How do you generally feel in the morning?  If you’re like most people you probably feel tired and lethargic when you first wake up.  Did you know that our sleep is profoundly influenced by the manner in which we spend our last few hours before bed?  A study published by the Harvard Medical School  states that proper sleep hygiene is the best way to guarantee a good night’s rest.

I generally have pretty good sleep habits.  However, over the past few weeks I have found myself trying to cram more activities into the day – which is pushing my work time later into the evening – which in turn negatively affects my ability to get to sleep and stay asleep.  The only positive thing that came of my few days of poor sleep was a reminder of what it takes to get to sleep and guarantee a good morning.  Here are the eight sleep habits I had to ensure I was sticking to:

1. Set a “no later than time” for screen time – I have found that I need to refrain from working on the computer for at least two hours before going to bed.  Scientists have found that the light from our computers, tablets, and smartphones not only inhibits sleep due to melatonin inhibition, but can also hinder brain patterns that disrupt our sleep.
2. Be mindful of what you watch on TV – I know, TV is a screen, but I enjoy watching a TV show on Friday or Saturday evenings before I go to sleep.  The key here is that you need to be aware of what you watch.  If it is dramatic, action oriented, or scary, recognize that you will need a little time to decompress and perhaps even debrief the show.  This will help your mind absorb and interpret all of the information it has just received.
3. Don’t watch the news in the evening – Anything you see on an a 24 news channel is designed to evoke an emotion and keep you watching.  Don’t buy in. Besides, there is nothing you can do about anything on the news at 9:30 on a Tuesday evening anyway.
4. Don’t keep your phone by the bed – Even with your phone turned down or on vibrate, the notifications and electromagnetic disruptions presented by the phone will disrupt your sleep.
5. Don’t have a TV in your room – It’s too tempting to turn the TV on when you are bored or waiting for your spouse to get ready for bed.  Once the TV is on, time has a tendency to fly by.
6. Do read – Reading settles our mind.  In a 2009 study conducted by the University of Exeter, researchers found that just six minutes of reading could reduce your stress level by up to two-thirds.
7. Do Journal – I am not saying you need to write a novel, but simply writing a few sentences capturing your thoughts on the day will help you finalize your thoughts and put the cares of the day behind you.
8. Do keep your bedroom cool, quiet, and dark – Turn your ceiling or floor fan on, close the blinds, and if there is a lot of light outside, consider installing dark curtains.  If you live in the city, you may want to buy a noise maker to help with the “white noise” and drown out the other sounds.

A productive day is usually preceded  by a good night’s rest.  Setting the conditions for a good night’s rest takes a little discipline, but is well worth it in the long run for emotional stability as well as physical and mental performance.  What do you do to ensure a good night’s sleep?