Did you know that your mood and energy level the next day can be significantly impacted by the very last thing you do before bed? According to experts, your daily activities usually determine how well and for how long you sleep.
Creating and maintaining a balance between your mental and physical health is crucial for success. They realize that how well you sleep often has a direct correlation to your success.
Many successful people have night routines for success: they work. By having healthy habits the night before, you set yourself up to have a successful next day. However, if your habits are unhealthy, you’ll likely wake feeling more exhausted tomorrow morning. Feeling tired, cranky, and unproductive? You might be surprised to find out that the answer is not more coffee.
If you’re having trouble winding down at the end of the day, try out these bedtime habits that many successful people follow:
1. Read an actual printed book
Read a physical book instead of using an electronic device. A widely accepted fact is that people who are successful typically read before going to bed.
Michael Kerr, an international business speaker and author of “You Can’t Be Serious! Putting Humor to Work,” says that he knows several business leaders who block off time before bed for reading. They are so committed to it that they schedule it on their calendar as a “non-negotiable item.”
Kerr stated that they don’t confine their reading to business or inspiration only. They also think highly of the information they gain from various sources, which spurs their creativity and passion.
The benefits of reading include increased brainpower and creativity. In research conducted by Haskins Laboratories, Ken Hugh, Ph.D., discovered that when reading certain sections of the brain connect in a specific neural circuit that impacts functions such as vision and language comprehension.
By reading every day, successful people learn about current events, technological advances, and interesting stories from social media. Not only does reading improve their literate skills, but it also develops their minds when they read books based on their interests or for pure leisure. This can be done by reading novels or ancient philosophy texts. Bill Gates is known for spending, at the very least, an hour before bedtime reading books on various topics.
As a business person, you can use the last 30 minutes before bed to read a book that is non-business fiction or non-fiction. When you’re feeling overwhelmed or just need a break, reading can be the perfect way to escape and unwind. If you want to relax your brain before bed and have a good night’s sleep, try reading. You’ll wake up feeling refreshed in the morning.
2. Create a list of things to do, no matter how small or large.
Achieving peace of mind is crucial for a good night’s sleep, and successful people know this. Clearing your mental space through activities such as making a to-do list or brain dump can help immensely. Not only will you sleep better, but you’ll feel more prepared for the next day.
By creating a to-do list, you free up your headspace for the day and allow yourself to focus on other tasks. This will help you get a good night’s sleep because those items will not invade your thoughts during the night.
In a study conducted by Michael K. Sculling, director at Baylor’s Sleep Neuroscience and Cognition Laboratory, it was found that those who wrote down a to-do list before bed fell asleep faster. He observed that the majority of people would keep their to-do lists in their heads. By conducting research, they looked into how writing things down could ease difficulties with falling asleep.
Take five minutes before you go to bed tonight to think about your ideas or make a simple to-do list. This will help you sleep by taking the worry of unfinished tasks off your mind. You’ll be able tomorrow knowing that you’re ready to tackle them.
3. Make the most of your time with family and friends.
It’s crucial to allocate some time to those you love. Make sure to chat with your spouse, bond with your kids, or play with your pet. Though it’s not possible for everyone to go to bed at the same time as their partner, those who are able to should take a few minutes to chat about their day.
A few years ago, former First Lady Michelle Obama revealed in an interview with People magazine that she and her husband, former US President Barack Obama, have a ritual where he tucks her in because she usually goes to bed before anyone else. “He’ll come and turn the lights out and give me a kiss and we’ll talk. He’s like, ‘Ready to be tucked?’ I’m like, ‘Yes, I am.’”
It’s important to nurture your relationships by spending time together and sharing experiences. So reach out to your loved ones today! Creating and maintaining relationships is not only beneficial to you but also for your whole family. Always remember that your family is behind you, no matter what success or failure you experience.
4. Take time to reflect on what happened that day
Each day, successful people dedicate some time to reflect on the previous day. They document their thoughts and express gratitude for at least three things that occurred. This exercise not only fills them with gratitude but also allows them to see the progress they’ve made in all areas of their life. Staying motivated is easy when you take the time to be grateful for your blessings, especially during tough times. reflect on positive experiences and let them fill you with gratitude.
There is proof that people who journal and reflect on their day before bedtime can fall asleep more easily. By looking back on your mistakes and analyzing them, you can think about how to improve for next time. Beating yourself up will not help anyone; it’s far better to learn from the situation and use that knowledge to fuel your journey toward success.
5. Meditate
If you’re looking for a way to improve your sleep, meditation may be the answer. Research shows that meditation can help reduce insomnia and prevent sleep trouble by promoting overall calmness and inner peace. Many successful people set aside at least 10 minutes before bed to meditate.
Meditation is one of the best ways to fall asleep quickly and get a good night’s rest. When you meditate, your body relaxes and your mind quiets down, which makes it easier for you to fall asleep. Meditation also helps release sleep hormones like melatonin, which lowers heart rate and blood pressure. In addition, meditation activates parts of the brain that control sleep patterns.
Not only does meditation allows you to clear your mind and focus on the present, but it also helps you fall asleep faster. This is because when you meditate, you’re better able to manage your emotions and let go of any stress or anxiety that might be keeping you awake at night.
If you want to learn how to meditate, here are some tips to get you started:
- Focus on your mind and emotions, letting go of outside distractions
- Examine your thoughts
- Relax your body
- Inhale and exhale slowly, taking deep breaths in between.
- Visualize a peaceful moment
It can be tough to focus without guidance, so look for meditations and apps online. Guided recorded meditations will tell you when to relax your body and guide you through with voice and music.
6. Set a regular bedtime and stick to it as much as possible.
Jeff Bezos stated that he tries to get a solid eight hours of sleep each night as it makes a world of difference. He went on to say that because quality sleep is so crucial, he prioritizes it above all else. When he gets enough sleep, he is more energetic and enthusiastic to start his day.
Proper sleep hygiene includes picking a bedtime and sticking to it every night, something that many successful people do. Did you know that commonly busy people are in danger when they don’t get enough sleep? Make sure to give yourself a chance to rest and recharge.
It’s common for workaholics and entrepreneurs to neglect their sleep, but this can be remedied by instituting a bedtime routine. Over time, your body will get used to the cycle and it’ll become easier to stick to.
Figure out what time you need to wake up, then count back seven to eight hours to determine when you should sleep. Set an alarm for that time and remind yourself not to hit the snooze button in the morning. Since you only have a limited supply of willpower, don’t waste it on debating with yourself whether to stay in bed for five more minutes or not.
Medical professionals recommend using an alarm one hour before bedtime to help establish a bedtime routine, just like how an alarm wakes you up in the morning. By going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, your brain will start getting tired a few hours before sleep. Your body will recognize when it’s time for bed, making dozing off simpler.
7. Don’t do anything work-related
If you want to be successful, you have to know how to disconnect from your work. Emails can wait- what’s important is that you give yourself time to relax and de-stress before bed.
You shouldn’t be kept up during the night by anxious thoughts about an overzealous email sender. If you can’t stop thinking about work, it’ll be harder to fall asleep because your body will start to associate your bed with being awake.
8. Think positive thoughts
To ensure a positive end to your day, take some time to replay any negative situations that occurred during the day. Doing so allows you to process the events and find resolutions for how you could have handled them better. Though we all have bad days, successful people know how to avoid dwelling on negative thoughts. Pessimism will only create more stress in your life.
When you worry about negative thoughts, it puts you in a state of alertness. When that happens, you look for danger around you and find it difficult to sleep peacefully.
A helpful way to fall asleep is by practicing positive affirmations. This means telling yourself that you did everything you could today and now it’s time for rest. Doing this will help reduce stress and anxiety, so your mind and body can be relaxed enough to fall asleep.
9. Unplug completely
In addition to setting a buffer period and not working before bed, you should also turn off all your electronic devices. Television, mobile phones, and laptops can stimulate the mind and keep your brain active when you need it to be resting. The blue light they emit can interfere with your circadian rhythm and make it difficult to fall asleep, leading to sleep deprivation.
People who are successful know that they need a good night’s sleep in order to feel their best the next day. Therefore, they don’t let social media or TV get in the way of sleeping soundly.
Get off your screens an hour before you go to sleep. You’ll be more likely to fall asleep faster and have a deeper sleep if you avoid the blue light from devices. If you want stimulation before bed, opt for a physical book over digital reading. And use an alarm clock instead of having your phone beside your bed – that way, you’re not as tempted to scroll through social media when you should be sleeping.
10. Visualize tomorrow’s success
Some of the most successful individuals take a few minutes out of their day to visualize positive outcomes for their upcoming projects. This usually comes from having strong resolution skills.
Consider what success would look like to you and paint that image in your head. The more realistic and detailed the visualization, the better it will be at helping you subconsciously focus on achieving your goals. “Envisioning your chief aim” is author Napoleon Hill’s term for creating a mission statement in life, as explained in his book Think and Grow Rich.
If you want to boost your creativity, start by visualizing what you want before bed. This will help activate your creative subconscious while you sleep.
Build Your Success Habits
If you want to set yourself up for success, one way to do it is by creating a healthy bedtime routine. By training your mind and body, you can see positive effects in different areas of your life. To get started, try out some of the following tips: read physical books, clear your mind with a brain dump or to-do list, spend quality time with loved ones, reflect on your day and be grateful for what happened, meditate regularly, prioritize sleep, unplug from work when you can , think positive thoughts, and visualize your success often.
Your success largely depends on your habits. Therefore, try to maintain focus, stay motivated, and live a healthy lifestyle both mentally and physically.
