How to Create Pre-Sleep Rituals That Will Actually Help You Sleep
Did you know people who sleep more tend to be more resilient, have increased energy AND procrastinate less? (The Flourishing Center, 2015). Amazing, right?! Who are these lucky humans getting such great sleep?!
You might be thinking that you would love to sleep more, but sometimes, it’s just not possible. Maybe you have work, anxiety, kids or all of the above preventing you from getting enough rest. The struggle to sleep is real!
But here’s the good news: even if you can’t get MORE sleep, you can still enhance the QUALITY of your sleep by practicing good sleep hygiene. What you do before you sleep, can greatly impact how well you sleep. To sleep well, it’s important to establish high quality sleep hygiene with pre-sleep rituals.
What you do before you sleep, can greatly impact how well you sleep.
To start, let’s assess your current relationship with sleep. Take a moment to reflect on the following questions:
On average, how long does it take you to fall asleep?
Do you typically have trouble sleeping because you wake up in the middle of the night, feel too hot or cold, experience pain, or have bad dreams?
How challenging is it for you to maintain enthusiasm to accomplish tasks?
Have you had trouble staying awake while driving, eating meals, or engaging in social activities?
On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the overall quality of your sleep?
Honestly evaluating your current sleep habits is essential for making desired changes. If you're already enjoying restful sleep, that's fantastic! Keep doing what you’re doing. If your sleep isn't as restful, that's ok too! Simple and consistent pre-sleep rituals could be the solution to your sleep problems.
Note: These questions have been adapted from the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), a widely used and scientifically reliable and valid self-reporting questionnaire that assesses sleep quality over a one-month period.
#GOALS
Now that you have a baseline understanding of how well rested you are, let’s discuss how to improve sleep hygiene through pre-sleep rituals. According to a 2022 article in the Current Biology Journal, pre-sleep rituals “are thought to help us transition from wakefulness to sleep by de-arousing the brain, limiting exposure to environmental stimuli, and facilitating the physiological transition from activity to rest.”
Effective pre-sleep rituals follow a simple, three step process.
Step 1: Wrap Up Your Day’s Tasks (2 to 3 hours before bedtime)
This means you want to do things like…
→ finish your emails
→ make a to-do list for the next day’s tasks
→ gently clean and organize your space of any lingering clutter
→ put your devices on Do Not Disturb mode
Step 2: Do Something Relaxing (30 min to 1 hour before bedtime)
You could…
→ take a warm shower or bath
→ meditate (I love body scan meditations like this one)
→ read a book
→ practice gentle movement (Try the best end-of-day stretch)
→ listen to relaxing sounds
→ dim the lights
Step 3: Create a Sacred Sleeping Space (Bedtime)
Set the mood. Make it a vibe…
→ wear a cozy eye mask or use black out curtains to block excess light
→ find bed linens that you’ll look forward to snuggling into every night
→ use your bed for sleeping and sex, not working
→ keep your phone and other tech away from your bed or out of your room completely
→ go to sleep at the same time every night (your bedtime is sacred!)
These are some of the bedtime rituals that work well for me, but what do you think will work for you? We all have different lifestyles and preferences, and the key to sleeping well is discovering what practices support YOU best. Keep experimenting and adjusting your bedtime routine until you find the right combination that works for you!
What ideas can YOU think of to finish your day’s tasks, relax and create a peaceful sleeping environment?
High-quality sleep can transform your life through an abundance of health benefits such as enhancing long term memory, boosting immunity, improving concentration and productivity, maximizing athletic performance and SO much more. But maybe most importantly, it profoundly affects how you feel and act daily. Imagine waking up from a night of deep sleep feeling confident, energized, and ready to be the best possible version of yourself. THIS is the power of high-quality sleep. The world needs you at your best, bringing your innovation, dedication, resilience and passion. Let’s put those pre-sleep rituals into practice and start living as our best selves every day!