Ground Down to Wind Down
Continuing my nod to Sleep Awareness Month, no pun intended, good sleep is the key to doing anything well. Getting good sleep isn’t just about what you do at bedtime. Your habits throughout the day impact how well you sleep at night.
Last week I gave you tips for what to do in the morning to ensure a good night’s sleep. This week the focus is on how to ground down the middle of your day to better wind down at night.
Keep naps short – Ideally, you want to limit your afternoon nap to 20-30 minutes, so you don’t cycle into deeper sleep. If this happens, sleep inertia kicks in and makes you sluggish after your nap. Additionally, long naps make it more difficult to fall asleep at bedtime.
Stop caffeine intake by about 4pm – Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors. Adenosine is the neurochemical that makes you feel sleepy. Learn more here.
Catch the sunset – The yellow and orange hues of the setting sun send a signal to your brain to stimulate melatonin production. Melatonin is the hormone that helps you fall asleep.
Ideally, complete exercise at least four hours before your standard bedtime - Exercise at any time of the day is good for you, but exercising too close to bedtime increases your core body temperature. To fall asleep faster, your core body temperature needs to decrease. If you exercise before bed, be sure to take a warm shower afterwards (You should really do this anyway ). It may seem counter-intuitive, but a warm shower brings down your core body temperature, making it easier to fall asleep.
This week’s Express Desk Stretch series is helpful to do any time of the day, but it is especially targeted to help you wind down your workday.
Click here for this week’s video
Inquiry Question: How can you wind down your workday to show up better for your friends and family after work?
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