I spend a lot of time thinking about sleep. Aside from being one of the bits of my writing here at MBG, it’s also my personal passion. (Being under the cover after a long day is basically the language of my love.) I am the one who needs eight to nine hours hard at night to feel my best and I always ask for new ways to improve my existing sleep habits.
If the experts I interviewed agree on one thing is that if you want to get a good night’s sleep, a solid air-down routine is essential.
I like the way psychologist Shelby Harris, Saidi, DBSM, once explained: The human body does not come with an on-off switch. We can’t pack our days with work, commitment and to-do and then hopefully our brain will shut down a second time when we go to bed. Most of us like 30 minutes to an hour every night to clear our mind and relax before going to sleep.
After hearing over and over again that night rituals are not only pleasurable but actually essential, I have become more diligent about myself. To make sure I actually had enough time before bed, I started setting a night alarm so I could keep track and eat dinner early if possible.
Then, while going to bed, I would enjoy some screen-free activities to take a break from my mind: I would wash, write in my journal, and read a book. Then, when it comes time to stop my soothing night routine, I arrive for one thing: the fog of MBG dreams.