And now I will see more as Google tracks my searches.
For years, I have been establishing a morning routine. I am a morning person. I like mornings. I start my mornings with a solid Awake tea.
My morning starts at 4:35 (so I can feel like I have already hit the snooze) and I head straight for the gym. I am home at 6:10. I get the dogs leashed and meet my friends at the corner for an hour walk. I am back between 7:20 and 7:30. Then it is shower, breakfast, meditate, journal, plan my day and get started.
In order for my morning to go smoothly, and I don’t feel like I need a nap at 9 o’clock in the morning, my morning routine has to start the night before. If I don’t get to bed on time, I don’t get up. If I don’t fall asleep quickly enough, or stay asleep all night, I don’t get up. I generally only miss my workout. The dogs get me up whether I like it or not. A poor night sleep doesn’t set me day up well even if it started an hour and a half later.
I am a good sleeper, normally. We are starting to learn about sleep and its patterns:
Most of us know that getting a good night’s sleep is important, but too few of us actually make those eight or so hours between the sheets a priority. For many of us with sleep debt, we’ve forgotten what “being really, truly rested” feels like.
To further complicate matters, stimulants like coffee and energy drinks, alarm clocks, and external lights — including those from electronic devices — interferes with our “circadian rhythm” or natural sleep/wake cycle.
Sleep needs vary across ages and are especially impacted by lifestyle and health. To determine how much sleep you need, it’s important to assess not only where you fall on the “sleep needs spectrum,” but also to examine what lifestyle factors are affecting the quality and quantity of your sleep such as work schedules and stress.
To get the sleep you need, you must look at the big picture. (Sleep Foundation)
Generally, a good evening routine means getting everything done so that I am in bed on time and have a chance to read myself sleepy.
I don’t feel sleep deprived with the sleep I get, but I am paying attention to what I do in the evening to ensure I get the best sleep possible. As a mother, a business woman, and a wife, getting myself ready for sleep means that everyone else is ready too. The kitchen is clean. Lunches are prepared. Emails are answered.
Smarter people suggest that to get the best sleep you need to start thinking about sleep at about 2 in the afternoon, when you are to stop drinking caffeine. I have set my caffeine cut of at about dinner time. I like an afternoon tea. Experiment with what works for you, if caffeine is a problem.
Screens should be turned off 2 hours before bed. I text my children who are away from home around 9:30 to hear how their day went and to say good night. And I set my phone alarm to get me up in the morning quietly. I am not an obsessive screen watcher, so the few minutes of screen time doesn’t seem to affect my night. What time do you need to shut down?
My goal is lights out by 10:30. And when that works, my morning works.
To get your morning routine working, set up your evening routine for a good night sleep.