How to 睡眠 Better with a Bedtime Routine

African American woman with braids sleeping

获得健康的睡眠是其中之一生活的真谛 — key measures for improving 和 maintaining cardiovascular health, as defined by the 美国心脏协会. Better cardiovascular health helps lower the risk for 心脏病, 中风以及其他主要的健康问题.

调度睡魔

睡眠ing is something you’ve done all your life, 但是随着年龄的增长, the harder it can be to sleep like a baby. 繁忙的线上电子游戏飞禽走兽表, 工作或学习的压力, 和 a hundred other distractions can keep you wide awake.

But you can take steps to put yourself in the best state of mind for seven to nine hours of deep sleep. Here are some ways to plan your bedtime routines so you wake up feeling well rested 和 ready for the next day.

首先，定个闹钟.

不是去叫醒，而是去睡觉. Even for adults, the best sleep requires a set bedtime. It’s easy to forget about the clock while streaming another episode of your favorite show, so set a nighttime alarm as a reminder. But don’t hit the sack right away when the bell tolls — leave some time for your routine.

Spend 15 minutes to prep for tomorrow.

A restless mind is not a restful mind. Dwelling on the minutiae of the morning could keep you awake. Knock out a few chores the night before.

And don’t forget to make a to-do list. There are tasks you need to complete, 和 you’re afraid you’ll forget about them by morning. Jotting down a to-do list gets them off your mind 和 planned so you can rest easy. If your list gets you stressed, there are ways to take care of yourself.

接下来，解决压力.

Practicing mindfulness has proved to reduce anxiety, improve sleep quality 和 even help with insomnia. Meditation puts you in the perfect mindset to drift off to dreaml和. There are many videos available in apps or online.

Journaling is another simple way to quiet your mind by getting your thoughts 和 feelings down on paper. Go analog 和 get yourself an inspiring journal to write in to avoid all the distractions on your computer.

最后，放松下来，慢慢入睡.

Reading before bed is an excellent way to relax the brain 和 fall asleep. It can cut stress levels in half in about six minutes. A good work of fiction can take you out of the real world 和 into the realm of imagination — wouldn’t you rather focus on an epic battle between made-up kings than the epic battle you might face getting your toddler ready in the morning? 再试试纸质的书. (还记得这些?)

睡前避免所有的屏幕. 电视的亮光, computer or smartphone can affect your sleep patterns 和 keep you alert when you should be getting sleepy. Leave the electronics 和 social media behind.

如果你还是睡不着...

Don’t lie in bed tossing 和 turning if you’re restless. 最好是站起来重新开始. Try some of the activities above for a short time before getting back to bed. Ten minutes of meditation or reading might save you hours of staring at the ceiling.