Don’t consume alcohol or coffee before going to bed, don’t watch TV in the bedroom, always switch off the lights, never bring your cellphone or laptop to the bedroom… these are some of the many Do’s and Don’ts that people, whether young or old, are asked to observed. Forget these. There is just one bedtime mistake that almost all of us make: Not having a bedtime routine.
The Routine:
A routine basically refers to how consistent your sleeping patterns are. These include the times you usually have your dinner and snack, what you eat for dinner and snack, if you use the computer, phone or watch TV before going to bed, if you take a shower and brush your teeth, if you like reading before going to sleep, if you leave the lights on before sleeping, at what time you retire to bed and at what time you wake up, among other things. To help enhance the quality of your sleep, you have to have a routine. That way, your body will be psychologically and mentally prepared hence enable you to have a sound sleep and healthy lifestyle.
How To Come Up With A Proper Routine:
To enable you come up with a proper routine, you have to work with those around you. This is because no matter how dedicated you may be, if others don’t respect it, you’ll end up backsliding. For instance, if you have older kids who may be going out at night, or a spouse who may be working late, you should have them take a key so that they can let themselves in without having to wake you up. You should also come up with a day-to-day schedule to prevent something getting in the way of your routine: Set times for dinner, turn off your phone at a certain time and be ready for bed by a given time.
Sticking To The Routine:
Good bedtime habits are not just important for you as an individual, but also for every other member of your household. Thus, you should get others to adopt or set a routine of their own. This way, you will be able to support each other. Turn this act into a habit and as you may already know, habits are hard to break. Moreover, when everyone has a routine, it’s improbable that someone will get in the way of yours.
Executing Safe Routine Practices:
Lastly, you should remember that it’s all about what’s being incorporated into your routine. For example, a number of people have included texting while under the covers in their routine – which is a bad practice. Therefore, when coming up with a sleeping routine, you have to incorporate safe practices. Examples of these include sleeping for eight full hours, never using electronic gadgets in the bedroom, eating a light meal and not consuming coffee or alcohol before bed. By so doing, your quality of sleep will be improved hence making you more productive and happy during the day.
