Why a great prebed routine matters
The best golfers in the world almost always start their pre-shot ritual with the same behaviour. It might be a tap on the bag, donning a glove or visualizing their shot. Regardless of what initiates their routine, it is meant to signal to their body that their ritual has begun and that it is time to focus on the task at hand. Their ability to execute the swing they have memorized depends on their ability to prepare themselves mentally and physically.
The rituals that athletes use to optimize their body and mind for performance can just as easily be used to help you get a better night’s sleep! The key is to create a routine and ritual that:
- Signals to the brain that sleep is coming
- Slows down your body: reduces your heart and breathing rate, reduces tension and anxiety, etc
- Slows down your mind: allows you to process stress & anxiety from your day, reduce your stimulation level, do something that brings you joy
What not to do before bed
How many times have you laid awake in bed with your mind racing with thoughts of tomorrow’s meetings, a stressful event from your day, a surge of energy from an evening workout or wondering what is going to happen in the next _______ episode? My guess is that that number is high!
Our society presents us with an infinite abundance of stimuli that leads to sleep deprivation. There always seems to be another YouTube clip, T.V. show or news story that requires our immediate attention. Marketing experts precisely engineer their content and programs to stimulate our brains and dopamine-reward pathways to consume more. The things we love to do before bed to rewind are often the habits ruining our sleep!
If we spent every night in the dark around a campfire with a minimal amount of stimulation, a strict self-imposed prebed routine might not be necessary. Alas, this is not our world!
What TO DO before bed
The time it takes to calm the body and mind and prepare for sleep will vary between people and days. You might be the type of person that requires 15 minutes more or less than I do. You might also need more time on stressful days and times when you are active at night. In our experience, 30 minutes is the minimum for a prebed ritual and we encourage you to add the necessary time when stress levels and individual differences dictate it.
Start your prebed routine with the same action or behaviour as consistently as possible. Whether it is dimming the lights, brushing your teeth, turning off the television or charging your phone outside of your room, having a behaviour that signals your mind and body that it is time to wind down can be hugely successful for improving your sleep quality, quantity and time to fall sleep. Beyond winding the body and mind down for sleep, initiating a sleep routine with the same behaviour can act as a Pavlovian signal to your brain that it is sleep time!
To wind down the body and mind it is best to do something that requires as little mental energy expenditure as possible without exposing yourself to
intense artificial light sources.
Reading is the best way to accomplish this in our experience. A great piece of fiction, non-fiction, biography, magazine or whatever brings you joy. Thought-provoking and introspective “self-help” type books that get you energized or thinking evocatively might be a poor choice but it is person dependent
Meditation,
gentle yoga,
stretching, enjoying a
herbal tea and intimate time with a loved one are also excellent options. If you do choose to read, make sure the light level is reasonably low. Avoid reading from a tablet or iPad that gives off intense light. A backlit Kindle or Kobo is the better option if you prefer electronic books.
Podcasts or audiobooks can also be a great option if you are not a reader.
Journaling can be a great way to expel and confront any stress, anxiety or problems you encountered during your day. Whether you write it out, or
hash these issues out with a friend/partner, it is better to address anything that might stress your mind before your head hits the pillow – because we all know that is not the place to do it for great sleep.
MY PREBED ROUTINE
- No TV or screens one hour before bed. The phone is plugged and silenced in the bedroom
- Brush teeth
- Dim lights in the bedroom (signal to the brain that it is bedtime!)
- Read in bed for 30-60 minutes or until I can barely keep my eyes open or I’m skipping pages. I don’t try to force myself to sleep at a particular time until my body tells me it is ready
- Earplugs in (final cue to body that it is bedtime). Face mask on.
- Say goodnight to Crouton (our French water dog) and Jacqui.
THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES, JUST BETTER ODDS
A good prebed routine does not guarantee a good night’s sleep in the same way that computer or screen time doesn’t guarantee a bad night’s sleep. It does, however, improve the odds that you will have a better night’s sleep. it does improve the odds that something stressful from your day doesn’t sabotage your next day. And, it does improve the odds that you will have better control of your sleep, recovery, body and health.
Your ability to recover will be best when you slowly wind down the mind and body before bed.
With continued practice, these behaviours will serve to automate the entire ritual like tipping the first domino.
Sleep well!
