Because sleep is a hot topic these days, let’s continue with that.

We’ve talked about the importance of cool temperatures (and it is very important). But I feel like a lot of people don’t really understand the importance of a good bedtime routine. In that sense I mean what do you do roughly an hour before bed? Hopefully you aren’t eating because that would be the worst since your body is going to turn that food into energy and make sleeping harder. You should also be avoiding drinking fluids before bed so you don’t have nocturia!

No, before bed you want to establish a really calming routine that relaxes your mind and body and prepares it for a solid 8 hours of sleep with all of the REM, light, and deep sleep that you need.

By this I mean consider using a pair of blue light blocking glasses (more will be discussed in another post about what you should look for in these), doing some calming breathwork (meditation or gentle bedtime yoga), watching some light-hearted TV or maybe reading some fiction.

By light-hearted TV I mean something enjoyable and maybe something that’s comforting to you. You shouldn’t be watching something serious, learning (which can activate your brain), disturbing, or anything that could cause your adrenaline to increase (action or suspense). My go to show is ‘Friends’ because it was always a comforting childhood show and it’s light-hearted, funny, and I’ve basically memorized all of the dialogue. This puts me into a good mood while my body is winding down and I’m preparing to sleep.

Reading is also a great contender for before bed since it may reduce cortisol and therefore stress and it can promote an almost meditative relaxation feeling. Similar to watching TV, you should avoid reading anything that could raise your adrenaline (suspense, horror, etc.) My go-to books before bed are always fiction – whether it’s something that I’ve read before or just something that is a feel-good book that has a mild amount of conflict.

A bedtime routine (as I’ve learned) is so important and it’s equally necessary to be consistent. You should always start your bedtime routine at roughly the same time every night (give or take) so that your body knows to prioritize sleep. For the record, I use a sleep tracker to monitor my sleep and have been since I had insomnia. The changes I’ve made to my bedtime routine have drastically improved my sleep quality as I can see based on the stats I get but also how many times I wake up at night. If you have trouble sleeping, I encourage you to try these.