Like most things in life, quality habits and routines are critical.
“Top 5 things I Do to Maximize Sleep:
Do not nap during the day.
Put all devices away in airplane mode.
Make my room pitch black.
Set temp to <68 & turn on a fan.
Limit food/fluids before bed.
*Read a fiction Novel.
Sleep quality hinges on sleep hygiene.”
There are a million and one articles out there on sleep.
I am not a sleep specialist, but sleep has been something I have struggled with mightily (and sometimes still do).
So I have worked at “setting myself up to win” sleep.
This may sound silly to some of you, but for those who struggle with getting quality sleep for whatever reason, here is what has helped me:
1. Do not nap during the day. If you didn’t sleep well last night, and you have time today, a nap sound like a great idea. The only problem is that nap, might screw up your sleep tonight, and additional nights after that. I have found that limiting sleep (as hard as it can be sometimes) to confined windows (usually for me this is a 6-8 hour window between 10:30pm-8:00am) is what works best in maximizing my sleep quality.
2. Put all devices away and in airplane mode. Some people hate that I do this, but it’s the only way that I can truly shut off. Not only do I put all devices in airplane mode, I put them out of sight and out of mind, so to “just check it real quick” is a chore (that I don’t do). This has been the biggest “hack” I’ve found for sleep.
3. Make my room pitch black. I’m talking like can’t even see your hand in front of your face black. No alarm clocks, I put electrical tape on the tv buttons, fans, everything. Damn near 0 light.
4. Set temp to 68 or lower. Find whatever temperature you like, but if you’re struggling with sleep, make it colder in your room. My wife may or may not wear a parka to bed and then complain about it the next morning, but it’s worth it for all involved.
5. Limit food/fluids before bed. I try my best to “shut it down” a minimum of 2 hours before I bed down. Going to bed “a little hungry/thirsty” is good for you and limits middle of the night waking occurrences.
6. Bonus: Read a fiction novel. An easy read. Not on a kindle or strictly audio. Grab a physical book and flip the pages. You’ll be out before you know it.
