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Start your bedtime routine slower, here’s how.
Do you feel groggy in the morning, not being able to wake up, yet you’ve done everything you can to help?
You may be getting to bed at 9 PM on the dot, drinking herbal tea, and taking a cold shower just so you can get to sleep quicker.
Yet sleep never comes.
When I noticed this about myself, I thought that I might not be getting enough hours of sleep. But over time I realized that it wasn’t that— timing was the problem.
The thing is, if I’m outside or have a lot of adrenaline around 7–8 PM & I’m getting to bed at 9, then I’m not going to be tired enough to be in bed.
Sounds obvious, right?
But I didn’t used to not be sleepy before, even if I did the most exercise-driven activities at night, I could still sleep easy. So I think it’s because I’ve gotten older that I started to have these problems.
So what did I do?
Have a set time to start slowing down
Through experimenting around 4, 5, 6, and 7 PM. I realized that 5 PM is when I’m most mentally done with the day.
Then I do the following:
- Cook dinner
- Take a run
- Cleaning
The goal is to get the last of my exercise & high-priority work done before 7 PM.
Limit both my exercise & iPhone usage 2 hours before bed
Since 7 PM is 2 hours before 9, this is when I start my bedtime routine.
- Taking a light walk, soaking in the sunset.
- Read any Medium articles on dark-mode.
- Chill for the night.
And if needed…
Reading lightly right as I’m going to bed
If I have extra reading on a paperback then this comes in handy to slow down my mind.
Takeaway
By keeping my night slow instead of rushing around like I used to, I’m able to get to sleep easier and wake up better refreshed.
Even if you don’t have a perfect night routine, all of us can benefit from slowing our night down.
Using these following strategies, in the time frame that’s best for you, hopefully you’ll find yourself waking up full of energy like this lil’ guy — ready to start your day all over again!
Image by Khangnht98 | ɴᴏᴄᴛᴇ from Pexels