BEDTIME RITUALS THAT HELP YOU SLEEP WELL AND MORE

The last things you do before going to bed significantly affect your mood and energy levels the next day, often determining how well and how much you sleep. Business Insider spoke with experts to find out what the most successful people do before bedtime.

DISTANCE YOURSELF FROM WORK

Truly successful people do anything but work before bedtime. The last thing you need is to lie in bed thinking about the email your overly eager boss sent. Create a buffer time between reading the last email and going to sleep. The idea is to get work thoughts out of your head before going to bed. It can be challenging but helps reduce the stress level you take to bed with you and sleep better.

UNPLUG

Simply stepping away from work isn’t enough. It’s essential to completely disconnect from smart devices as screens do more harm than good before sleep, according to researchers. The blue light from phone screens acts similarly to sunlight, suppressing the production of melatonin – a crucial hormone that regulates your circadian rhythm and tells your body when to wake up and when to sleep. This can lead not only to poor sleep but also vision problems, cancer, and depression.

REFLECT

Successful people take a moment just before bedtime to recall or write down three things they are grateful for that day. This helps acknowledge the progress made in different areas of life on that day and maintain motivation when things are tough.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of ruminating over negative situations that occurred during the day and wish they had been handled differently. Regardless of how bad the day was, successful people can usually avoid the pessimistic spiral of negative self-talk, as they know it only adds stress. Try to look back on positive moments throughout the day and celebrate your success.

RELAX

In addition to reflecting on the day, take a few minutes to breathe and relax. One way to do this is through meditation. Incorporating a meditation routine before bedtime may seem challenging, especially if you haven’t done it before, but there are plenty of resources available to get started, and meditation is an excellent way to relax the body and calm the mind.

SCHEDULE YOUR SLEEP

The danger of busy people taking a risk with chronic sleep deprivation has been widely discussed; it means that making sufficient sleep a priority is crucial, which can be challenging for workaholics or entrepreneurs. One way to do this is to go to bed at the same time every night, which sleep specialists consider a key habit for achieving a good night’s sleep.
The worst thing to do is stay up late in the evening and delay the morning alarm. People have limited willpower, so why waste it on struggling to wake up and to an additional depressing nine-minute sleep?

CREATE A TO-DO LIST OF PENDING TASKS

Very few people want to spend time making a to-do list of pending tasks before bedtime, but the benefits are surprisingly significant. Writing down necessary tasks in the evening clears the mind of problems to deal with the next day, ensuring they don’t bother you at night and thus providing better sleep.

AVOID EVENING DRINKS AND HEAVY SNACKS

Alcohol, in particular, should be avoided before bedtime. Although alcohol can help you fall asleep, it can deprive the sleeper of quality sleep, keeping them in lighter sleep stages that are easily interrupted and preventing you from moving into deeper and more refreshing sleep stages. Additionally, it’s worth avoiding caffeine and fatty foods before bedtime.
Read the full Business Insider article here.