4 Tips for Getting Better Sleep [Transcript]
Getting good sleep is essential to maintaining good mental health and wellness. We all know what it’s like to go through a day without good sleep. We may feel drowsy, have poor concentration, have difficulty with emotions, or feel less alert. But there’s good news! There are things you can do to maintain better sleep. Here are four of them:
Set a bedtime routine
It’s not always easy to do, but try to maintain consistency in your preparations for bed. Try to go to bed at the same time every night and see if you can set a routine of behavioral tasks. These can include brushing your teeth, washing your face, changing your clothes, or doing some bedtime reading. Maintaining a routine can help your mind to prepare for sleep and to calm down, especially if you complete the tasks consistently each night.
Set a wake-up routine
Try to set your alarm so that you wake up at the same time each day. When the alarm goes off and you wake up, don’t hit ‘snooze.’ After a few days of a consistent wake-up time, you may find that getting to sleep and sleeping through the night is easier. Remember that the alarm should be set so that you get between five and eight hours of sleep per night.
Use your bedroom only for sleep and for sex
In small apartments, especially in New York City, this can be challenging. But, for the sake of allowing yourself to relax and to become accustomed to using your bedroom for its intended purposes, protect it as a place only to sleep and to have sex. No food, no tv, no texting, no computers–nothing except for sleep and sex. Doing so may help you to use the bedroom more effectively for its intended purposes.
Turn your phone off
Do you wake up in the middle of the night and check your phone? Do you wake up first thing in the morning and check your messages? Stop it! Even if you are sleeping, when you attend to your phone for features like the alarm or to check messages, you’re not getting as good of sleep, because your mind is distracted from sleeping. So, turn your phone off and get an alarm clock. This may allow you to sleep better and your mental health will thank you for it.
These are only four tips for getting better sleep, but you may find other things that work for you as well. Whatever you do, do your best to do things consistently and remember that, overall, if you sleep better, you’ll feel better.
Have any tips or thoughts for improved sleep habits?
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8 comments
This is a great topic. Sleep is so important to mental health. I find it so hard to keep my phone off at night. I know looking at it before bed is hard for me. I have been working on this and when I leave the phone in the other room I sleep much better. Great Job.
I love this! Its amazing how little thought people put into their sleep habits but it makes a huge difference in my mood. Thanks for this!
Great topic! I think people forget just how important sleep is to keep them healthy and happy everyday. The constant intrusion of technology in our lives really has an effect on how people rest and it is so important to try to combat that. These tips are so helpful.
Adam,
This was really helpful! I don’t normally think about my morning / post-sleep routine as having an impact on my quality of sleep. And I am definitely am guilty of checking my phone just before bed and right as I wake up, and have lost many necessary hours of sleep to aimless scrolling on my phone before bed. Decreasing the screen time is certainly something I look forward to trying in the future.
Thanks!
Awesome video blog Adam! I really enjoyed the information on preparing yourself for sleep. I often find myself just going to bed with little preparation. I think a ritual will surely be beneficial to my sleeping well.
Thanks!
Yes! Even 30 mins of extra sleep helps pay down sleep debt and support better brain function. Every little bit counts!
I agree that a bed time ritual would be very helpful in getting better sleep. I also find it very difficult to disconnect to my phone right before bed, but I love the idea of putting it in another room to eliminate temptation. I also find that reading a book helps put me to sleep rather than scrolling through my phone aimlessly. Great video blog!
Great post! I know it’s a no brainer, but turning your phone off is so crucial! So many people don’t follow this and find that they can’t sleep. Thanks for sharing!