Sleep Calm & Carry On: How to Wind Down Before Bed

If you struggle to fall asleep or find yourself waking up a lot during the night, ask yourself whether you need more of a runway to your sleep wind down routine.

Parents will know that you can’t just put a hyperactive child in bed, switch out the light, and expect them to sleep - it just doesn’t work like that. You need to ease them into it.

Discover the importance of winding down before bed below.

The importance of a wind down routine before bed

 

As adults, many of us tend to run our lives at 100mph. And this includes fast-paced living right up to bedtime. What ensues is that when we turn out the light, we find that our minds are still running on overdrive.

By working some wind down activities into the run up to bedtime, you are in effect teaching your brain to recognise when it’s time to prepare for sleep. Over time, your brain will learn to recognise these activities as cues. This can then help to reduce stress levels and promote a more restful sleep.

For example, you might decide to split the last 30-60 minutes of the day into 3:

1. First, tackle whatever practical things you MUST do for the morning. Make yourself a to-do list to get your thoughts in order. Then add a couple of general housekeeping tasks like tidying your bedroom, checking that doors and windows are closed, and switching off unnecessary lights and plug sockets.
2. Second up we have those personal hygiene tasks. These can be much the same doe everyone. So be sure to include brushing your teeth, cleansing your skin (and/or removing your make-up), or having a bath or shower. Research shows that a warm bath or shower 60-90 minutes before bed can help with a more restful sleep.
3. Thirdly, introduce that feel good factor to your wind down routine. Quality time with your loved ones, reading a book, meditation, writing a journal, listening to music, knitting, breathing or relaxation exercises, even watching TV. The key here is to choose a wind down activity you enjoy and will look forward to.

No phones in bedrooms

I’d recommend not including scrolling on your phone as part of your wind down routine. It’s true that phones and TVs emit blue light, and you want to avoid bright light before bed. But, the light from screens is actually relatively dim and unlikely to delay sleep for more than 10 minutes. A bigger problem seems to be that people get addicted to what they’re doing and lose track of time, which steals precious minutes of sleep.

Some people leave their phones with notifications pinging all night, which can also lead to disrupted sleep. For this reason, I’d recommend keeping your phone out of the bedroom, or at least popping it in flight mode.

Bedtime wind down routines: our conclusion

If a wind down routine is new for you, set a reminder on your phone 30-60 minutes before you want to go to sleep. Choose 3 activities you can do most evenings to signal the brain that it’s time for sleep.

Personally, I like to finish the day by thinking about 3 things that day I’m grateful for. A little surge of positive emotion can set you up for a good sleep. 

Recap my recommendations for a bedtime wind down routine by watching the below video:

Thanks for reading, and sleep well.