For many years I really struggled with my sleep pattern and each time that I went to see Dr. David Crawford, my local GP, he would often attribute many medical issues which I had with my inability to get high quality sleep. I had tried and failed with all sorts of strategies and had really reached the end of my tether. The last time I saw David I was at a loss with what to do and he gave me some amazing tips on how to nail a nightly routine which would help me to not only get to sleep, but to achieve a high quality 8 hours of sleep, and it worked like a charm. If you struggle with your sleeping then here is a nightly routine which could help you.
Food and Drink
For the times here I am working on the example of going to bed at 11, if you have a different sleep time then adjust accordingly. The last thing that I eat is at 6pm and following that the only thing that passes my lips is a glass of water, and my toothbrush. In terms of sugary drinks or caffeine, this all stops for me at 5pm. Food is energy which is the last thing that you need when you are trying to go to bed and sleep well.
No Tech
Something which I was also guilty of in the past was staying on my phone or tablet right up until the point where I would be going to sleep. The problem here is that the light on the screen of a tablet or a smartphone actually wakes the brain up, even if you do use the night mode feature. Naturally the last thing which you need is to be waking the brain up, so it is best to leave the tech to one side in the final hour before you sleep.
Reading
The last hour of the night I will spend reading a book and I have found that fiction works much better than non-fiction because of the fact that it is easy to read and doesn’t really cause you to think too much. You ca use an e-reader here as they use different technology for their lighting which does not wake the brain up.
Darkness
You need to do whatever it takes to ensure that your bedroom is in full darkness when you are ready to go to sleep. If not then the light will also serve to alert your brain, even if your eyes are closed. You can buy some brilliant blackout curtains which will leave your bedroom in complete darkness for when you are ready to sleep.
The key here is that you are making a routine, going to bed at the same time each night and waking up at the same time each morning, and the brain will get used to this.
