When I work with people on their sleep, there are principles which need to be followed in order to recalibrate their sleep, especially when sleep problems have started to interfere with daily life. We crunch numbers and work on finding a good sleep formula. But, you don't have to wait until sleep problems escalate to that level before implementing some of the tools we use. I always tell people that what you are doing in bed is affected by what you do during the day. If you have a mind which tends to run a bit too much when you get into bed, then you may find some helpful hints below.
1. Be sure to take some time to work through problems productively during your waking hours. We often have such busy schedules that we don't take time to reflect upon the day and tidy up things, which sets us up to reflect at the first time when we have a quiet moment. For many, that ends up happening when we get into bed. Whether it is figuring out what is for dinner tomorrow or a major work decision...you don't want to do that in bed, as you set yourself up to have less-than-restful sleep.
What I typically recommend: Schedule just a bit of time (15 minutes) to reflect, write down some things on your mind if that helps, and then mentally put it aside to return to on the next day.
2. Related to the above, but worth highlighting is that it is important to practice setting aside worries and problem-solving during the day. That ability to shift and pause the problem-solving is a healthy, essential skill for helping your nights.
What I typically recommend for a good starting place: Start with awareness. Encourage yourself to notice when you are worrying. From there, you can start to practice reminding yourself to set it aside if there is something more pressing to do or focus upon. That practice is harder at night, so you want to be good at it during daylight hours as a foundation.
3. Make sure you are doing a good wind down time prior to bed. Your body is easily conditioned to things with cues, just like your dog comes running when he hears the treat box rattle.
What I typically recommend: Your routine doesn't have to be elaborate, but it does have to be practiced on most days of the week regardless of the type of day you have had -- good or bad. It's easy to ditch it when you are very tired, but this is the best time to condition your body in the direction you want, so don't skip the opportunity.
4. Avoid blue light prior to bedtime. I’m sure you’ve heard this one before. I encourage not overlooking the details of timing.
What I typically recommend: Consistent with the body's physiology, is to start this from 2-3 hours prior to bedtime, and not less than that. Natural melatonin release in your body begins around that time and you don't want to interfere with the process.
This last one always receives a lot of skepticism, but at the risk of alienating all of you, I'm still going to say it…
5. Most people have a sense of when the mind is just too active to fall asleep, and you should get out of bed at those times. During the day, you can help yourself make that process easier by identifying something that is an incentive to get out of bed when you cannot sleep.
What I typically recommend: Find something mildly pleasant, but not overly interesting, like a magazine or book, and put on the couch in your living room. If you don't choose something during the day, when your impulse control is higher than at night, you risk just picking up your phone and scrolling. And given #4 above, that is not a good option. A smartphone is generally too stimulating and the light can lead to delaying your sleep even later into the night. At night, you should get out of bed if you can't fall asleep within about 20 minutes. This rule helps to keep your body well-trained to be asleep in bed. More on this rule to come in future posts!
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Happy sleeping!
Alissa S. Yamasaki, Ph.D.
Licensed Psychologist
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