Sleep 101: 5 Night Rituals for a Better Night's Sleep

 The Importance of Sleep

Sleep isn’t just something we do, but something we must do. We very much need to sleep within a 24 hour cycle to live a healthy lifestyle, and quality sleep is essential for recovering from the day before and preparing for the day ahead. Bad sleep leads a loss in energy, focus, mood, and overall health. It's a critical part of being a human, and research suggests that Good Sleep was an evolutionary leap in our Cognitive and Social Dimensions.

Why we Struggle to get Replenishing Sleep

Despite it's importance, no doubt many of us don't get a good night's sleep. Most likely because of:

• Doomscrolling  📱
• Work  💻
• Late-Night Snacking  🍔
• Stress and Anxiety  😰
• Inconsistency ⏰
• And any other idea you can think of

Is there Hope? Absolutely!

Make no mistake about it, just like everything worth working for, Right Effort WILL improve your Sleep and curve off Sleep Debt you've accumulated over a given time. The best part? Most strategies are simple to implement, easy to repeat, and rewarding to master. 

Here are 5 Fundamental Night Rituals for a Better Night's Sleep

1. Set up Reminders ⏳:

On your Phone, Apple Watch, Alarm Clock, or any other device, set up at least 2 reminders for tracking purposes. For example I have: 

• one at 8:30pm to know it's time to Wind-Down
• one at 9:00pm for Night Hygiene such as: Brush Teeth, Wash Face, Change into Sleepwear, etc. 

Feel free to mess around with Reminders you want to implement that fits your lifestyle

2. Prepare your Sleep Environment🛏️:

A cluttered or untidy Sleep Environment won't help you relax your mind. Take a few minutes adjusting your pillows and preparing your seasonal blanket. Doing this prevents tossing and turning that can turn 5 minutes into an hour.

3. Dim the Light 💡:

We've all experienced the effects of Bright Light before sleep, such as your phone. There's a biology to why Bright Light keeps you up, and going against your body's needs is debilitating in the long run. Plus there's nothing more annoying than finally being able to Sleep, but now you have to get up to turn off the lights. Night Lights also go a loooong way if you need some light source.

4. Put the Phone Away 📵:

Put the Phone Away! Relating to Ritual 3, a phones Blue Light keeps you up and it can become draining physically and mentally when you can't put the phone down. Putting it away from your bed area will also help you get up to turn off an alarm you're ignoring. 

5. Prepare a Glass of Water 💧:

This task is to set Future You up for success and very easy for you to do (simply place it next to your phone!) Hydrating first thing in the morning yields many benefits! So Present You making that task easier for Future You is powerful over the course of a Week, Month, Year, Decade, Lifetime, and makes you satisfied with Past You!

Final Thoughts 🌔

It's not impossible to lie down and sleep within 10 mins, just takes effort. That shouldn't turn you off, as effort is rewarding and wins keep you motivated and disciplined. Finishing off the day strong by setting yourself up for a Good Night's Sleep means you'll finish the day off with a win every time! Start small, stay consistent, and stack up those wins to get you closer to the envisioned version of Yourself.