By going to bed at the same time every night, your body will already anticipate when it’s time to start winding down, allowing you to feel more rested in the morning. When you wake up, resist the temptation to hit snooze every morning, and work on getting into the habit of waking up at the same time every morning. It can be tempting to roll out of bed at 8:50am for your 9am meeting, but don’t! When you wake up at the same time every morning, your biological clock will start to understand when it’s time to wake up and tell you when it’s time for bed. Once you’ve established a consistent schedule, your body will wake rested each morning without you having to struggle out of bed. This routine is based on our circadian rhythm, our internal process that regulates our wake-sleep cycle. Based on a 24 hour clock, this cycle is what naturally moves our body throughout our day and signals when to wake and when to sleep. By maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, we keep our circadian rhythm on track and avoid disruptions that can impact your ability to stay asleep throughout the night. Here are our top 3 tips for implementing a consistent sleep schedule:
- Pick a bed time that allows you to participate in your typical nightly weekend activities but ensures you still get the 7-8 hours every adult needs a night. No need to skip out on the weekend activities!
- Schedule sleep in. Life is hectic and sometimes we all lose track of time. Put a reminder in your phone to alert you 1 hour before bedtime. This will alert you to put the phone away and start winding down at the same time each evening.
- Avoid laying in bed longer than needed. Sometimes the weekends allow us to laze around in the mornings but as soon as you wake up, it’s best to get up and out of bed to start your day!
Hopefully some of these tips can’t help you implement a consistent sleep schedule. Like with any lifestyle, consistency is one of the key factors in improving your sleep and achieving long-term results.
