Decide on a bedtime in advance and start planning for it 1 hour ahead.

Just like you can't go from 0 to 100 in the morning, you can't instantly calm down from a busy day the moment your head hits the pillow. Create a transition period and tell yourself it’s time to relax.

1 hour before bed, take out a piece of paper and do a "brain dump."

You may be planning the next day, reflecting over stuff that happened earlier, or just pondering about nothing of any real importance, it’s easy to let the "brain hamsters" run in their wheel as we lay there staring at the ceiling wide awake. I’ve kept a daily blog since 2010. I never described it as a brain dump until recent years, but it does help prior to sleeping.

Read something light or listen to light music.

Reading light fiction while sipping on hot herbal tea gets you out of your mind and into a story. Light music always works me when I lay down for a power nap. Always avoid researching Covid 19 stats!

Focus on your behaviours rather than the outcome.

Don’t lie wide awake wondering and worrying if you’ve done something right. Follow a sleep ritual faithfully, get into bed and just know that you’ve tried your best today.

Dim the lights, darken your bed room.

Darkness indicates to our body that it’s time for sleep, so dim the lights and get into bed. Aim to dim the lights about an hour before sleeping. Make your bedroom as dark as possible and ensure to cover ambient lights such as mobile phones.

Do you have any tips for a better sleep? I'd love to hear them! Drop me a message on Facebook, Instagram or email me today!