If you manage to get your sleep consistency sorted and you still find it difficult to drop off, there are a few steps to take that will increase your sleep need for when you start to settle down.
Bizarrely, it starts as soon as you wake up. Ideally, spend some time outside or near a clear window. Getting some morning sun, not looking directly at it, in to your eyes in the morning sets off a whole hormone cascade that sets a strong start point. From there, your body then builds up a sleep debt in to the evening.
If you enjoy a coffee or other caffeinated drinks, try to limit to before lunchtime or at least 8 hours before bedtime.
Get some activity in, not too close to bed time. Unsurprisingly, doing something physical challenging leads to physical fatigue and helps to build sleep debt. I go to a jiu jitsu class where we spar / roll until 9.30pm, it’s on these nights I struggle the most with poor quality sleep.
Use breath work to help slow your system down. I use double length exhales to help after jiu jitsu. Inhale for 4 seconds, exhale for 8 seconds. Not forced or powerfully, just letting the air flow gently in and out.
Avoid a bright screen / phone for at least 30 minutes before bedtime. Yes, there are blue light filters and glasses that help but no phone seems to be best. In an ideal world I wouldn’t have a phone in the bedroom, we don’t live in an ideal world though so the best I can do is put the phone down and read for 30 minutes.
Give those a go and let me know how you get on.
What works for you?
Darren “winding down” Checkley
