How to Get Your Best Night's Sleep

I have been sleeping great recently, waking up naturally at 6am, ready to go for the day.

I wanted to share what’s working for me, in case it’s helpful for you, too.

Here are my top tips for a great night’s sleep:

Limit Caffeine and Stop Early in the Day

I used to drink 3–4 cups of coffee per day, including one around 2pm to get me through the afternoon. Recently I’ve limited myself to 2 cups first thing in the morning, stopping by 8am. This ensures the caffeine is out of my system by bedtime.

Stay Active During the Day

I normally get at least 30 minutes of dedicated exercise in the morning — usually in the form of running outside — and try to stay as active as possible throughout the day. This activity leaves my body feeling tired when the day is done.

Stop Eating at Least an Hour Before Bedtime

If I eat too close to bedtime, my body is still working hard digesting food instead of focusing on sleep. I try to stop eating at least 1–2 hours before bed to allow my body to be in a fully rested state at bedtime.

Limit Sweets

I’ve learned that my body doesn’t respond well to a lot of sugar. If I eat an indulgent dessert even relatively close to bedtime, my stomach gets upset and that will keep me up during the night. I’ve found its a lot better for sleep if I satisfy my sweet tooth with fruit instead of cookies or ice cream.

Limit Alcohol

I love a glass of red wine at night — for me, it’s one of life’s simple pleasures. I can still sleep pretty well with 1–2 glasses, but any more than that and I’ll be up for an hour or more in the middle of the night. Alcohol can feel good in the moment, but not so much in the middle of the night or the next day. If you find it difficult to cut down your alcohol consumption, then visit https://www.woburnaddictiontreatment.com/alcohol-detox-drug-detox-massachusetts/ to get help. You’ll find that it helps improve much more than just your sleep.

Stick to a Consistent Bedtime

I normally get into bed by 9 or 9:30 p.m. Sticking to a consistent bedtime allows me to stick with a consistent wake time, naturally. This ensures I give myself at least 7–8 hours of sleep, which is what I’ve found my body needs.

Read a Real Book Before Bed

I read a real, physical book for about 20 minutes after getting into bed (or for as long as it takes to feel tired and ready for sleep). This is a great way to wind down and tire my brain out for sleeping.

Go to the Bathroom Right Before Sleep

I always go to the bathroom one last time right before sleep. This ensures I’ll be able to sleep through the night without having to get up at all. I also don’t drink much water in the hour before bed, for the same reason.

Keep Your Room Cool, Dark, and Quiet

I try to keep my room around 68 degrees, as dark as possible, and will use a fan or sound machine to block any outside noise. This setup seems optimal for sleep and allows me to wake naturally when the sun comes up.

Put Your Phone on Airplane Mode

I do sleep with my phone in my bedroom, but I don’t check email before bed (which would rev up my brain) and I put it on airplane mode for sleep. This means I won’t be woken up by any calls or texts in the night.

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That’s it — following these 10 habits has produced some of the best sleep of my life. Hopefully these tips can help you get a great night sleep, too!

How To Get Your Best Night’s Sleep

You probably already know that sleep is one of the most important habits in our lives. Sleep has been shown to do all of the following:

• Improve learning, creativity, and memory
• Boost alertness and mood
• Support a healthy body weight
• Reduce the risk of diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia

These are just some of the benefits of sleep that Dr. Mike Dow talks up in his New York Times best-selling book, The Brain-Fog Fix.

And while these benefits of sleep might not surprise you, it could be eye-opening to learn that we are sleeping an hour less per night now than we did just a generation ago, and nearly three quarters of Americans report not getting enough sleep. In fact, a recent survey showed that Americans average just 6.5 hours of shut-eye per weeknight, which is less than all but one of the other countries included in the study (only Japanese slept less).

If that stat of 6.5 hours per night seems pretty good, Dr. Dow says to think again. He asserts that we need to be getting about 8 hours of sleep per night, and anything less just won’t suffice.

If you want to establish a healthy relationship with sleep, a good first step is to prioritize it in your life instead of always staying in overdrive. The experts also recommend to establish and stick to a consistent sleep schedule, ideally going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day (including weekends).

But what if you still just can’t seem to fall asleep?

Here are some tips from The Brain-Fog Fix for a consistent good night sleep:

• Regulate your wake and sleep cycles by exposing yourself to as much light as possible during the day, and limit exposure to light in the evenings
• Open your blinds and turn on lights immediately upon waking
• Go outside for a walk or a run in the morning to get some sunlight (and some exercise)
• At work, position your desk to face a window
• Nap in the mid-afternoon if needed (Keep it short to about 20 minutes so nighttime rhythms aren’t disrupted). This might not be realistic for everyone, but an increasing number of companies offer on-site nap rooms for a short midday snooze
• Shut off electronics close to bedtime, saying goodnight to your TV, phone, computer, and tablet at least an hour before you go to sleep
• Remove electronic devices from your bedroom altogether. A great way to spend time before sleeping is to read a real book under dim lighting
• If you absolutely must use your devices in the evening, make sure to turn them to the dimmest setting possible to reduce blue light exposure
• Take a hot shower or warm bath before bed for relaxation and to set your body temperature for sleep
• Keep your bedroom cool, between 66–68 degrees. However, make sure your feet are warm otherwise you might not be able to sleep (consider wearing socks)

I have also found that it helps to keep a notepad next to my bed to jot down anything on my mind at bedtime, including a short list of what I want to accomplish the next day. Getting these things out of my head and onto paper often provides the peace of mind to fall asleep. On a similar note, Lewis Howes, New York Times best-selling author of The School of Greatness, recommends the nightly practice of writing down the three things you are most grateful for. This is a great way to get in the right mental place at bedtime.

So whatever you’re doing late at night, shut it off and go to sleep instead. For most people, sleeping in is not an option and therefore going to bed earlier is the only way to get the recommended amount of sleep.

Hopefully the above tools and tips help you create the best sleep routine that works for you.

Sweet dreams!