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In search of the secrets to a restful night’s sleep, we’ve gathered advice from eight health professionals and business leaders. From creating a comfortable bedroom environment to embracing morning light while avoiding night light, these experts, including a nurse practitioner and a CEO, share their top strategies for improving sleep quality and establishing a healthy routine.
- Create a Comfortable Bedroom
- Ditch Blue Light Before Bed
- Implement a Wind-Down Schedule
- Establish a Regular Sleep Pattern
- Try Celestial-Ceiling Meditation
- Opt for Decaf in the Evening
- Maintain a Consistent Sleep Schedule
- Embrace Morning Light, Avoid Night Light
Create a Comfortable Bedroom
Trent Carter, Nurse Practitioner, Founder, Curednation
I would advise individuals to establish a healthy sleep routine: Create a comfortable and relaxing bedroom environment. Make sure your room is dark, quiet, cool, and cozy. You can use curtains, blinds, fans, air conditioners, humidifiers, or white-noise machines to block out any external noise or light.
You can also use aromatherapy, meditation, or soothing music to calm your mind and body before bed. This tip can help you fall asleep faster, sleep deeper, and wake up refreshed. A good bedroom environment can also prevent or reduce the effects of insomnia, nightmares, snoring, or sleep apnea.
Ditch Blue Light Before Bed
Jan Cizmar, CEO & founder, Tolgee
We all know that getting a good night’s sleep is super important for our overall well-being and productivity.
First off, I always make time for a calming activity before bed. One big thing I swear by is ditching the blue light from screens. Blue light from screens can disrupt our body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. So, no scrolling through your phone or watching TV at least one hour before bed. Instead, I opt for something more old-school—reading a good book.
I also use a reading lamp with a soft red light, which isn’t as harsh as regular light. The best thing about them is that they give you just enough light to read without affecting your sleepiness.
It calms me down, and before I know it, I’m drifting off into dreamland. By incorporating these simple strategies into my nightly routine, I’ve noticed a significant improvement in the quality of my sleep!
Implement a Wind-Down Schedule
Manasvini Krishna, Founder, Boss as a Service
One strategy I would recommend is to implement a wind-down schedule. Instead of just continuously working until you feel sleepy, make a hard stop at a particular hour, then do other things to help you get ready for bed, like showering, skincare, and finally, reading a book right before you sleep.
Also, keep your phone and other distracting gadgets as far away as possible. This will help you reach a more relaxed state as you go to sleep.
Establish a Regular Sleep Pattern
Matt Little, Owner, Festoon House
The quality of my sleep has a big impact on both my physical and mental health, which are essential for my work as a plumber. I’ve figured out a few good ways over the years to create a regular sleep schedule and enhance the quality of my sleep.
A regular sleep pattern is one of the best things you can do to improve the quality of your sleep. Even on weekends, make an effort to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Your body’s internal clock is regulated as a result, which facilitates falling asleep and waking up feeling rejuvenated. For me, having an alarm on my phone for bedtime serves as a useful reminder.
Another essential is setting up a sleep-friendly environment. Ensure that your bedroom is dark, quiet, and cool. Invest in a good mattress and cozy bedding. Aim to avoid using devices in the hour before bed because the blue light they emit can disrupt your sleep.
Take up soothing activities like reading a book or having a warm bath as an alternative. Finally, watch how much caffeine you consume and try to limit it to earlier in the day. For me, having a cup of herbal tea before bed helps me relax and gets me ready for a good night’s sleep.
My sleep has significantly improved in both quality and duration since I started implementing these simple suggestions. Keep in mind that every person is unique, so figuring out the tactics that are most effective for you may require some trial and error. Rest well!
Try Celestial-Ceiling Meditation
Wyatt Underwood, Chief Executive Officer, Playground Expedition
Enhancing sleep quality is paramount for both personal well-being and professional effectiveness. My go-to method is celestial-ceiling-gazing meditation. Each night, before sleep, I lie back and imagine the ceiling as a vast, starlit sky. This visualization initiates a calming, meditative state, gradually easing the mind away from the day’s stresses.
Coupled with consistent bedtime and wake-up times, this practice has profoundly improved my sleep routine. It’s a simple yet effective strategy, embracing the mind’s power to foster relaxation.
Incorporating this into your nightly routine could transform those elusive hours of rest into a rejuvenating journey, enhancing clarity and focus for the challenges that await.
Opt for Decaf in the Evening
Anna Learie, Outreach Specialist, Caffewerks
I work with a coffee machine company, and we’re extremely passionate about coffee at Caffewerks. However, we also recognize the significance of establishing a healthy sleep routine. With that said, I don’t recommend having caffeine too close to bedtime, because we know it can keep you up and hurt your chances of having a good night’s sleep.
Instead, try a good decaf coffee, so you still get the sensation of a delicious cup of coffee without the risk of caffeine keeping you up half the night and hurting your sleep. This is something you should definitely consider when setting up a healthy sleep routine that will help you have the best night’s sleep possible!
Maintain a Consistent Sleep Schedule
Amira Irfan, Founder and CEO, A Self Guru
I find that establishing a bedtime routine is crucial for getting a good night’s sleep. This means going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, even on weekends. It helps regulate your body’s internal clock and promotes better quality sleep. This helps me fall asleep faster and wake up feeling more refreshed.
Additionally, I recommend creating a relaxing environment in your bedroom. This can include keeping the room dark, cool, and quiet. Investing in blackout curtains or a white-noise machine can also help create a peaceful atmosphere for sleep.
Embrace Morning Light, Avoid Night Light
Scott Lieberman, Owner, Touchdown Money
A couple of years ago, a sleep doctor told me that the most essential part of establishing a sleep routine is getting as much light as possible in the morning and as little as possible at night. This means getting sunlight as soon as you wake up and avoiding screens before bed.
He went on to say that you can ignore every other sleep rule in the book, and this should still get you a good night’s sleep.
Personally, this has really helped me because I can now wake up without an alarm, and I fall asleep without having to force my brain to shut off.
Last Updated on by Mehar Jolly
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