 hour range, without exceeding it.
Oversleep and undersleep are both harmful, and can lead to negative side effects that will negatively impact you throughout your day. Research shows that too much or too little sleep each night can lead to increased risk of certain chronic diseases, as well as an increased risk of anxiety and depression. With how stressful life can be, both personally and professionally, we do not need a lack of rest to compound our problems and make things more difficult than they have to be. We need to give ourselves adequate time to get the sleep we need, without overdoing it too much.
An Evening Stretch
There are few things more relaxing than a nice, quick evening stretch routine. While it may sound antithetical to do any exercise just before bed, it actually has proven benefits for both your health and ability to fall and stay asleep. According to research published in the Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry, stretching before bedtime can help decrease the severity of insomnia and improve your overall quality of sleep. This is especially important when you consider that insomnia affects as much as 15% of the world’s population!
Turn Off Your Screens
For at least an hour before bedtime, I make sure to abstain from technology with screens; that means putting away my phone and turning off my TV. For one thing, technology like smartphones and smart TVs are extremely engaging, and it can be difficult to try and get to sleep when you have that level of distraction in front of you. Screens emit a great deal of blue light. While blue light is mostly harmless in small doses, it can cause health issues when taken in large enough quantities. Worst of all, it can cause eye pain and strain, which is less-than-helpful when you are trying to get some rest.
Do Some Journaling
Another great habit to establish before bedtime is journaling. Journaling allows you to commit your thoughts to paper, and to create a living record of your thoughts, ideas, and stories. It is a great creative outlet, and a tool to help you turn what was once only a glimmer of imagination into something real and tangible. Best of all, writing really helps to exercise your brain, and in turn get you more tired and prepared for sleep. Journaling is a great habit to establish during any time of the day, but I find it most helpful to do just before heading to bed, which is why it has become a permanent facet of my nighttime routine.
Conclusion
With the proper evening routine, you will be able to wind-down quickly, effectively, and consistently. There is nothing worse than struggling to get sleep when you absolutely need it, which is why I seriously recommend adopting part of my evening routine. If you would like to learn more about other lifestyle, wellness, and mindfulness topics, feel free to read our other blogs!
