How do you calm your mind before sleep, so it’s restful?

Jesse Bouman ‏ @JesseBouman

how do you calm your mind before sleep, so it’s restful?

ANSWER:

I can’t do this every day. But here’s my goal every single day. I really like to sleep. I like to get into a deep sleep, with no nightmares and I like to wake up 8-10 hours later feeling refreshed. I love sleep so much that it becomes a top priority of mine during the day to prepare for a good sleep.

So here is what I TRY to do:

– My last meal is at 3 or 4pm TOPS. 95% of the time I succeed at this. Even with kids, I feed them dinner at 6pm but I don’t eat.

– No alcohol. Alcohol can make you tired but it has a lot of sugar (see above) and can snap me awake at 2am with anxious thoughts. VERY BAD. Plus, it’s a depressant. And it has bad taste. Eww.

– No screen time after 7pm. DEFINITELY no computer or email. But screen time also includes TV.

– After 7pm I get under the covers, I try reading, and I usually do that until falling asleep.

– Note: exercise (even sex) late in the day is not that great for falling asleep. Too many chemicals at work in the body. I like everything to relax after 7pm.