Creating a Better Bedtime Routine
A bedtime routine isn’t just for children.
A bedtime routine isn’t just for children.
Having a reasonably consistent way of ending your day can help your mind and body move from being busy and alert towards being ready for rest.
It doesn’t need to involve expensive products, complicated sleep routines or going to bed at exactly the same minute every night.
The aim is simply to make the transition from daytime to sleep a little easier.
Why can a bedtime routine help?
Modern life doesn’t always have a natural stopping point.
You might finish work and immediately start dealing with household jobs. You may be answering messages, checking tomorrow’s diary, watching television or thinking about something that needs sorting out.
Then suddenly it is bedtime.
Your body may be tired, but your mind hasn’t necessarily had much opportunity to slow down.
A simple routine creates some separation between the demands of the day and trying to sleep.
Start before you get into bed
Your bedtime routine doesn’t have to begin when your head reaches the pillow.
Try creating a short period beforehand when things gradually become quieter.
That might include:
- finishing work or putting paperwork away
- preparing anything you need for the morning
- writing down tomorrow’s important tasks
- dimming bright lights where practical
- having a bath or shower
- reading something you enjoy
- listening to something relaxing
- doing a quiet activity that helps you unwind.
You don’t need to do all of these.
Choose a few things that realistically fit your life.
Try to keep things reasonably consistent
Going to bed and getting up at completely different times every day can make establishing a regular sleep pattern more difficult.
Where your circumstances allow, try to keep your sleep and waking times reasonably consistent.
That doesn’t mean your routine has failed because you have a late night, an early start or something unexpected happens.
Think regular rather than rigid.
A routine that works most of the time is likely to be more useful than a perfect routine you cannot maintain.
Get tomorrow out of your head
For many people, bedtime becomes planning time.
You remember an email you need to send. Something needs paying. You need to call somebody. There’s an appointment you cannot forget.
Rather than repeatedly reminding yourself, try writing these things down.
A short list for tomorrow can give your mind permission to stop holding onto them.
If something is worrying you, you could write that down too.
You aren’t solving the problem. You are simply recording it so you can return to it when you are better placed to deal with it.
Make your bedroom work for sleep
Where possible, aim for a bedroom that feels comfortable and suitable for rest.
Things such as excessive light, noise or an uncomfortable temperature can make sleeping more difficult.
Not everybody can create perfect sleeping conditions. Shift work, children, caring responsibilities, noisy neighbours or shared accommodation can all affect what is realistic.
Work with what you can control rather than worrying about what you cannot.
Don’t make the routine another chore
There is no perfect bedtime routine.
If your routine becomes a long checklist that you believe must be completed before you can sleep, it may create more pressure rather than less.
Start small.
You might decide that tonight you will simply:
put tomorrow’s tasks on paper, spend a little time winding down and go to bed at a reasonable time.
That’s a bedtime routine.
What if changing my routine doesn’t help?
Sleep can be affected by many things, including stress, anxiety, health problems, medication, your environment and what is happening in your life.
A bedtime routine can help create better conditions for sleep, but it won’t necessarily solve every sleep difficulty.
If you regularly struggle to sleep despite making changes, or poor sleep is significantly affecting your everyday life, consider speaking to your GP.
How Screens and Everyday Habits Can Affect Sleep
Look more closely at some of the things that may be disrupting your sleep.
Why Can’t I Switch My Brain Off at Night?
Useful if your mind becomes busy as soon as you go to bed.
Creating a Worry Diary
A practical way of getting recurring worries out of your head and onto paper.
Building a Daily Routine
Useful if irregular days are affecting more than just your sleep.
General information only. This is not a diagnosis or a substitute for professional healthcare advice.