Sleep experts suggest that between seven and nine hours of sleep is right for most adults.
Here are some tips to improve your evening routine to promote restful sleep.
Daytime routine:
- Go to sleep between 10-10.30pm (timing dependent on your chronotype, some people are owls, others larks).
- Waken between 6-7.30am (Consider a sunlight alarm clock if it’s winter.)
- 7am – 12noon: 30 mins exposure to sunlight.
- 30 mins of exercise
- No caffeine after noon, 1pm latest.
- 7pm: Finish eating for the day. Except for a small carbohydrate snack pre-bed if needed. No alcohol after this time.
Bedtime routine:
- Turn off all overhead lights. Use dim light only. Tell your brain it is winding down time.
- Use blue light mode on any devices but try to be device-free at least 30 mins before sleep. Blue light suppresses melatonin (sleep hormone) production for more than twice as long as other light wavelengths.
- Lower the temperature in the bedroom; aim for 18 degrees celsius.
- Have at least 30 minutes of relaxation before bed – switch to a different brain mode.
- Reduce fluid intake to prevent waking to urinate through the night.
- No exercise in the 2-3 hours before bed.
- Avoid medications at night, if possible.
- 9.30-10pm have a hot bath, stay in the warm water for 10-15 mins. The drop in body temperature after getting out of the bath can help you fall asleep. Add 500g of magnesium salts to the bath for added muscle relaxation.
- Turn the clock face away from you, and use the sleep light only. If you glance at the clock during the night, the red light exposure will not interfere with sleep and circadian biology.
Night Night, Sleep Tight!
