How to Develop a Sleep Trigger That Works

If you've ever tried to end a bad habit, you know how powerful habitual behavior becomes over time. The good news is you can use your human nature that loves rituals in your favor to assist your body in knowing it's time to wind down and go to sleep by creating sleep triggers that work.

• Get On a Schedule – Getting up and going to bed at relatively the same time every night is the primary way to improve your sleep to be more productive, happy, and healthy.

• Get Sunshine in The Morning – To trigger your internal body clock, try to get outside for about twenty to thirty minutes every morning before noon. It's best if you can get in an outdoor walk first thing in the morning.

• Go For an After Dinner Stroll – Like the morning light wakes you up, letting your body experience the natural sun going down and eventually setting is a great way to trigger your body to get ready for sleeping at night. Plus, an after-dinner stroll helps you maintain your weight and avoid clogged arteries.

• Consume Your Last Snack and Drink – At least two to three hours before you plan to go to sleep, consume your last snack and a glass of water to help you stay full and hydrated all night. For example, a handful of almonds and a nice glass of room temperature water can induce sleep.

• Turn Down the Thermostat – Sleeping with your thermostat lower than you think can help you get to sleep and sleep all night. For example, try turning your thermostat down to 68 at night and keeping it at 72 during the day.

• Dim The Lights – An hour or two before bed, consider dimming your lights inside your home to simulate the sun setting. You can put most lights on a dimmer switch relatively easily to assist you with this or get lamps that allow you to adjust them.

• Turn Off Your Technology and Electronics – The blue light that comes from your devices interferes with your body clock and should be avoided two to three hours before bedtime. Instead, try reading an old-fashioned book instead of watching stimulating movies and looking at screens.

• Put Your Feet Up – An hour or so before bed, try putting your feet up. If you're standing sitting at a desk a lot, consider that you may have fluid build-up. Fluid pools in your legs and will cause you to have to urinate during the night. If you put your legs up before bed to trigger this process, you'll avoid that problem.

• Stretch Gently and Meditate – Try meditation and gentle stretching before bed to prepare your body for relaxing and resting by clearing your mind and aligning your body.

Finally, use the toilet, take a hot bath, brush your teeth, and get in your most comfortable clothing. Don't skip this because you need to be clean and comfortable when you go to bed. Don't rush the process. Give yourself time to move slowly and deliberately. Take your time developing this nighttime ritual that starts two to three hours before you're ready to lay down.