Turning off screens one hour before bedtime is crucial for deep, restful sleep. It might sound funny, but your body needs a signal that sleep is coming. Part of that signaling is a darker environment (lack of bright light).
Instead of thinking of screens as bad or something to eliminate, consider these ideas as something to slide into your evening.
Replace instead of remove.
Jigsaw Puzzle
Stretch
Meditate
Listen to an audiobook
Snuggle with your dog or cat or other creature (or pillow) of choice
Why no screens before bedtime?
Melatonin is your sleep hormone. It is released in accordance with the absence of bright light. When you look at screens too close to bedtime, this tricks or suppresses melatonin into releasing later.
Also, melatonin likes to be on a rhythm, just like the rest of the human body. Take heartbeat and breathing as examples. You want them steady and consistent. Sure, they get off track sometimes with exercise or stress, but in general, homeostasis is key to the health of your cardiovascular system.
When we get off rhythm, it takes energy to restore it.
All 3-trillion of your internal cells have a clock and they work to stay in synch and be in alignment with the main clock in the human body which adjusts according exposure to light. So, aim for a consistent rising time and bedtime every day of the week to elevate your energy levels.
What would it be like if the clocks in your house all displayed a different time and you had to adjust them every day? Not fun. Seems like a waste of time, doesn’t it? That’s what it’s like for your body too.
A bedtime routine can help you with maintaining a sleep rhythm. If you need support with this, check out my 5-week Sleep Program.
How do you wind down before sleep?
Come share in our Sleep Fitness Group and if you found this helpful share it with your friends.
