Winding down

Unplug from any electronics and pursue calming activities before bed to improve sleep and reduce its latency (the amount of time it takes you to go from being fully awake to sleeping).

Complete this habit by winding down for at least 30 minutes before bed.

We live in an age of deficiency. Being chased by the desire to have more things and achieve more goals than we are physically able to, we go to sleep late, feeling unsatisfied with our results, and wake up exhausted due to lack of sleep. Directing all of our attention toward future goals, we fail to skillfully deal with the issues at hand, simultaneously creating new ones. We constantly think about the future, robbing ourselves of the opportunity to notice eternal, unchanging things. 

Our condition will require a bit of discipline to help us have a short break from this constant running and calm down our bodies and restless minds.

Winding down helps you fall asleep more easily. It boosts natural melatonin production and helps to avoid mental overstimulation. Pursue activities that can help you relax before bed. Think of it as a spiritual moment to enjoy your life.

What to avoid:

• looking at blue-light screens (e.g., phones, computers, tv);
• being exposed to bright light (dim all the lights in your home when approaching bedtime (blue blockers can help)).

What to pursue:

• doing stress reduction exercises;
• listening to calm music or sounds (e.g., ocean waves, forest, rain sounds);
• stretching and doing light yoga;
• doing not stimulating meditation;
• reading a paper book.

Creating a calm, relaxing environment before bed can help improve sleep and reduce sleep latency. One study found that participants' telomeres were shortening faster when sleep latency was 25 min. The slowest shortening of telomeres was in a group of people who needed just 10 min for sleep latency.

Chang et al. Evening use of light-emitting eReaders negatively affects sleep, circadian timing, and next-morning alertness. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2015. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1418490112

He et al. Effect of restricting bedtime mobile phone use on sleep, arousal, mood, and working memory: A randomized pilot trial. PLoS One 2020. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0228756

Arshad et al. The adverse impact of excessive smartphone screen-time on sleep quality among young adults: A prospective cohort. Sleep Science 2021. https://doi.org/10.5935/1984-0063.20200114