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Bedtime routine ideas


23 Tips for Your Ideal Nighttime Routine

Trouble sleeping? You’re not alone. About 1 in 3 adults in the United States get less sleep than they should.

In the midst of the pandemic, you might have more time for sleep, but sleep quality might still take a hit, thanks to added anxiety and stress from loneliness, health worries, financial concerns, and other issues.

Nighttime routines also commonly factor into sleep quality, regardless of anything else happening in the world. Your activities during the evening hours can have a big impact on your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep each night.

Poor sleep can have plenty of health consequences, many of which you might worry about while lying awake. If you have trouble getting enough restful sleep on a regular basis, try exploring your pre-bedtime habits to identify potential problem areas and create a new routine that promotes better sleep.

Here are some tips to get you started.

A bedtime routine that includes a few steps toward preparing for the next day can have several advantages.

First, getting a head start on tomorrow’s to-do list gives you one (or two or three) fewer things to stress over as you try to fall asleep.

Having less to do in the morning can help you feel less rushed, making it easier to set aside a few minutes for morning meditation or a mindful breakfast that’ll start your day off right.

Take care of morning chores

If you struggle to get started in the morning, ask yourself what usually holds you up.

Maybe you spend a lot of time deciding on an outfit or never know where to find your keys. Perhaps you need a hearty breakfast to begin your morning but have to clear the sink of last night’s dishes first.

Setting aside 15 to 30 minutes every evening to prepare for the next day can help prevent hectic mornings and promote peace of mind as you get into bed.

To reduce bedtime stress and feel more relaxed in the morning, try taking care of these chores in the evening:

  • Make your lunch for work or school.
  • Gather your essentials — think keys, wallet, sunglasses — in one spot.
  • Wash the dishes.
  • Set out your clothes for tomorrow.

Make a to-do list

There’s only so much you can do in preparation for tomorrow. But for everything else, there’s a list.

Spending just 5 minutes writing a to-do list each night can help you avoid the sleep-disrupting habit of thinking about everything you need to do as you’re trying to fall asleep.

A paper to-do list can free you from the urge to constantly run through a mental version. It can also help you feel more in control of tomorrow before it even begins.

Try journaling to relieve stress

A journal provides a space to express any concerns weighing on your mind, reducing the need to unpack them mentally in bed.

While journaling may not be enough to relieve severe anxiety or chronic stress, it can help reduce anxious thoughts. Physically writing about things stressing you out can help you visualize them leaving your mind and reinforce your sense of relief.

Writing about stress-provoking upcoming events (and noting a potential solution or two) may also help you feel more prepared to face them, which can ease anxiety.

You don’t have to wait until it’s lights-out to start winding down. Filling your evening hours with calming activities helps you avoid overstimulating your mind and body as the day draws to a close.

Cut off caffeine early

A regular post-lunch cold brew might help you make it through the day, but this caffeine boost can have consequences later.

Having caffeine even 6 hours before bedtime can disrupt your rest. If you often have trouble sleeping, try sticking to beverages without caffeine after lunch.

Avoid strenuous exercise

Yes, regular exercise can improve sleep, but you’re better off saving intense workouts for morning or afternoon.

Vigorous exercise shortly before bedtime raises your body temperature and heart rate, making it harder to fall asleep and potentially reducing the amount of sleep you get.

It’s perfectly fine to do light or moderate intensity exercise in the evening, though.

Instead of a run or heavy weightlifting session, try:

  • stretching
  • walking
  • yoga

Just keep in mind that even with light exercise, it’s still best to wrap up an hour to 90 minutes before bedtime.

Meditate

A regular meditation practice can help you relax physically and mentally. Mindfulness meditation, in particular, may help improve your ability to release the day’s stress and tension in preparation for a good night’s sleep.

Focusing your awareness and sitting mindfully with your thoughts gives your body a chance to rest and relax. All those slow, deep breaths you’re taking? They cue your body to slow down at the same time.

Meditation can also help reduce behaviors that keep you up, like cycling through anxious thoughts.

Can’t meditate in the evening? Try these tips to make it a habit any time of day.

Put on some calming music

Playing soft, soothing music as you prepare for bed can trigger the release of hormones that help improve your mood. Feeling emotionally at peace can help your body feel calmer, too.

While music may help you fall asleep faster and get better sleep, make sure you stick with calming tunes. Energizing, upbeat music probably won’t have quite the effect you’re hoping for. For best results, try slow music without lyrics.

Change up your hobbies

Catching up on a favorite show at the end of a long day can feel relaxing, but try to avoid doing this within an hour or so of bedtime.

The blue light produced by electronic devices can confuse your brain, which links this light to daytime. If your brain thinks it’s time for you to be awake, it won’t tell your body to produce melatonin, a hormone that helps prepare you for sleep.

Using devices to scroll through social media, play games, watch videos, or chat with friends can also keep your brain active when you need it to start calming down.

Consider adding these activities to your nighttime routine instead:

  • assembling jigsaw puzzles
  • building models
  • reading (but stick to paper books or an e-reader that gives off minimal light)
  • drawing or coloring
  • doing word or number puzzles

Create a family bedtime ritual

Connecting with loved ones — whether that’s your partner, children, or (good) roommates — can increase feelings of love, trust, and happiness.

Generating these positive emotions just before bed can put you in a better mood, helping you feel more at ease when it’s time for bed.

Regardless of any other benefits, spending quality time with people you love can strengthen your bond and help lower stress.

Try:

  • reading aloud to each other
  • trading massages with your partner
  • sharing highlights from your day
  • cuddling or playing with pets

Make time for sex

Experts continue to explore the connection between sleep and sex, but evidence does suggest a potential link between sex before bed and improved sleep.

In one 2017 research survey, over 60 percent of the 282 adults who replied to the survey said their sleep improved after having an orgasm with a partner.

Oxytocin release during sex may be one explanation. The release of this “love hormone” can promote relaxation and a sense of well-being. Kissing and cuddling can also trigger oxytocin release, so any type of intimate contact before bed has benefit.

You don’t need a partner to add sex to your nighttime routine. Solo orgasms are a perfectly natural way to relax and get off to sleep more easily.

Make hygiene a ritual

It’s pretty normal for basic bedtime hygiene to happen on autopilot. But performing cleansing routines with more mindfulness than absentmindedness can help your brain and body tune in to your approaching bedtime.

Washing your face and showering can feel like boring chores you’d rather skip, but it’s possible to make these mundane tasks more pleasant and relaxing.

Build a ritural

  • Instead of a quickly scrubbing your face, practice the 60-second rule. Gently wash your face for a full minute. Imagine washing away the stress of the long day as you cleanse your skin, or use a mantra or focused breathing to slow down.
  • Take a hot bath. Research suggests that an hour or two before bed is ideal for a nighttime bath. If you’re sensitive to bubble bath or bath salts, create a relaxing atmosphere with scented candles.
  • Avoid bright lights. That bright overhead lighting in your bathroom? Not a great vibe for getting sleepy. Consider bringing some candles into the bathroom and doing your nightly routine with the lights off. For an added benefit, choose one with a calming scent, like lavender.

Don’t forget your teeth

Every nighttime routine should include 2 minutes for toothbrushing. Practicing mindfulness during this essential ritual can make it even more beneficial.

Set a timer for 2 minutes, then focus on your motions as you brush. Notice the sensation of the bristles on your teeth and the taste of the toothpaste.

Remind yourself of everything your teeth do for you. You might even try a mantra, such as “I’m grateful for my teeth.”

It’s also never a bad idea to revisit the basics of proper brushing.

Instead of simply switching off the lights at bedtime, try preparing your environment for sleep earlier in the evening. This gives your body time to adjust to the idea of sleep.

Dim the lights

Like electronics and the sun, electric lighting also produces blue light. Avoiding bright lights in the evening can help signal to your body that it should start preparing for sleep.

  • Switch off bright overhead lights and turn on dimmer table lamps an hour or two before bed.
  • Consider replacing lamp bulbs with ones that produce amber light.

Try aromatherapy

Calming fragrances, like lavender and cedarwood, can promote restful sleep.

To benefit from aromatherapy:

  • Scent your bath with a few drops of essential oil.
  • Place a diffuser containing essential oil in your bedroom.
  • Use a few drops of essential oil on your pillow before bed.

Check your bedding

Clean sheets and fluffed pillows can make bed seem more inviting, and a comfortable bed can help you get better sleep.

Use season-appropriate sheets and blankets. Flannel sheets in the summer can make you too warm, and you might wake up sweaty and itchy.

For year-round bedding, go for easily removable, light layers so you can make quick adjustments if you feel or cold during the night.

Shop our expert-verified products for achieving deeper sleep.

Update your pajamas

Changing into sleepwear can help your body feel more ready for bed, but choose your pajamas with care. How they feel on your body is more important than how they look.

Comfortable pajamas can make bedtime something to look forward to, while tight or uncomfortable sleepwear can keep you fidgeting under the covers.

Switch on a fan

A fan can play two important roles in your bedtime routine.

First, it cools off your bedroom. Keeping your room on the cooler side can help you stay comfortable despite normal body temperature changes that happen during sleep.

Fans also produce white noise, which can block out noises that might keep you up. Hearing that low hum can help increase your confidence that you’ll sleep well, even if your roommate ends up arguing with their partner in the middle of the night.

Now that you’ve wound down and hopped into bed, how to drift off to sleep?

Think peaceful thoughts

Fixating on worrisome thoughts can keep you awake and stressed. Instead, try focusing on positive things that happened that day or events you’re looking forward to.

Some people also find listing a few things they’re grateful for promotes positive feelings and inner calm.

It may also help to repeat a soothing mantra, such as “I feel relaxed” or “I’m drifting off to sleep.”

Try visualization

You can use visualization (guided imagery) to create restful scenes in your mind and distract yourself from any worries creeping into your thoughts.

You might imagine a quiet beach with waves brushing against the shore, a sunlit forest, or a hammock under the stars.

Picture this landscape in vivid detail, imagining how relaxed and calm you feel. You can even put yourself into the image, breathing slowly and peacefully as you relax in your chosen environment.

Relax your muscles

Relaxation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation often help improve sleep. Beyond its potential sleep benefits, progressive muscle relaxation can also help relieve pain.

Here’s how to give it a try:

  • Slowly tense one group of muscles.
  • Hold the tension for 5 seconds, releasing on a slow exhale.
  • Relax for 10 seconds.
  • Move to the next muscle group.

Find more detailed steps for muscle relaxation here.

Accept wakefulness instead of fighting it

Not getting enough sleep can make you miserable, but fretting over your exhaustion and the precious sleep you’re missing won’t do you any favors.

Instead, try to accept that it’s just one of those nights and focus on reframing your thoughts.

You might tell yourself, for example:

  • “I’m still awake now, but I’ll drift off eventually. I always do.”
  • “Maybe I’ll be a little tired in the morning, but I’ll probably fall asleep right away tomorrow night. ”
  • “I’m going to need an extra pick-me-up tomorrow, so I’ll treat myself to a good lunch.”

There’s not really a right or wrong answer when it comes to building a nighttime routine, but there are a couple things you’ll want to avoid if you can.

Lying awake

If you feel wide awake after about 20 minutes — whether you’re trying to fall asleep or just woke up in the middle of the night — get up and do a quiet activity, like reading.

Avoid turning on bright lights or doing anything too stimulating. Once you start feeling sleepy again, go back to bed.

Sleeping too long

Too much sleep is a thing. Most people should aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night.

You should stick to the same sleep routine, even on vacations and weekends, since sleeping late some days can throw off your internal clock.

Any adjustments should stay within an hour of your usual sleep and wake times.

Good sleep is a key factor in mind and body wellness, but it can be hard to come by. A personalized nighttime routine can help you get better sleep, allowing you to wake up refreshed and ready to take on the day.

If a new nighttime routine doesn’t have much effect on sleep quality, talking to your healthcare provider is a good next step to make sure there isn’t an underlying health issue contributing to your sleep issues.

Crystal Raypole has previously worked as a writer and editor for GoodTherapy. Her fields of interest include Asian languages and literature, Japanese translation, cooking, natural sciences, sex positivity, and mental health. In particular, she’s committed to helping decrease stigma around mental health issues.

23 Tips for Your Ideal Nighttime Routine

Trouble sleeping? You’re not alone. About 1 in 3 adults in the United States get less sleep than they should.

In the midst of the pandemic, you might have more time for sleep, but sleep quality might still take a hit, thanks to added anxiety and stress from loneliness, health worries, financial concerns, and other issues.

Nighttime routines also commonly factor into sleep quality, regardless of anything else happening in the world. Your activities during the evening hours can have a big impact on your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep each night.

Poor sleep can have plenty of health consequences, many of which you might worry about while lying awake. If you have trouble getting enough restful sleep on a regular basis, try exploring your pre-bedtime habits to identify potential problem areas and create a new routine that promotes better sleep.

Here are some tips to get you started.

A bedtime routine that includes a few steps toward preparing for the next day can have several advantages.

First, getting a head start on tomorrow’s to-do list gives you one (or two or three) fewer things to stress over as you try to fall asleep.

Having less to do in the morning can help you feel less rushed, making it easier to set aside a few minutes for morning meditation or a mindful breakfast that’ll start your day off right.

Take care of morning chores

If you struggle to get started in the morning, ask yourself what usually holds you up.

Maybe you spend a lot of time deciding on an outfit or never know where to find your keys. Perhaps you need a hearty breakfast to begin your morning but have to clear the sink of last night’s dishes first.

Setting aside 15 to 30 minutes every evening to prepare for the next day can help prevent hectic mornings and promote peace of mind as you get into bed.

To reduce bedtime stress and feel more relaxed in the morning, try taking care of these chores in the evening:

  • Make your lunch for work or school.
  • Gather your essentials — think keys, wallet, sunglasses — in one spot.
  • Wash the dishes.
  • Set out your clothes for tomorrow.

Make a to-do list

There’s only so much you can do in preparation for tomorrow. But for everything else, there’s a list.

Spending just 5 minutes writing a to-do list each night can help you avoid the sleep-disrupting habit of thinking about everything you need to do as you’re trying to fall asleep.

A paper to-do list can free you from the urge to constantly run through a mental version. It can also help you feel more in control of tomorrow before it even begins.

Try journaling to relieve stress

A journal provides a space to express any concerns weighing on your mind, reducing the need to unpack them mentally in bed.

While journaling may not be enough to relieve severe anxiety or chronic stress, it can help reduce anxious thoughts. Physically writing about things stressing you out can help you visualize them leaving your mind and reinforce your sense of relief.

Writing about stress-provoking upcoming events (and noting a potential solution or two) may also help you feel more prepared to face them, which can ease anxiety.

You don’t have to wait until it’s lights-out to start winding down. Filling your evening hours with calming activities helps you avoid overstimulating your mind and body as the day draws to a close.

Cut off caffeine early

A regular post-lunch cold brew might help you make it through the day, but this caffeine boost can have consequences later.

Having caffeine even 6 hours before bedtime can disrupt your rest. If you often have trouble sleeping, try sticking to beverages without caffeine after lunch.

Avoid strenuous exercise

Yes, regular exercise can improve sleep, but you’re better off saving intense workouts for morning or afternoon.

Vigorous exercise shortly before bedtime raises your body temperature and heart rate, making it harder to fall asleep and potentially reducing the amount of sleep you get.

It’s perfectly fine to do light or moderate intensity exercise in the evening, though.

Instead of a run or heavy weightlifting session, try:

  • stretching
  • walking
  • yoga

Just keep in mind that even with light exercise, it’s still best to wrap up an hour to 90 minutes before bedtime.

Meditate

A regular meditation practice can help you relax physically and mentally. Mindfulness meditation, in particular, may help improve your ability to release the day’s stress and tension in preparation for a good night’s sleep.

Focusing your awareness and sitting mindfully with your thoughts gives your body a chance to rest and relax. All those slow, deep breaths you’re taking? They cue your body to slow down at the same time.

Meditation can also help reduce behaviors that keep you up, like cycling through anxious thoughts.

Can’t meditate in the evening? Try these tips to make it a habit any time of day.

Put on some calming music

Playing soft, soothing music as you prepare for bed can trigger the release of hormones that help improve your mood. Feeling emotionally at peace can help your body feel calmer, too.

While music may help you fall asleep faster and get better sleep, make sure you stick with calming tunes. Energizing, upbeat music probably won’t have quite the effect you’re hoping for. For best results, try slow music without lyrics.

Change up your hobbies

Catching up on a favorite show at the end of a long day can feel relaxing, but try to avoid doing this within an hour or so of bedtime.

The blue light produced by electronic devices can confuse your brain, which links this light to daytime. If your brain thinks it’s time for you to be awake, it won’t tell your body to produce melatonin, a hormone that helps prepare you for sleep.

Using devices to scroll through social media, play games, watch videos, or chat with friends can also keep your brain active when you need it to start calming down.

Consider adding these activities to your nighttime routine instead:

  • assembling jigsaw puzzles
  • building models
  • reading (but stick to paper books or an e-reader that gives off minimal light)
  • drawing or coloring
  • doing word or number puzzles

Create a family bedtime ritual

Connecting with loved ones — whether that’s your partner, children, or (good) roommates — can increase feelings of love, trust, and happiness.

Generating these positive emotions just before bed can put you in a better mood, helping you feel more at ease when it’s time for bed.

Regardless of any other benefits, spending quality time with people you love can strengthen your bond and help lower stress.

Try:

  • reading aloud to each other
  • trading massages with your partner
  • sharing highlights from your day
  • cuddling or playing with pets

Make time for sex

Experts continue to explore the connection between sleep and sex, but evidence does suggest a potential link between sex before bed and improved sleep.

In one 2017 research survey, over 60 percent of the 282 adults who replied to the survey said their sleep improved after having an orgasm with a partner.

Oxytocin release during sex may be one explanation. The release of this “love hormone” can promote relaxation and a sense of well-being. Kissing and cuddling can also trigger oxytocin release, so any type of intimate contact before bed has benefit.

You don’t need a partner to add sex to your nighttime routine. Solo orgasms are a perfectly natural way to relax and get off to sleep more easily.

Make hygiene a ritual

It’s pretty normal for basic bedtime hygiene to happen on autopilot. But performing cleansing routines with more mindfulness than absentmindedness can help your brain and body tune in to your approaching bedtime.

Washing your face and showering can feel like boring chores you’d rather skip, but it’s possible to make these mundane tasks more pleasant and relaxing.

Build a ritural

  • Instead of a quickly scrubbing your face, practice the 60-second rule. Gently wash your face for a full minute. Imagine washing away the stress of the long day as you cleanse your skin, or use a mantra or focused breathing to slow down.
  • Take a hot bath. Research suggests that an hour or two before bed is ideal for a nighttime bath. If you’re sensitive to bubble bath or bath salts, create a relaxing atmosphere with scented candles.
  • Avoid bright lights. That bright overhead lighting in your bathroom? Not a great vibe for getting sleepy. Consider bringing some candles into the bathroom and doing your nightly routine with the lights off. For an added benefit, choose one with a calming scent, like lavender.

Don’t forget your teeth

Every nighttime routine should include 2 minutes for toothbrushing. Practicing mindfulness during this essential ritual can make it even more beneficial.

Set a timer for 2 minutes, then focus on your motions as you brush. Notice the sensation of the bristles on your teeth and the taste of the toothpaste.

Remind yourself of everything your teeth do for you. You might even try a mantra, such as “I’m grateful for my teeth.”

It’s also never a bad idea to revisit the basics of proper brushing.

Instead of simply switching off the lights at bedtime, try preparing your environment for sleep earlier in the evening. This gives your body time to adjust to the idea of sleep.

Dim the lights

Like electronics and the sun, electric lighting also produces blue light. Avoiding bright lights in the evening can help signal to your body that it should start preparing for sleep.

  • Switch off bright overhead lights and turn on dimmer table lamps an hour or two before bed.
  • Consider replacing lamp bulbs with ones that produce amber light.

Try aromatherapy

Calming fragrances, like lavender and cedarwood, can promote restful sleep.

To benefit from aromatherapy:

  • Scent your bath with a few drops of essential oil.
  • Place a diffuser containing essential oil in your bedroom.
  • Use a few drops of essential oil on your pillow before bed.

Check your bedding

Clean sheets and fluffed pillows can make bed seem more inviting, and a comfortable bed can help you get better sleep.

Use season-appropriate sheets and blankets. Flannel sheets in the summer can make you too warm, and you might wake up sweaty and itchy.

For year-round bedding, go for easily removable, light layers so you can make quick adjustments if you feel or cold during the night.

Shop our expert-verified products for achieving deeper sleep.

Update your pajamas

Changing into sleepwear can help your body feel more ready for bed, but choose your pajamas with care. How they feel on your body is more important than how they look.

Comfortable pajamas can make bedtime something to look forward to, while tight or uncomfortable sleepwear can keep you fidgeting under the covers.

Switch on a fan

A fan can play two important roles in your bedtime routine.

First, it cools off your bedroom. Keeping your room on the cooler side can help you stay comfortable despite normal body temperature changes that happen during sleep.

Fans also produce white noise, which can block out noises that might keep you up. Hearing that low hum can help increase your confidence that you’ll sleep well, even if your roommate ends up arguing with their partner in the middle of the night.

Now that you’ve wound down and hopped into bed, how to drift off to sleep?

Think peaceful thoughts

Fixating on worrisome thoughts can keep you awake and stressed. Instead, try focusing on positive things that happened that day or events you’re looking forward to.

Some people also find listing a few things they’re grateful for promotes positive feelings and inner calm.

It may also help to repeat a soothing mantra, such as “I feel relaxed” or “I’m drifting off to sleep.”

Try visualization

You can use visualization (guided imagery) to create restful scenes in your mind and distract yourself from any worries creeping into your thoughts.

You might imagine a quiet beach with waves brushing against the shore, a sunlit forest, or a hammock under the stars.

Picture this landscape in vivid detail, imagining how relaxed and calm you feel. You can even put yourself into the image, breathing slowly and peacefully as you relax in your chosen environment.

Relax your muscles

Relaxation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation often help improve sleep. Beyond its potential sleep benefits, progressive muscle relaxation can also help relieve pain.

Here’s how to give it a try:

  • Slowly tense one group of muscles.
  • Hold the tension for 5 seconds, releasing on a slow exhale.
  • Relax for 10 seconds.
  • Move to the next muscle group.

Find more detailed steps for muscle relaxation here.

Accept wakefulness instead of fighting it

Not getting enough sleep can make you miserable, but fretting over your exhaustion and the precious sleep you’re missing won’t do you any favors.

Instead, try to accept that it’s just one of those nights and focus on reframing your thoughts.

You might tell yourself, for example:

  • “I’m still awake now, but I’ll drift off eventually. I always do.”
  • “Maybe I’ll be a little tired in the morning, but I’ll probably fall asleep right away tomorrow night.”
  • “I’m going to need an extra pick-me-up tomorrow, so I’ll treat myself to a good lunch.”

There’s not really a right or wrong answer when it comes to building a nighttime routine, but there are a couple things you’ll want to avoid if you can.

Lying awake

If you feel wide awake after about 20 minutes — whether you’re trying to fall asleep or just woke up in the middle of the night — get up and do a quiet activity, like reading.

Avoid turning on bright lights or doing anything too stimulating. Once you start feeling sleepy again, go back to bed.

Sleeping too long

Too much sleep is a thing. Most people should aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night.

You should stick to the same sleep routine, even on vacations and weekends, since sleeping late some days can throw off your internal clock.

Any adjustments should stay within an hour of your usual sleep and wake times.

Good sleep is a key factor in mind and body wellness, but it can be hard to come by. A personalized nighttime routine can help you get better sleep, allowing you to wake up refreshed and ready to take on the day.

If a new nighttime routine doesn’t have much effect on sleep quality, talking to your healthcare provider is a good next step to make sure there isn’t an underlying health issue contributing to your sleep issues.

Crystal Raypole has previously worked as a writer and editor for GoodTherapy. Her fields of interest include Asian languages and literature, Japanese translation, cooking, natural sciences, sex positivity, and mental health. In particular, she’s committed to helping decrease stigma around mental health issues.

A daily routine that will help you do everything and stay healthy

December 26, 2017 Productivity

Plan for the day, from 6 am to 10 pm, to enjoy life without sacrificing efficiency.

Don't be discouraged if at first you can't follow the whole schedule. Over time, these things will turn into habits that will not be so easy to get rid of.

6:00. Wake up

Wake up and sing! If possible, immediately plunge into the rays of sunlight.

6:15 am. Think good things

Think of two or three things in your life, no matter how important, that you are grateful for. You will be surprised how quickly your anxiety about the day ahead will disappear.

6:30. Get moving

Do some simple exercises to get your blood moving. Then energize yourself with a protein shake, oatmeal, Greek yogurt, or eggs, especially hard-boiled eggs, to keep you going until lunchtime.

8:00 am. Get out of the house

You can listen to a podcast or audiobook when you get to work. It is better to choose something unfamiliar - this will help to learn new things and keep the mind fresh.

If you can't enjoy your listening experience while on the road, do something useful. For example, think of a to-do list for the day, or mentally rehearse an upcoming presentation.

9:00. Get to work

Organize your workflow in such a way that you do not overload yourself and do not waste the positive energy generated in the morning. Once you've got your to-do list ready, turn off your phone, log out of email and social media, and get to work. As a last resort, try every 90 minutes turn on Do Not Disturb mode.

12:00.

Restore your energy

Use your lunch time to restore not only your body, but also your mind. Go back to what you listened to or read in the morning, or try some meditation. If you are an extrovert, then chat with colleagues - this way you will fill yourself with energy even more.

If you have to have lunch at the computer while working, then at least the food is healthy. It could be a fresh vegetable salad, a lean meat roll, or just a peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread.

15:00. Take a break

No one canceled the afternoon productivity slump, but there is no reason to give yourself completely to it. Instead of eating something sweet or drinking an energy drink, take a break and take a short walk - at least near the office.

If the craving to eat something is irresistible, then give preference to complex carbohydrates and lean proteins. The former contribute to the release of energy, the latter make you more alert. A great option is whole grain crackers with cheese, dried or fresh fruit, raw vegetables with hummus, or a nut mix.

18:00. Go home

The working day is over, so leave work at work. It's time to relax. If you don't like morning exercise, then it's time to go to the gym or go for a long walk with the dog. Alternatively, go somewhere where you can interact with people. Any activity that helps you forget about work will do.

19:00. Eat dinner

It is best to eat at least three hours before you go to bed, otherwise the food will not have time to be digested before bedtime. Avoid foods high in fat and carbohydrates. Good sleep aids include salmon, whole grains, yogurt, and bananas.

You may feel sleepy after swallowing a huge slice of pizza or a triple cheeseburger. But a restless "food coma" will never replace your healthy sleep. And, of course, try to avoid alcohol.

21:00. Relax

Meditation, a warm bath, a cup of herbal tea, or just a good book can help you unwind before bed. Try not to watch TV at night and do not check work documents on the computer. The blue light that comes from the screen disrupts circadian rhythms and prevents the brain from producing melatonin, a natural hormone that promotes good sleep. As a last resort, use a feature on your computer or smartphone that reduces blue light to a minimum.

22:00. Go to bed

No matter how hard you try to shield yourself from daytime stress at night, it can still overtake you. Various little things help in the fight against him. Turn the alarm clock with LED screen to the wall, and let the bedroom be cool (about 18 ° C) and dark (lack of light also helps to produce melatonin). Do not think about how to fall asleep as soon as possible - just breathe.

If sleep is still in your eyes, turn on relaxing music or white noise, write something in your diary, or do a small and boring task that you constantly put off.

Lesson 1. Correct daily routine

How to create a correct daily routine is one of the most important topics of a healthy lifestyle. Everyone is faced with the need to allocate their time. Sometimes, as in the case of work, this is a necessity. Sometimes, for example, when planning the most productive pastime or vacation, this is expediency.

Proper daily routine includes the rational use of sleep, personal hygiene, nutrition, work, rest, sports and physical activity. Planning a daily routine and following it makes a person disciplined, develops organization and focus. As a result, a mode of life is also developed, in which the expenditure of time and energy on non-essential things is minimized.

In this lesson, answers will be given to questions about the correct daily routine, the features of the influence of biological rhythms on the activity and efficiency of human activity, the main approaches and methods for compiling a daily routine for different people: men and women of different professions, adults, students and schoolchildren.

Contents:

  • What is the daily routine
  • Biological rhythms and daily routine
  • Owls and larks
  • Components of the daily routine
  • How to plan your daily routine
  • Verification test

What is the routine of the day

Let's start with the definition:

Daily routine is a well-thought-out schedule of actions for the day, planning time for the purpose of its rational and most efficient distribution.

As mentioned above, the routine is of great importance for the self-discipline and organization of any person, and it is also important for many other applied aspects of our lives. For example, the daily routine plays an important role in building training programs, compiling diets and organizing proper nutrition in general, choosing the most productive hours of our lives for work or creativity.

Mason Curry, in his book The Genius Routine: The Daily Routine of Great People, gives the following analogy to the routine:

we lack most of all, as well as willpower, self-discipline, optimism. An orderly routine is like a track along which mental forces move at a good pace…”

The routine of the day is necessary so that time does not take advantage of our absent-mindedness (see epigraph). Each person faced in his work haste, a sense of the amorphousness of time, confusion in personal and work affairs. We cannot always clearly tell how much time we spent on this or that activity, because we do not consider it necessary to constantly monitor the use of our time. However, it is the whole day's routine that helps to most intelligently and effectively allocate your time. In addition, without the skill of successfully planning your day, a person will not learn how to make longer-term plans, especially since it is not so difficult to plan your daily schedule completely, because:

✔ Day as the minimum unit for planning is most convenient due to easy visibility.
✔ If any attempt fails, you can rebuild and change the mode the next day.

Let us also note the fact that the use of the epithet "correct" in relation to the daily routine is somewhat conditional. Individually for each person, the concept of the correct routine can be different and depend on many factors: work, habits, characteristics of the body. But, according to experts (psychologists and doctors), the physiological aspects of the functioning of the main life systems of people are identical [Wedemeyer G. A., 1996]. On the basis of this, it is possible to compile a universal regimen containing general recommendations that will suit everyone to one degree or another. Based on the proposed recommendations, taking into account your individual needs, you can develop a daily routine that is best for you.

Biological rhythms and daily routine

Without taking into account the daily biological rhythms of the body, a person is unlikely to be able to create an organized and effective daily routine [Nature, 2009]. For example, if a person who is used to usually waking up at 7 am, sleeps until 4 pm one day, after waking up, he will most likely feel tired, weak, slowing down the pace of activity. This condition occurs as a result of ignoring the features of biological rhythms, biological clocks and circadian rhythms.

Biological rhythms ( biorhythms ) – periodically recurring changes in the nature and intensity of biological processes and phenomena in living organisms, on which their functionality depends.

Biorhythms are internal ( endogenous ), depending on the body's biological clock, and external ( exogenous ), which manifest themselves in the synchronization of internal cycles (change of sleep and wakefulness) with external stimuli (change of day and night). In terms of compiling the daily routine, we are most interested in circadian rhythms - cyclic fluctuations in the intensity of various biological processes associated with the change of day and night, the period of which is approximately equal to 24 hours [Komsomolskaya Pravda, 2016].

Many researchers, until recently, attributed the study of biorhythms to a non-academic area of ​​physiology, but thanks to recent research, the situation has changed somewhat. So, in the human brain, they found a tiny cluster in the hypothalamus, about 20,000 neurons in size, which controls many of the body's circadian rhythms. Known as the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), this center performs the work of the body's internal pacemaker and affects human biorhythms [Moore R. Y., 2001].

Owls and larks

Psychologists often refer to the well-known division of people into "owls" and "larks" depending on the period of their activity. It is difficult for the first to get up early in the morning, and the peak of their activity falls on the evening and night hours. The latter, on the contrary, are active in the morning, and by the evening they quickly lose their energy reserves. Interestingly, in many African countries there are practically no “owls”, this is due to the fact that many villages and cities are not electrified, which means that when the sun sets, local life stops.

The proposed classification is rather arbitrary, because, as practice shows, a normal healthy person, if desired, can gradually change his type of wakefulness without harm to the body. The main thing is the presence of willpower and the right strategy.

For example, many politicians, businessmen, athletes who travel a lot around the world often have to adjust their circadian rhythms in accordance with the time difference between cities in order not to lose efficiency in their work when changing time zones. In practice, even special recommendations have been developed that will help to rebuild your regime as painlessly as possible after changing the time zone. For this you are follows:

1 Plan the first days of arrival so that, if possible, the psychological and physical stress is minimal.
2 Eat only light meals two days before your flight, avoid alcoholic beverages and foods that you are not used to, and refrain from smoking if possible.
3 Please note that it is better to fly from east to west on a morning or afternoon flight, and from west to east - in the evening.
4 3-5 days before departure, gradually rebuild your schedule in accordance with the time zone of the place where you are going to fly.
5 If you're flying west, try to go to bed and wake up later. When traveling eastward, you need to fall asleep earlier and wake up early in the morning.

Often people do not even have to use their willpower to change their activity regime, since the human body is able to independently adapt to changing external conditions. For example, regular schoolchildren tend to go to class by 8:30 a.m. during a long period of study. Over the years, the student's body gets used to follow the given circadian rhythm, that is, to work actively in the first half of the day. However, if, after graduation, a graduate enters the university in the evening department, where classes are held on the second shift, the body has to adjust to the new schedule. Over time, the student's biological clock naturally adapts to the new system without much effort on his part.

Knowing how the biological clock works will help you plan your day correctly. Below is an approximate calculation of the periods of activity of different systems of an average person by hours:

04:00. The beginning of the circadian rhythm. At this time, the body releases the stress hormone cortisol into the bloodstream, which triggers the mechanisms of basic functions and is responsible for our activity. It is this hormone that helps wake up people who prefer to get up early.

05:00-06:00. Awakening of the organism. During this period, the metabolism accelerates, the level of amino acids and sugar increases, which do not allow a person to sleep soundly in the morning.

07:00-09:00. The ideal time for light physical activity, when you can quickly bring the body relaxed after sleep into tone. At this time, the digestive system works well: the absorption of nutrients occurs faster, which helps to efficiently process food and convert it into energy.

09:00-10:00. The period when the energy received from eating is mastered. During this time, a person is able to cope well with tasks for attention and quick wits, as well as successfully use short-term memory.

10:00-12:00. The first peak of efficiency, the period of maximum mental activity. At this time, a person copes well with tasks that require increased concentration.

12:00-14:00. The time of deterioration of performance, when it is necessary to rest the tired brain. This period is suitable for a lunch break, as the work of the digestive tract accelerates, blood flows to the stomach, and the mental activity of the body decreases.

14:00-16:00. It is better to devote this time to the calm digestion of what you have eaten, as the body is in a state of slight fatigue after dinner.

16:00-18:00. The second peak of activity and efficiency. The body received energy from food, all systems again work in full mode.

18:00-20:00. The best time for dinner, the food received by the body will have time to digest until the morning. After eating, you can take a walk or after an hour to do physical exercises, go to training.

20:00-21:00. This time is suitable for playing sports, visiting sections, socializing.

21:00-22:00. The period when the ability of the brain to memorize increases. At this time, eating is not recommended.

22:00. Start of the sleep phase. Recovery processes are launched in the body, hormones of youth are released. The body goes into a state of rest.

23:00-01:00. At this time, the metabolic process slows down as much as possible, body temperature and pulse rate decrease. The deep sleep phase is when our body is at its best resting.

02:00-03:00. The period when all chemical reactions are slowed down, hormones are practically not produced. Lack of sleep at this time can lead to a deterioration in condition and mood throughout the day.

Note: in the cold season there is a slight shift of the described processes of physiological activity forward in time.

Lark or Owl Test

We invite you to take a test to determine whether you are an owl, a lark or a dove. This can help you determine what time of day you are most productive and adjust your daily routine accordingly.