7 steps to creating a healthy sleep routine

There’s nothing like waking up after a good night’s rest. But good sleep doesn’t just make you feel good — it’s essential to your overall physical and mental health. Among many other benefits, getting enough quality sleep can help you avoid getting sick, improve your mood and memory, and lower your risk for chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every night, and set yourself up for success with these sleep-friendly tips:

1. Set up a cool and comfortable sleep environment that eliminates excess noise, light, and distractions. According to the CDC, keeping your bedroom relaxing, quiet, and cool can improve your sleep. Choose comfortable bedding, decorate your bedroom using soothing colours and textures, install curtains or blinds that block out as much light as possible, and set your thermostat a few degrees cooler just before bedtime each night.
2. Reserve your bed for sleep. Avoid spending a lot of time in bed during the day or for activities that are unrelated to sleep, such as working, playing video games, or watching TV. Keeping your bed a sleep-only space helps to program your brain to associate being in bed with sleeping, so it’ll make it easier to fall asleep when your head hits the pillow.
3. Be careful what you eat and drink before bed. Try to eat your last meal a few hours before bed, and stick to light, healthy snacks if you’re peckish later in the evening. Some snacks, like pistachios and almonds, even help contribute to quality sleep by boosting your melatonin levels naturally. If you drink alcohol, avoid drinking before bed, as it can lead to poor sleep quality — instead, opt for a soothing “sleepy time” tea blend to help you fall asleep more soundly.
4. Set an alarm for bedtime and silence notifications on your phone at night. Choose a bedtime you can stick to consistently, and set an alarm to remind you when it’s time to start winding down. You can also program your phone and smart watch to automatically activate “do not disturb” mode after a certain hour so you won’t be interrupted by notifications as you get ready for bed.
5. Avoid looking at screens at least an hour before bed. Leaving your phone outside of your room when you start to wind down for bed is likely your best bet. But, if you have to look at your phone before bed, keep your screen as dim as possible and use your phone’s night mode setting to reduce blue light output, avoid highly engaging apps (such as social media or video apps), and limit text messaging and other communication.
6. Wash the day away. Taking a shower or bath before bed helps to lower your body temperature and relax your muscles and mind in preparation for sleep. Try dimming the lights in your bathroom and using soothing bath products with ingredients like lavender or magnesium for an extra dose of relaxation.
7. Do something to calm down and release stress. Write your thoughts and worries down in a journal to get them out of your head before bed, do a gentle stretch or night-time yoga session, or practice a mindfulness exercise or meditation. All of these activities can help you wind down and prepare you for a restful sleep. 

Establishing an effective sleep routine can help support your overall well-being and help you achieve success in all areas of life, from your relationships to your career.

Did you know that all BF&M health insurance customers have access to our Better Sleep for Life webinar series through our wellness programme, LiveWell with BF&M? If you’re a BF&M member, keep an eye on your email inbox to find out about our next Better Sleep for Life series and take a step towards better sleep today.