Sleep is an important part of our every day life. While we all know that sleep is important, it can be difficult to get enough of it and we all know how it feels when we wake up on the wrong side of the bed. To help improve your sleep quality and help you find the right routine, read on for some our favorite tips and tricks for creating a sleep routine for every night of the week.
What is a sleep routine and why is it important?
A Sleep Routine
A sleep routine is exactly what it sounds like – a routine that is established that helps you get to sleep. It is a set of consistent practices that helps prepare your mind and body for rest. By creating a routine for yourself before bed, it can help with signaling to your body that it is time to wind down.
Why is it important?
Sleep is a critical component to a healthy lifestyle. Regular and consistent sleep can help with a myriad of health-related concerns. Sleep has been shown to help with managing health factors such as improving heart health, blood sugar regulation, high blood pressure, mood regulation, and athletic performance and recovery.
The Science Behind a Sleep Routine
The quantity and quality of our sleep can have a large impact on our overall well-being. By creating a sleep routine that is consistent, our mind can help find regulation in our circadian rhythm which can lead to easier and quicker efforts to fall asleep.
By creating a sleep routine, our mind and body can help decompress from the day and transition from being awake to being asleep easier. A sleep routine can help promote deeper and more restorative sleep at night.
A sleep routine can help improve physical well-being as well. Sleeping regularly and consistently has been shown to help support immune function by supporting the body’s ability to help fight infections. Regular sleep can help promote good heart health by lowering the risk for hypertension and heart disease. Sleep can also help with hormonal regulation by managing appetite and stress-related hormone production.
Mental health can also be impacted by sleep. Without regular sleep, there may be a higher risk of stress and anxiety. Consistent and restful sleep helps support emotional regulation and can help improve mood.
What are the steps to creating a sleep routine?
Consistency
One of the first steps to creating a sleep routine is finding areas of opportunity for consistency. Start by looking at when you usually go to sleep and wake up. Are you a morning person or a night owl? Are there similar times of the morning that you find you are more awake and alert? Do you find yourself drifting off on the couch at night?
By creating a sleep routine that gets you to wind down and wake up around the same time each day helps establish consistency in your sleeping patterns. Start by aiming to go to sleep and wake up around the same hour of day each day of the week (yes that includes weekends!). Your body will start to adjust to the new routine after a little while.
Calming Activities
After you know the time of day and night you usually wake and rest, it can be helpful to find some things to do before going to sleep to help wind down from the day. By including some calming activities in your sleep routine, it helps your body unwind from the day.
Calming activities can include anything that helps you decompress. Some ideas that you might want to try as soon as tonight are:
- Reading a book
- Drinking herbal tea
- Taking a hot bath or shower
- Listening to calming music or white noise
While you may find some of these more relaxing than others, the addition of calming activities (away from screens ideally) can help your brain get ready for sleep. By creating some time in your sleep routine to wind down, your body can more easily produce melatonin to help you fall asleep and stay asleep.
Physical Environment
Making time for a sleep routine is important, but so is creating a comfy space to wind down. The physical environment you are in is important to your sleep routine and can make a difference. By adjusting your physical environment, you can create a more comfortable space tailored to you that is relaxing and soothing.
If the space is cluttered, loud, busy, and bright, it can be difficult to wind down in. Consider the lighting, clutter and sounds of the room you are in. Are there any lights that can be dimmed to make it a calmer space? Are there any things that can be cleaned up or put away to the space is clean and decluttered?
Consider thinking about adding some of these options to your space to make it more relaxing and comfortable.
- Cozy blankets
- White noise machines
- Blackout curtains
- Night lights
Your Fit
There are many different things that can help you establish and maintain a sleep routine. Find the ones that seem best for you and try them out.
Not sure where to start?
Adjusting your sleep routine to improve your health can be a daunting task to undertake on your own. Consider meeting with one of our Registered Dietitians to learn more about how we can help you get started or help you continue your progress!
Tips for Success
Environment:
- Cold, Dark Room: Having a cooler temperature in the bedroom and making it dimly lit or dark can help your brain wind down and relax before sleep.
- Calming Music: Sounds are an important part of a sleep routine. Consider trying some calming sleep music, white noise or having a silent room to help reduce noise stimulation as you wind down.
- Aromatherapy: Creating a sleep routine can include using calming scents like lavender, chamomile, vanilla and sage. These scents can be helpful additions to the physical environment to help with winding down. Consider essential oils for a diffuser or using pillow sprays.
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Winding Down:
- Down Time: While creating a sleep routine, making the time to unwind from the busy day can help your brain and body get ready for sleep. Start with 5-10 minutes each night to wind down with music or calming activities and add more time if needed.
- Reading: Calming activities like reading can help with unwinding from the day and be a helpful addition in your sleep routine. Consider reading for a few minutes before bed to help your brain and body decompress from the day.
- Avoiding Heavy Meals or Stimulants: Heavy meals close to bedtime may prevent comfortable digestion and may impact sleep quality. Consider taking at least 1-2 hours after eating to let food digest before laying down for sleep. Stimulants like caffeine can stay in the bloodstream for upwards of 8 hours and can impact sleep for a long time after consuming them. Aim to finish all caffeine at least 8 hours before starting your sleep routine.
Screen Time and Blue Light:
- Blue Light Reduction or No Screens: Reduction or elimination of blue light from screens helps the brain get ready for sleep. Try reducing screen time before bed, blue light blocking glasses or not being on a screen 30-60 minutes before sleep to help wind down.
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Supplements and Beverages:
- Herbal Tea: Herbal teas without caffeine can help promote quality sleep. Chamomile acts as a very mild sedative and can help support a good sleep routine. Look for herbal teas like chamomile, sleepy time, peppermint or valerian root tea.
- Tart Cherry Juice: Tart cherry juice (ideally one that is 100% fruit juice not from concentrate) can be a helpful addition to help the body work to naturally produce more melatonin. Consider having 4-6 oz before bed to help support your sleep routine.
- Melatonin: The body naturally produces melatonin to help with sleep, but additional melatonin may help in the beginning. To ensure the brain continues to support normal melatonin production, it is recommended to take a break from melatonin if it has been taken for 3 months or longer.
- Magnesium Citrate: Magnesium is a required micronutrient in the body and there are many different types of magnesium available, with different functions from each. Magnesium citrate may be a helpful supplement to help with sleep. (Please note that magnesium citrate may produce a slight laxative effect.)
- *Always consult with your doctor or healthcare professional before taking a new supplement to see if it is appropriate and safe.*
Next Steps
Managing your sleep routine can be a difficult task and having support can help support the success of the changes. Sleep is an important component to overall health and can have a large impact on your wellness.
Our team of Registered Dietitians are available to help you find the right changes and the right fit for you. Learn more about our programs below and give us a call today to see how we can help you find and make the right changes for you.
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