While we all know that getting enough high-quality sleep is an important part of our health, it can sometimes feel easier said than done. One rough night of sleep can turn into too much caffeine the next day, prolonging the cycle and making it difficult to sleep well again. 

It’s important to remember that improving our sleep quality happens long before our head hits the pillow. Intentionally incorporating some practices into our morning and evening routines can help improve our ability to consistently sleep well.

The morning is one of the most valuable times of the day to predict how our sleep will be the following night. Especially when we are struggling with sleep, focusing on our behaviors in the morning is one of the best ways to encourage our bodies to sleep well. It’s very tempting to snooze the alarm when we wake up feeling tired. 

Unfortunately, going back to sleep in the morning is one of the fastest ways to decrease our energy levels throughout the day, leaving us feeling groggy for hours on end. Getting out of bed when we first wake up in the morning, no matter how tired we are, will set us up to have the most energy possible throughout the day, leading us to be tired again in the evening. 

Some other practices we can incorporate into our morning to positively impact our sleep include our exposure to light and cold temperatures. Our circadian rhythm, or the 24-hour cycles our bodies follow in response to our environment, is best regulated when we are appropriately exposed to light. Turning the lights on first thing in the morning and taking five to ten minutes to get outside in the sun in the morning are great ways to remind our bodies of the circadian rhythm, making it easier to fall asleep at night. 

Exposing our bodies to cold temperatures in the morning is another great way to wake up, as cold exposure forces our bodies to work to increase our body temperature, which helps with feeling awake. 

There are also some practices we can incorporate into our evening routine to help improve our quality of sleep. As opposed to the light we want to take in when we wake up, it is best to decrease the amount of blue light we take in before we go to sleep. Limiting usage of technology before bed like our phones and televisions, which both produce a lot of blue light, can help us wind down, fall asleep faster, and improve our quality of sleep. 

While it’s best to take your cold shower in the morning, taking a hot shower in the evening has the opposite effect. In order to sleep well, our body needs to reduce its temperature, and exposure to hot water before bed expedites our body’s ability to do this, helping us prepare for sleep faster.

One of my other favorite practices to help improve my sleep is some form of meditation, mindfulness, or breathing exercises. These can be done at any time of day and greatly help us regulate our nervous system. Being able to intentionally check in with our bodies and use our breath to wind down is one of the most powerful ways to disconnect from the day and transition to sleep. I currently do this practice right before going to sleep, but have also found doing it in the morning to be very helpful as well. 

Remember that consistency is key and we can’t expect to see results in just one night.

Xoxo

Coach Maggi