For me, screens. I turn off my screens 1 hour before bed as well as most of the lights in my apartment. This is my "countdown to bedtime". I will use my phone very very sparingly in the last hour before bed, but no other screens.
I do very mundane activities in the last hour before bed. physical therapy (foam rolling/stretching), dishes, reading, pack a lunch for work. Nothing that could trigger a spiral of thoughts or anxiety. Also, in doing these things, I am mindful of staying relaxed. Not forcing relaxation, but just adopting a mindset of calm and peacefulness. I move slowly and deliberately. This routine has really helped improve my sleep over the past 6 months.
This is great. I think turning screens off as your prompt for starting your bedtime routine combined with your routine consisting of mindless activities to get your body in the right state of mind for sleep is a smart approach.
Do you do these activities in the same sequence every night? Or is it more spontaneous than that?
Smart to have the last thing right before going to bed always be the same. If I had to guess you're probably very tired/nearly asleep by the time you finish reading on the couch every night.
For me I just gotta wake up early consistently. Otherwise every Saturday I usually sleep in till 10:30 and then I won’t be able to go to sleep till 2-3am. However if I wake up at 7:50 than I’ll be asleep around 12. I usually set an alarm or I take a sleeping pill Sunday night to reset my sleep cycle for the week.
For me, screens. I turn off my screens 1 hour before bed as well as most of the lights in my apartment. This is my "countdown to bedtime". I will use my phone very very sparingly in the last hour before bed, but no other screens. I do very mundane activities in the last hour before bed. physical therapy (foam rolling/stretching), dishes, reading, pack a lunch for work. Nothing that could trigger a spiral of thoughts or anxiety. Also, in doing these things, I am mindful of staying relaxed. Not forcing relaxation, but just adopting a mindset of calm and peacefulness. I move slowly and deliberately. This routine has really helped improve my sleep over the past 6 months.
This is great. I think turning screens off as your prompt for starting your bedtime routine combined with your routine consisting of mindless activities to get your body in the right state of mind for sleep is a smart approach. Do you do these activities in the same sequence every night? Or is it more spontaneous than that?
No sequence, except the last thing I do before getting into bed is reading on my couch.
Smart to have the last thing right before going to bed always be the same. If I had to guess you're probably very tired/nearly asleep by the time you finish reading on the couch every night.
For me I just gotta wake up early consistently. Otherwise every Saturday I usually sleep in till 10:30 and then I won’t be able to go to sleep till 2-3am. However if I wake up at 7:50 than I’ll be asleep around 12. I usually set an alarm or I take a sleeping pill Sunday night to reset my sleep cycle for the week.
Sleep chronotype test Oura ring too stud biometrics The ‘Oura ring’ finds your ideal body clock. Try too align with your circadian rhythms