If last week we talked about things to do to end your day on a high note, today we’re going to talk about things to avoid before bedtime in order to get a good night sleep.
Related: 10-Minute Evening Rituals to End Your Day On a High Note
We all want to get a good night sleep after a long day. Sometimes we are so exhausted that we can’t even fall asleep. Ironic, I know, but it happens to me.
We have our own tricks to help us get a good night sleep. Some like to take a foamy bath before bedtime, some like to disconnect from everything and so on.
1. Eat
You probably know that you should not eat fatty, “heavy” foods before bedtime since they are quite difficult to digest and you won’t be able to sleep well or fall asleep fast (or as fast as you’d wish).
Specialists recommended having dinner two to four hours before bedtime. In this way, your body should have enough time to digest everything and get ready to sleep.
Related: How To Wake Up Full of Energy
2. Drink caffeine
Everybody knows that caffeine is a stimulant for our body. Or this is what we think of it.
Avoiding caffeine based drinks before bedtime – and even after lunch time – will help you get better sleep.
This means saying no to:
- coffee
- black/green/white tea
- energy drinks
3. Exercise
Working out right before jumping in bed, might not be a good idea. Your blood pressure rises while working out and dopamine is also released.
So high blood pressure and a hormone that makes you feel pumped and ready to go, won’t do any good for that good night sleep you’re craving.
Related: Ways to Motivate You To Work Out
4. Stare at screens
Ironically, I watch Netflix before falling asleep – I think it makes me fall asleep easier. It might be a genetic thing – my Dad needs a TV turned on in order to fall asleep.
Apparently, there is nothing too bad about watching TV before bedtime. The only drawback is that you might end up going to sleep very late.
With smartphones, it’s a different story. Because we hold our smartphones so close to our eyes (way closer than a TV or even a laptop) the light can harm our eyes. According to Harvard researchers, blue light inhibits melatonin secretion (sleep hormone) so it prohibits you to fall asleep. Not to mention that it is disturbing to have any source of light in a dark room when you want to sleep.
5. Social media
Quite related to the point above.
I believe that nowadays social media is the number one reason we get anxiety of losing our smartphones. We are so addicted to it and we scroll through social walls without even realising it.
Related: Why You Should Start a Digital Detox and How To Do It
Besides keeping you awake for way too long past your bedtime, it can also bring negativity like bad news, shade and so on. The negativity can wait. It’s more important to get a good night sleep instead.
Do you do any of the above? Which one is the hardest to quit? For me, it would probably stop scrolling through Instagram before falling asleep. Let me know which one would be for you in the comments below!
24 comments
Good reminders, most of us make these mistakes.
Caffeine has the opposite effect for me! But then… I might be SLIGHTLY ADHD. lol
Unfortunately I have a lot of these bad habbits just before bedtime. Some valuable insights! Thank you.
Eating at night is my worst! Especially after a long day of work. Gotta stop?Great tips!
When I have a long work day, I’m so guilty of eating before bed. Gotta stop
Nice tips!
avoiding screens is definitely the hardest for me even though I know i sleep way better when i leave my phone on my desk at night.
Bridget
https://thebridy.com/
Totally agree with this post! Especially screens. I always fall asleep faster if I read an actual book or something before bed.
<3 Brooklyn | latidoblog.weebly.com
Unplug is huge! Rather than watch Netflix, try reading. That’ll help you get a good night’s sleep!
Yea, eating right before bed definitely makes falling asleep more difficult.
Wow some really great tips. I tend to watch Netflix or YouTube at night and it can def keep me up late. But it’s just that perfect quite hour to do so.
I need to get better at unplugging quite a bit before bed – that’s always my goal, and I always fall a bit short there!
Staring at screens before bed is something I keep trying to work on – it’s the hardest!
I read before bed and that helps to make me fall asleep, but on those nights I can’t I play on my phone. Oops lol!
Unplug. Unplug. Unplug. Doing this 1-2 hours before going to bed was a game changer for a good night sleep.
I always am on my phone or watching tv before bed mostly because it’s the only time after the baby goes to bed that I have to wind down! But totally about social media. If I see something upsetting it makes for a bad night of sleep!!
I like to read an actual physical book before going to sleep. But my boyfriend needs the TV on. It’s too bright for me! I wait til he falls asleep and then I turn it off lol.
I do the same with my dad. But usually I end up falling asleep before him. And falling asleep in an armchair is not comfortable.
We have to wait until he’s deep sleeping, otherwise he’ll wake up if we turn the TV off.
Ugh I’m always on my phone before bed. Similarly with the TV, I feel like it helps me fall asleep lol
I totally agree, and I am bad about doing social media and looking at screens. The worst is if I read something sad on social media right before bed; then, I can’t sleep because I am upset.
social media for sure ha- i always end up taking an extra hour before falling asleep bc im scrolling through my phone! EEK!
I’m literally guilty of most of these tonight…I mostly blame my employer. But I guess being all social media is a bit more my fault 😉
I actually can’t drink caffeine past 9am or it’ll keep me up all night…decaf life ?
I’m trying to get better at my night time routine- I was even just saying I want to start reading more instead of going through my social media – reading is a much better way of winding down. Thanks for the tips x
franklyflawless.com
Glad you liked them!