Restful Routines for Better Sleep
Sticking to the idea of solidifying routines and taking this opportunity to build new habits or refine others, let’s make sure everyone is getting the most they can from their sleep by establishing a solid bedtime routine.
Sleep has so many benefits. Let’s call it the best supplement on the market that no one is really talking about. So how do we get the most out of this unlimited supplement?
Step 1: Determine How Much Sleep You Need
There are so many factors that go into determining how much sleep you need:
Age
Gender
Training volume
Sleep debt
Stress levels
Just to name a few.
So, compounding those very individual factors must make it pretty difficult to figure out how much sleep you need? Actually, not really - all you need to do is sleep. Sleeping uninterrupted as long as your body wants is a great indicator. The human body is sophisticated enough to know how much and when it needs sleep, but our modern society has basically high jacked that basic biological function. So whenever you have the opportunity - which right now seems like the perfect time - try going to sleep at your normal time and let your body wake up without an alarm. See how long you sleep over a few days and get an average number of hours. Then you can start scheduling your sleep for that many hours. This number will fluctuate based on the factors above, but it should give you a great starting point.
Now that you understand how to start figuring out the minimum quantity of sleep you need, you can start planning for you sleep time and begin to dial in the proper hygiene that allows for high quality sleep.
Step 2: Two Hours Before Sleep
Limiting artificial light at all times of the day is an important habit but it’s especially important before bed. If you have to work at a computer adjusting the blue light to be as little as possible is a must. Some ways you can do that are by using Blue Blocker Glasses, changing the settings on your phone/laptop or use a screen cover for the entire monitor.
Two hours prior to bed you should begin limiting the amount of blue light in your home or at the least have all extra lights turned off. Understanding that we look at screens more than we look out windows now we get that this can be difficult. Some things to keep in mind are those Blue Blockers or shifting your electronics to “Night Mode” to tint the screens orange. Personally, I don’t enjoy glasses on my face so I have a installed RGB bulbs that change to whatever color I prefer - red is my personal favorite because there is no blue light been emitted.
Assuming you have already had dinner, you’ll want to make sure meals and evening snacks are low in fat. Fat has been shown in several studies to negatively effect sleep quality. Another thing that can mess with sleep quality would be night time urination. Once you have had dinner the fluid intake should be cut soon after.
We get that lots of people like to enjoy an alcoholic beverage with dinner so it’s important to note that this can negatively impact your sleep. Not to say you can’t have 1 drink with dinner, but do your best to have it 90 minutes prior to sleep. Alcohol will not allow your body to get into deep sleep and also is a diuretic. Which means poor quality sleep and poor sleep quantity. Do not confuse sedation with sleep.
Two Hours Before Sleep Check List
Blue light is limited
Extra lights are turned off
Low fat dinner and/or snacks
No Alcohol 90 Minutes before Sleep, more than 1 drink longer than 90 minutes
Limit water intake after dinner
Step 3: One Hour Before Sleep
This will be the time for you to start winding down and getting into bed. There should not be anything stressful or highly intensive on the brain at this point. “Simmer down” as Stick Stickly once said. Exercising should be done for the day. Work should be leaving your mind and your physical world. This is a great time for reflection from the day can take hold. Journaling or mediation seem to fit nicely for a lot of people as well as a warm bath or shower. You could also read a book - remember to limit that blue light . This biggest thing to do at this point is make sure your Thermostat is around 66 degrees or lower. Many studies show your body will sleep better at that lower ambient temperature.
One Hour Before Bed Check List:
Relax your brain or at least don’t get it excited
Nice warm bath or shower
Meditation or journaling
Read a book - kindle or paper
Set the AC to 66 or lower
Step 4: BEDTIME!!!!!
When it is actually time to sleep this is one of the two reasons you should be in bed. There are two things a bed is good for. Making delta brain waves (sleeping) and making babies. There is really nothing else that you should be doing in your bed. Respect your sleeping space and make sure your body knows what the bed is for. Just like your body knows the gym is a place for working out - not sleeping. If you can not go to sleep after laying down for 10-15 minutes try getting out of bed and do something else to relax your mind and body - avoid grabbing the phone!!! Making sure most, if not all, light is blocked from your room is helpful for some people. On top of that, others like to use a white noise machine or fan in noisy environments. Trial and error will be the best way to figure out what works best for you.
BEDTIME Check List:
Keep your bed for sleep & sex - limit things like TV, iPads, food, etc.
If you cannot sleep after 10-15 minutes, do something to calm your mind DON’T grab your phone (i.e. breathing, meditating)
Block out all light
Use white noise machine or fan for outside noise reduction
A restful night starts with knowing how much you need to sleep. Once that is established you can slowly integrate these other habits to help you get the most restful sleep possible. These habits will not be something you can get done is a couple months. But practice over several years is well worth the life long benefits of the best supplement in the world - a good night’s sleep. Start small and build small - it’s not question that your body and mind will thank you for it.
