Bedtime Preparation

Winding down after a long day is key to preparing your body for sleep. Give yourself enough time to follow these steps before your target bedtime to prepare yourself for a restful sleep.

1. Create a “To-Do” list for the next day. By putting key thoughts or action items in a list before bed, you free up your brain from needing to remember them. Your brain can then go into relaxation mode.
2. Stop using all screens (TVs, tablets, computers, smartphones) 30-60 minutes before bed. Blue light wavelengths produced by electronic devices boost attention, reaction times, and mood. That can be great during the daytime, when the body needs to be alert, but at night it can become a problem. Research shows that exposure to blue light also suppresses the production of melatonin (a hormone that helps control sleep and wake cycles) more than any other type of light. Using yellower tones of lighting before bed can help preserve the production of melatonin.
3. Unplug when preparing for bed by putting your phone on the “Do Not Disturb” setting. Texts, reminders, emails, and phone calls can wait until morning.
4. Establish an evening bathroom routine that helps you wind down. Warm baths and showers are especially good as they raise your body temperature — and the rapid cool-down period immediately afterward relaxes you.
5. Read a hardcopy book in bed. At the end of the day you will be tired. When you cozy up with a book in bed, your muscles relax and the words on the pages will slowly lull you to sleep.
6. Listen to soothing music to help you relax. The sound of relaxing music distracts your mind and induces a physical state of calmness. Relaxing music reduces the activity of the nervous system. Anxiety, heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure all decrease, much like in a state of meditation. Relaxing music also lowers the stress hormone noradrenalin, which is associated with insomnia.