Nighttime Routine Habits for a Better Morning

by Peter Bua

Do you have a nighttime routine that works for you? Many entrepreneurs and global influencers talk about the importance of a morning routine and nighttime routine habits. How you wind down at night impacts your sleep and the rest you get every night. You are setting yourself up for success for a restful night’s sleep, and who doesn’t want that? Check out some of our tips to enhance your nighttime routine:

Consider a Sleep Aid

This seems like a no brainer if you are having difficulty falling asleep and or staying asleep. FitFormula offers one of the best sleep aid supplements, a Blueberry-Flavored Sleep Formula, that helps you fall asleep and stay asleep. The best part? You don’t wake up feeling groggy like many do when they take other sleep aids (if you’ve ever taken Nyquil, you know exactly what we’re talking about!). The benefits of a good night’s sleep are endless. So why not do all you can to make sure you’re getting eight good hours of sleep every night?

Limit Screen Time

This one can be a bit more challenging as many of us take our phones into our bedrooms, and have a TV in the bedroom too. While we may trick ourselves into believing it’s helping us wind down and get ready for bed, it’s actually doing the opposite. Studies have found a significant relationship between average hours of sleep and technology use before bedtime. Electronic devices emit an artificial blue light that can suppress the release of the body’s sleep-inducing hormone melatonin. This could interfere with the body’s natural internal clock that signals when it’s time to sleep and wake up. It's best to stop screen time 30 minutes to an hour before bed.

Avoid Sugar and Caffeine Before Bed

Caffeine is a stimulant that, at the bare minimum, should stop being taken around 4-6 hours before bedtime. Studies have shown that caffeine can stay in your system for up to 12 hours. In fact, caffeine has a “half-life” of 6 hours, meaning it could take up to 6 hours for half of the caffeine you ingested earlier in the day to leave your system, with the other half still in your system 6 hours later. That’s why it is truly best to have your last cup of joe or energy drink at around lunchtime if you want to maximize your sleep quality. Sugar is a detriment to your sleep quality as well. The more sugar you eat during the day, the more often you’re going to wake up in the middle of the night. Sugar in your system can pull you out of a deep sleep, making you feel exhausted the next day. Avoid that nighttime dessert, and you’ll be amazed by how it can improve your sleep quality.

Read A Book

Instead of watching your favorite TV show or scrolling through Instagram for hours, consider reading a book before bed. Reading a book before bed is a known stress reliever. It can help you fall asleep faster. Reading is known to slow down your breathing and relax your muscles, both of which contribute to feeling calm and falling asleep faster. How you are reading matters. Meaning, a kindle or device with a bright screen will not have the same effect as a good ole traditional book. You’ll also want enough light in the room to read, but avoid having too much light. Consider a side table lamp or even a reading lamp that clamps onto the book itself.

Be Aware Of Lights

Laptop chargers and certain cell phone chargers emit a bright colored light that can light up your room at night. This is distracting as you are trying to fall asleep. We recommend storing your laptop in another room and investing in a phone charger that does not give off any light. If that is not possible, then a sleep mask could do wonders for your sleep quality!

Sleep Meditation

There are many sleep meditation apps available, as well as free YouTube channels. Some of our favorites are the Headspace App and the Michael Sealy sleep channel on YouTube. After you’ve turned off all of the lights, and put your devices on silent, turn on one of the sleep meditations mentioned above. You’ll be surprised by how they calm you and how quickly you can fall asleep.

Room Temperature

Believe it or not, room temperature impacts your quality of sleep. Cold room lovers can rejoice! If you prefer sleeping in a colder room, then you are on the right track. Sleeping in a cold room will give you a restful night’s sleep. Studies show that a temperature between 60-67 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal for optimal sleep. On the contrary, anything above 75 is disruptive to sleep.