In order to be successful, you should sleep soundly so that you can wake up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day. The time before bed is the time to relax and prepare for the morning ahead. Mornings can be stressful as it is, so the more you can do in the evening to eliminate rushing and panicking, the better.
#1 – Turn off all electrical devices
Bedtime is the time to switch off from work and the day that’s just been. Opening up an email with a whole host of tasks for you to complete the next day will keep your mind occupied whilst you try and get to sleep. Not only will work emails stress you out before bed, but the backlight from your phone or laptop will keep you awake. So save the funny Facebook videos and the frantic emails for tomorrow. As you physically switch off your devices you should be mentally switching off from the day.
#2 – Create the perfect environment
The perfect environment for sleeping should be cool, dark and relaxing. Draw your curtains to block out light, switch harsh lighting to side lamps or fairy lights, open the window to keep cool and, for added relaxation, put a few drops of lavender oil on your pillow. The idea is that when your head hits the pillow you’ll fall straight to sleep.
#3 – Take off your makeup
Once you’ve executed your beauty routine, you can sleep easy knowing that you’ll wake up with glowing skin in the morning. If you save taking your makeup off until the morning, then not only are you risking damage to your skin, but you then have to factor in the additional time to take off your makeup before reapplying.
#4 – Lay out your clothes for the next day
As you get into a routine of waking up for work you’ll automatically fall into a system of getting ready. Having to find an outfit to wear in the morning can leave you frantically rifling through dirty laundry, ironing creased blouses and de-bobbling jumpers, all of which are time-consuming. By setting out an outfit the night before you can eliminate time spent rushing around and you may even leave yourself enough time for a little lay in –but be sure to check the weather the night before.
#5 – Set an alarm
The knowledge that you’ve got to be awake soon and the fear that you might oversleep can mean that you’re waking frequently throughout the night and it’s likely that you’ll wake up feeling groggy and tired. To avoid disturbed sleep, set an alarm so you can sleep soundly knowing that the noise of the alarm will be sure you wake you up bright and early.
#6 – Make a list/plan for the next day
Going to bed with a mind full of things to do and not to forget will keep you awake, whereas going to sleep knowing that you’ve got them on your list ready to carry out when you wake up will mean that your mind can be put at ease and you can sleep soundly.
#7 – Keep a notepad and pen by your bed
When you think of an idea or a reminder in the night there’s the temptation to either try to force yourself to remember it, which keeps your mind focusing on something other than sleep; or there’s the temptation to write a note on your phone which, even with the brightness dimmed, is still bright enough to keep you up. Scribbling a note down in the traditional way will put your mind at rest knowing that you won’t forget it and although it may be a little scribbly, there won’t be any artificial light to alert your mind.
#8 – Positive thinking
Instead of going to bed mulling over the difficulties that you faced during the day: think about all of the good things that happened. Taking some time out to be appreciative will most likely improve your mood and help you sleep more easily.
#9 – Have some me-time
This could be laying in the bath before bed with some scented candles and bubble bath. It could be reading a chapter of a nice book, flicking through the pages of your favourite magazine or maybe just sitting in bed with a cup of tea. The essential thing is that you’re taking some time out to switch off and wind down so when your head finally hits the pillow you have the perfect night’s sleep.