How A Nightly Routine Makes for a Better Tomorrow
For those of you (all right, most of you) who are too young to experience the joy of sleep training an infant – it’s
The most important part of sleep training is creating a routine and sticking to it. And guess what? A nightly routine is great for non-infants as well.
A nightly routine helps you finish the current day. It also helps you set up for the next day. That’s right – 2 birds with one stone! And by following this routine in the same order every day, it will help you fall asleep. Your body gets used to the rhythm and your brain knows that you are going to bed soon. Let the sleep hormones kick in!
How A Nightly Routine Makes for a Better Tomorrow
Review your planner
Go through your planner or to-do list for the current day. Mark off all the assignments you completed today. Look over the next few days and make a list of assignments that need to be completed and prioritize them. If you have any activities tomorrow that require special stuff (sports, dance, etc), take a mental note for the step below.
Get prepped for tomorrow
If you get everything prepped tonight, you don’t need to do it tomorrow morning. Psst -that means you get to sleep for a few more minutes!
Pack your lunch and backpack for tomorrow. Place your backpack in your home dropzone so you can grab it on the go tomorrow morning. If you have any activities that have their own equipment, get those together and place them in the dropzone as well.
Pick out your clothes for tomorrow as well and lay your clothes out.
Put electronics away
I know, I know – it’s so tempting to check your phone just fifty-one more times before bed. However, the light from your phone messes up your inner clock – that means you are less likely to fall asleep anytime soon. Most experts recommend that you avoid electronics (including TV) 30-60 minutes before bed.
Charge your phone far, far away from your bed. In another room, preferably. All that buzzing and vibrating during the night will wake you up.
Unwind
Take a few minutes to relax and get your mind and body ready for sleep. I love to read before bed. Some people do yoga stretches, while meditation or deep breathing helps others. Find something that works for you!
Sleep!
Teens need 9-10 hours of sleep per night. I repeat, 9-10 hours. Sleep is more important than that last 20 minutes of studying or small homework assignment. Remember, a nightly routine actually helps your body and brain get ready for bed.
Keep in mind that it takes a while for a routine to become a habit. To make that habit, you could create a simple checklist for yourself and check off each of the steps each night. Also, your new routine will take longer in the beginning, so budget your time appropriately. As you get used to it, it will take less and less time each week.
I hope these tips improves your night AND your tomorrow morning! Looking for help creating a morning routine? I’ve got you covered!
Let me know how it goes in the comments below!
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