By now, I’m sure you have recognized that most of the modern amenities we enjoy, especially as our days are winding down, are not helping us rest. Most US citizens now report falling to sleep while watching television or staring at their mobile phone. Moreover, those lost z’s are not being recovered, taxing our bodies in ways that may be leading us toward chronic illness. Rather than lecture on your nightly binge-watching on your favorite streaming service, though, here are some useful physical things you can add to the end of your day to help you sleep.
First, four tips to help calm your body and mind before you lie down to sleep and a note on the type of activity that is appropriate for an evening routine:
Tip 1: Try to plan your evening routine with the same vigor as your outlook schedule at work; I’ll give you an example at the end of the article.
Tip 2: Drink water early and regularly throughout the day. Trying to hit your hydration goal after 6pm is setting yourself up for multiple sleep interruptions to hit the restroom.
Tip 3: You should try to have your last bite of dinner three to four hours before you sleep and there is growing evidence that even more time is better for some individuals. Put your phone down and cut the streaming feed; you must prioritize restful, deep sleep to expect improvement and discover the benefits.
Tip 4: Within three hours of your intended bedtime is not the time for rigorous strength or cardio routines. As much as I would love to report that it’s better to get the HIIT session or weight training in, the science shows that pushing beyond zone 2, or moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (60-70% of your maximum heart rate [220-your age]), will make it more difficult to relax and reach the needed deep sleep for recovery. Without adequate sleep, your recovery from the stresses of work, family, and exercise is critically slowed, possibly halted.
So, some light activity at least an hour before you intend to sleep is the way. To start, go for a walk, not for speed, but for leisure, staying away from the lights of phone and television screens, just take yourself (if you must, just keep your phone in your pocket). I would also suggest a yoga flow or nightly stretching routine closer to bedtime. This potential habit is simple, requires little to no setup time or space, and can lower blood pressure, improve sleep quality, and help make those lingering muscle pangs put their fangs away for the evening. Here are three levels of a basic stretch routine; These stack upon each other and can be adopted first and then added to an evening walk or hike. Choose your speed and try them out. If you enjoy the base session over the course of a few days, step into the next!
A. Have a seat (in your bed, if you’re just getting ready to sleep), with legs crossed or out in front of you, in a comfortable position for you. Alternate a reach across your body two to three times, each way. End with a soft, alternating neck stretch (think ear to shoulder) with only the weight of your head – no additional weight or force from hands or arms is necessary.
B. Stand with your feet roughly double shoulder width. Keep your breath slow and steady, alternate a reach to the opposite foot with each arm. Each movement should take at least one full breath cycle. You may repeat this series one to three times. Then, perform series A.
C. Stand tall and slowly bring your arms overhead while taking a deep breath in. From the top of your stretch, lower your arms as you exhale and follow your hands down into a forward fold. Enjoy the stretch through your hamstrings and posterior chain for two to three breath cycles, slowly pedaling your feet (like walking in place) to increase the stretch carefully. Add series B. Repeat this standing protocol (series C, series B) for one to three rounds. Finally, finish the stretch cycle with series A.
With a little planning (and, possibly putting off that new show until the weekend) you can rewire your body to allow you to get the kind of sleep that finds you feeling rested when you wake. As promised, an example of the type of planning you may want to develop from Tip 1:
If you need to wake up at 4am to start your day, this probably means making some major changes. To achieve the suggested 7-8 hours of sleep to recover, that means lights out at 8pm, if you perform your stretch routine from above for three cycles, you need to be ready for bed and starting that routine by about 7:45. If you intend to do some light activity, a walk or hike, it needs to be completed by 6:45p. Your last bite of dinner goes down at 4pm, maybe 5pm. If your eyes just went wide, thinking about what that means for your tv and social schedule, how that might affect getting your kids to bed, and how very sad you will be to put that streaming series off until you actually have time to watch it… you’re right. It’s a commitment to make a necessary improvement. I believe in you.
In time, if you have adopted the protocol and see some improvement in your time in deep sleep and a more restful sleep overall, congratulations! You’ve taken just a few additional steps to prepare your body (and your mind) to rest, building a habit that will set you up for success. Adding a regular strength routine and more vigorous or longer-lasting cardiovascular training sessions earlier in the day will further increase their efficacy.