10 Steps to a Better Night’s Sleep
Sleep affects everything: mood, focus, appetite, immunity, exercise recovery and how well we handle stress. Here are ten steps I share with clients, combining everyday sleep-hygiene advice with a few relaxation techniques from my hypnotherapy work.
1. Keep a consistent schedule
Going to bed and waking up at about the same time every day, including weekends, helps set your body clock. Most adults need at least seven hours a night.
2. Park your thoughts on paper
Keep a notepad by your bed. Before lights out, jot down anything on your mind, including tomorrow’s to-dos. Knowing it’s captured makes it easier to let go.
3. Slow your breathing
Lie comfortably and let each breath become a little slower, with the out-breath slightly longer than the in-breath. Many people find it helpful to repeat a few soothing words silently, such as “deep… relaxed… sleep,” letting each repetition feel slower and softer.
4. Relax your body progressively
Starting at the top of your head, let each part of your body soften in turn: forehead, jaw, shoulders, arms, chest, belly, legs, feet. If your mind wanders, gently bring it back.
5. Put the clock and phone away
Turn your clock away so you’re not watching the minutes. Keep your phone on silent and, ideally, out of reach. Bright screens and stimulating content close to bedtime can make it harder to fall asleep.
6. Read something calming
Twenty to thirty minutes with a relaxing book (paper or a dim e-reader) helps many people wind down.
7. Move during the day
Regular physical activity supports better sleep. As a personal trainer I’d suggest aiming for the general guideline of about 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, ideally finishing vigorous workouts a few hours before bed if late exercise keeps you wired.
8. Create a sleep sanctuary
Keep your bedroom cool, dark and quiet, and reserve your bed for sleep and intimacy. Soft lighting and calming music in the hour before bed can help signal “wind-down time.”
9. Mind your evening eating and drinking
Try to finish large meals two to three hours before bed. Limit caffeine after early afternoon, and go easy on alcohol, which can make you drowsy but disrupts sleep later in the night. A warm bath or shower an hour or two before bed can also help you feel sleepy as your body cools afterward.
10. Try self-hypnosis
Self-hypnosis combines several of these steps into one calming routine. With practice, many people find it a reliable way to quiet a racing mind at bedtime.
When to get help
If you regularly struggle to fall or stay asleep for several weeks, snore loudly, stop breathing during sleep, or feel exhausted despite enough time in bed, please talk to your physician. Insomnia and sleep apnea are common and treatable, and cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is the recommended first-line treatment for chronic insomnia. Relaxation and hypnosis can be helpful additions.
Hypnotherapy, NLP and EFT are complementary approaches. They don’t diagnose or treat medical conditions and are not a substitute for medical care, so please also work with your physician on any health concern.
If you’d like to find out whether this approach is a good fit for you, I offer a free, no-pressure consultation. Get in touch here and we can talk it through.
