Creating a bed time ritual💤
Be honest… How much sleep do you get on average? I know this can be a challenging question to answer as a business owner, a parent, a student, and anyone in between to be honest. I bring this up because sleep is something that is SUPER important when working towards true longevity which is what we’re all about here. I’m going to walk you through how to create a 30 minute pre-bed ritual. Feel free to write these down as you go and add things that make the most sense for you right now. Be reasonable and set achievable goals for yourself to set yourself up for success. 1. Lights dim or lower Lights, especially very bright ones, can trigger your body to stay alert/awake or bring it down and what we want to happen is bring it down. Think about the lights in your home and pay attention to overhead lighting. How can you limit the amount of overhead lighting or bright lights in your area? How can you limit having multiple screens being on? Something to think about. 2. Phone off or away I always recommend an hour before bed is the best time to turn your phone off or put your phone away. I know that it’s not always possible so play around with time. Maybe it’s 30 minutes to start. Test your timing and try to increase it over time. 3. Activity 1 This can be a hot shower or another activity of your choice but for this example, I’m going to use a hot shower. Like a sauna or hot tub, it is going to trigger your nervous system to go into a relaxed state. 4. Activity 2 You can also try some breathwork to help relax you and bring you down. I recommend doing breathwork on the floor because of the benefits for your posture. BONUS: Other activities you can try! Light stretching Journaling about the day but with emphasis on what you accomplished. Keep it positive. Add anything else to this list that promotes a relaxed state and helps you get in the mood to sleep. 5. Bed time Write down what your goal bed time is for this week. Pick a time you can consistently hit. If you know you are not good with time management, set a reminder or alarm to help you stay on track. But obviously don’t set the kind of alarm that triggers a fight or flight response. Probably not with the same ringtone as your wake-up alarm😅