The routine you should practice for better sleep

Last updated on May 28th, 2023 at 01:51 pm

After a long day, quality sleep at night almost seems like a reward. Not only is it a good reward, but it’s a time for the body to also work and restore itself. 

We all can’t boast of getting good sleep at night though. Sometimes, it almost makes the night a time not to look forward to. And even if we do, because who likes to always be working? Not me, we probably just stay awake binge-watching our favourite series or keep tossing and turning until daybreak. Suffice it to say that our puffy eyes the next morning are the least unfavourable side-effect, not even the splitting headache comes close, now there’s a prominent and painful zit on our forehead as we drag ourselves to work having gotten zero hours of good sleep.

A good night’s rest heavily relies on routine. The key is to start your routine early enough and pace yourself rather than rushing when it’s an hour or a few minutes to bedtime. 

Set a realistic bedtime

A realistic bedtime is the first step to a night of better sleep. Since we are creatures of habits, it makes sense to have a consistent bedtime this way your brain also starts to wind down once your bedtime is close.

Eat an early dinner

A stuffy stomach is a recipe for poor sleep. An early dinner means that at the time that you’re set for bed, you’ve digested your food and feel light enough to have a good sleep.

Silence your phone

Usually, people worry about missing an emergency call if they put their phone to silent or switch it off. The best way to look at this is to count how many emergency calls you’ve gotten all these nights that you haven’t silenced your phone. Putting your phone on silent is even better than switching off your phone if you worry. This way, you can see any missed calls if you get up to use the restroom at midnight.

Switch from harsh light to soft lights

This is a total game-changer! It sends a message to your body to calm down. If you are immune to a relaxed ambience then maybe this isn’t for you. Lol, but really, try this if you haven’t, and note the change.

Take a calming shower

Be slow and try to soak up the sensation. You can also try some drops of essential oils for their relaxing effect. The goal of this shower is not to just wash off the day’s stress but to also calm down. Bear this in mind as you hastily scrub your body. Take it slow.

Reduce stimulation an hour before bed 

Please don’t watch an action or horror movie into the night if you’re trying to improve your sleep. Stop playing games, going offline early… Do less stimulating things like reading or just stop everything and lay in bed (if it’s your style).

Make sure your bed is laid and clean

Sometimes, we’re too tired to lay our bed at night, and in the mornings, we’re in a rush. To get better sleep, it’s just best to find the time. It’s a little commitment for such a huge reward.

Invest in getting the right temperature

This is tricky, especially given the sometimes unpredictable weather. Colder nights are far easier to manage than hot nights. For hot nights, you might want to invest in an AC or a (rechargeable) fan.

Did you miss this? Six Steps To A Restorative Evening

I acknowledge that we all don’t have the priviledge of a decent night routine, but if all you can achieve is probably two of the aforementioned routine, it can make a whole lot of difference.