Reclaim Your Rest: Find Your Rejuvenating Bedtime Routine
A guide to catching more Z's, instead of counting sheep
In my ongoing commitment to share actionable self-improvement strategies, I'm zeroing in on a fundamental, yet often neglected aspect of well-being: sleep. Like many, I've battled with sleeplessness, and I'm here to share my personal journey and the steps I took to transform my nights from restless tossing and turning to truly restful slumbers. If you're tired of counting sheep and ready to reclaim your rest, read on.
I found myself caught in a frustrating loop of inadequate sleep. By the time my head hit the pillow, my mind would launch into overdrive, replaying the day's events and worrying about future uncertainties. Trivial matters would morph into a monumental crisis at 3 AM, stealing precious hours of my beauty sleep.
Ironically, the only times I managed to achieve deep, uninterrupted sleep were when I had mentally and physically exhausted myself to the point of near collapse (just to be clear, that’s not healthy either). This unsustainable pattern quickly took its toll. My work performance suffered as I made silly mistakes, and my mental health took a downward spiral, followed by harsh self-criticism and a pervasive sense of unease.
The Importance of Sleep:
It became painfully clear that I needed to prioritise sleep. It's more than just feeling tired; SLEEP is essential for a growth mindset and staying healthy. Yet, during periods of stress or hectic lifestyles, it's often the first thing to fall by the wayside.
It's important to remember that simply being in bed for seven hours doesn't guarantee seven hours of quality sleep. While resting your body is beneficial, the average person should aim for 7-9 hours of actual sleep each night. So, how can we bridge the gap between time in bed and restful slumber?
Crafting a bedtime routine:
For me, I went into research mode and collated a load of techniques to experiment with, in attempt to find a deliberate and consistent bedtime routine that worked. It's not about deprivation or discipline; it's about setting the stage for relaxation and preparing your mind and body for sleep. Here are the key components of my routine:
First trying to go to bed an hour earlier before you aim to go to sleep.
Ensuring your adequate magnesium levels, I for one am taking supplements for that magnesium boost.
Minimising exposure to blue light from screens in the hours leading up to bedtime. If that's not possible, at least adjust your phone/computer screen for night mode so it’s easier on the eyes.
Top tip: You can adjust the tint on your phone screen
Step 1: Select Settings > Accessibility > Display and Text Size > Colour Filters.
Step 2: For older iPhone models, you need to enable "Colour Filters" and choose "Colour Tint" for your screen. Next, scroll down and adjust the Intensity and Hue to bring out more of the red shades on your phone. Set both fields to the maximum capacity for a more pronounced redness.
Step 3: Create a shortcut by going to Settings > Accessibility > Accessibility Shortcut > Colour Filters. This allows you to switch between your regular daytime screen and your custom red tint by just pressing the right side button three times.
The red tint will then reduce eye strain, help you see better in the dark, and most importantly, it will help you sleep better. Thank me later!
Getting yourself a journal (it helps me to have prompts), to take a few minutes to reflect on the day, acknowledge accomplishments, and process any lingering thoughts or worries. Literally take them out of your mind and into the page.
Carving out time to read a chapter or two of a physical book or kindle. I've always considered myself "a reader," but hardly read because I “had no time”. By going to bed an hour earlier allowed me to create this dedicated time.
Switching gears with an audiobook or a guided meditation story from apps like Headspace.
There's also a variety of other relaxing mindful exercises, such as, specific breathing exercises (in for 4, hold for 4, out for 6), body scans (mentally switch off parts of your body starting from toes to the head) and mentally reenacting a mundane part of your day but in granular detail..
“When I went for a walk, I held the dog lead with my left hand and my right hand was in my right pocket which I could feel my phone and my keys which were cold against my hand…"
There are many variations and ways to a better sleep but there is an importance of consistent implementation of this bedtime routine once you find the ideal one for you. Yes, yes, I know, there are some nights you’d have to break this routine because, well… life happens. The important thing is, you take no judgement on “failing”, therefore you abandon it completely. As long as you know what your bedtime routine is and it works, you can always pick it back up and start again the next evening.
Once I found my routine and I stuck to it 80-90% of the time. I began experiencing:
Waking up more refreshed, often before my alarm
Improved mood and a greater sense of well-being throughout the day
A feeling of preparedness and reduced anxiety about the day ahead
Enhanced presence and appreciation for life's smaller moments (“that’ll go in my journal later!”)
Increased awareness of both positive and negative patterns in my life, allowing me to make more conscious choices
Improved deep sleep and REM sleep cycles (according to my Garmin).
Did you know? A balanced deep and REM sleep is vital for health and longevity.
Deep sleep, mainly in the first half of the night, boosts growth hormone, solidifies memories, and enhances creativity.
REM sleep, more common in the second half, processes emotions and aids cognitive function.
Therefore, by prioritising both deep and REM sleep optimises well-being and cognitive abilities.
The key takeaway is that a personalised bedtime routine can be transformative. Experiment with different techniques and find what works best for you. Even small changes can make a big difference in the quality of your sleep.
If you're battling sleepless nights or you’re waking up feeling groggy, I encourage you to take action and prioritise your sleep. It's not a luxury; it's a necessity for optimal well-being. I’d recommend the additional techniques, perhaps one of them will suit you more.
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In a while, crocodile! 🐊