6 Ways to Relax Your Brain Before Bedtime

Having trouble sleeping lately?  If so, you aren’t the only one. A recent study by Sleep Standards revealed that 76.8% of the respondents said the coronavirus outbreak had affected their sleep. A radical change in lifestyle and worry about an uncertain future appear to be at the root of the sleep anxiety.  

Knowing that sleep is necessary to feel energized and keep our immune system functioning optimally, getting better sleep is a priority for all of us.  

This is Part 4 in my series on how to get better sleep.  Read read my other articles about how to use your mornings to get better sleep, how to use routines to improve sleep and setting up your bedroom for a sleepy slumber.

In this article, the focus is on what to do in the last hour or two before bed to help you fall asleep and stay asleep by getting your brain as well as your body ready for bed.  

When my children were little, we had a bedtime routine for them.  We knew that they needed to wind down before bed so they would fall asleep more easily and stay asleep all night. As adults, we don’t think we need a bedtime routine, but the truth is that we still do.  

Critical to our sleep quality, as children and adults, is what we do in the last one to two hours BEFORE going to bed.  This is when we want to relax our brained send a signal it is time for sleep. 

Here are 6 ways to relax your brain before bedtime:

1. Lessen the Light. In the evenings, dim the lights in your home to simulate the sun going down. Avoid exposing your eyes to blue light from television or electronic devices for at least one hour before bedtime. Blue light, especially, inhibits production of melatonin which is needed for optimal sleep. 

2. Avoid Eating and Drinking.  If our body is busy digesting food, it’s more difficult to settle down for sleep. Drinking during the evening can result in a bladder that needs to be emptied during the night, disrupting sleep.  Alcohol, while it may help you fall asleep, actually disrupts sleep cycles during the night. 

3. Send a Sleep Message. For the last hour before bed, do something relaxing, rather than stimulating.  Read, journal, listen to calming music, do light stretching, meditate, have a bath, or do any activity that you find relaxing.  Especially avoid exposure to news. In this way you are telling your brain it is time to sleep. 

4. Empty Your Mind.  Write down things that are on your mind. The very act of dumping from your brain to paper can relieve built up tension or stress.  Keep a notepad and pen by your bedside in case something comes up while you are in bed. 

5. Breathe Deeply. Taking several long, deep breaths into the belly helps oxygenate the brain, and calms the nervous system.  Focusing your attention on the breath can also help take your mind off other things.  

6. Feel Gratitude. After you turn off your light, close your eyes and think of at least three things that happened during the day which you can be grateful for. Feelings of gratitude send a signal to your brain that all is well, allowing you to sleep more peacefully.  

Look at what you are doing before bed.  Are you exposing your eyes to blue light on television, or devices? Are you eating or drinking?  Do you have a wind-down routine? Change things up by relaxing your brain before bedtime and see how your sleep improves.