Sleep Hygiene
If you are the type of person who has found yourself staying up late into the night, basking in worries about the uncertainty of life and what the future will bring after this crazy time, I’m here to tell you that you are not alone.
For the first few months of quarantine, I was able to busy, busy, busy myself throughout the day. But - as soon as my head hit the pillow at night, my brain decided to tackle each uncertainty of life and attempt to solve world peace. This through-the-roof anxiety caused extreme lack of sleep. What’s ironic is that ample sleep is especially vital to our overall health levels in stressful times like these. Thus, I am here to tell you that there is a way out of the tunnel to the recreation of the positive mentality and strong, healthy persona that many of us feel like we have lost. Here are the 5 steps to adopting a relaxing, yet rigid, sleep hygiene routine that will lead to the return of a healthy lifestyle:
Note: These are steps that should be followed on days where getting a good night’s sleep is your ULTIMATE priority. Now that life is beginning to open back up and plans with friends are escalating, this routine will not be effective for nights out. Follow these steps on a night where you are okay with taking the time for yourself in order to catch up on the needed z’s that stress has robbed from your system.
1. Post-Dinner, Last Screen-Time of the Day
This is the time to get in your last screen-time, whether it be one last Instagram feed scroll, texts to the group chat, last Netflix episode, a FaceTime with your significant other, etc. Whatever it is, get it done and out of your system by 10 p.m. latest. (There is scientific evidence behind the fact that looking at a screen before bed suppresses the release of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin, making it harder to sleep). Of course, there will be exceptions to this: maybe you need your phone for an important update from a friend at midnight. Who knows. But, if you’ve chosen this night as a sleep night, stick to it. Put that screen on airplane mode or throw it in your closet.
2. 9:30-10:00 p.m. Self-Time!
Now that the screen is away, this is the time to do that activity that centers your mind and brings you the most peace. For me, that can range from taking a bath in some epsom salt, picking up a paintbrush and creating the next Picasso, starting a puzzle, making a line drawing, trying a new healthy snack recipe, reading, or doing yin yoga. Some nights, I choose one of these activities and stick to it, other nights, I do a combo of 2 or 3. By the end of your activity, your eyes should be screaming at you to close them. But, your mind should be restful, and completely centered on the activity that you have chosen to spend this time on.
3. Make Sleep Tea & A Snack
At around 11:30, for me, I usually make my Golden Milk Sleep Tea recipe. I also make a filling snack if I haven’t already. It’s important not to go to sleep on an empty stomach because it could inhibit when you fall asleep or cause you to wake up earlier than you want. Try some Kashi-go cereal or my recipe for Peanut Butter Oatmeal bites. A Halo Top carton also does the trick.
4. Sip your milk tea in bed. And Read!
I know how difficult it can be to sit down and pick up a book, rather than your phone. But, I have found that reading before bed forces me to focus on the words on the page rather than anything stressful going on outside of it (it reduces the mind’s ability to multi-task). Choose a book that is substantial, but also not something that will alert your brain that it's suddenly time to solve world peace (I am reading The Clockmaker’s Daughter right now. China Rich Asians and Someday are other great options).
5. Sleep, finally.
Feel your eyes drift into a deeper sleep than you imagined possible for yourself. Flip the lamp switch and relax. Sleep. Picture sheep jumping over a fence, traipsing through a riverbed into an enchanted forest. Count them until you forget you’ve been counting as you’re now in restful, restful sleep.
For anybody who is noise and light sensitive, make an investment in some Bose Sleep Buds, for noise cancellation and/or a soft eye mask.
