6 Tips to build better bed time routine

Decompress from your day

The brain is preparing for sleep about two hours before our actual bedtime. That waking system has to slowly come down to allow the sleep system to take over.

                Set an alarm an hour to two prior to your expected bedtime to remind you to wind down from the day. Do something you truly enjoy and find relaxing.

Don’t wind down with your gadgets

If you do decide to catch up on your favorite show, don’t do it on your computer or tablet.

Even just a few seconds of exposure from a blue light-emitting device an hour before bed can disrupt the melatonin rhythm, a rhythm that is so critical to helping us fall asleep, stay asleep and wake up feeling refreshed.

Eat a light, pre-bedtime snack

In our perpetually dieting world, it’s not uncommon to lie in bed hungry, but not wanting to eat in an effort to save calories. However, hunger is stimulating and fragments sleep.

Eating a light carbohydrate or protein snack prior to bedtime will stave off hunger without causing you to crash and awaken later in the night.

Take a warm bath 

Anighttime drop in core body temperature increases one’s chances of both falling asleep and enjoying the coveted deep layers of sleep.

                One of the best ways to trigger a drop in your body temperature is to raise it two to three hours earlier by taking a warm bath.

Wait until it’s time to sleep

The more time you spend in bed before you sleep, the more your body gets used to being awake in bed.Spend any time winding down before bed in a “daytime” space like the living room, then heading to bed about 20 minutes before you want to be asleep.

Go to bed at the same time 

Get enough sleep and keep your sleep cycle regular, even over the weekends.

Sleeping in to compensate for late Friday or Saturday nights—or sleep-deprived workweeks—is a major cause of insomnia and sleep trouble.