How to make this happen in 7 steps:
💡 Sleep 7 to 9 hours a night
STEP 1: 🏆 VISUALIZE SUCCESS
Think about how great it would feel to wake up energized, well rested and positive every day.Think about how great it would feel to wake up energized, well rested and positive every day.
STEP 2: 🔎 ANALYZE YOUR CURRENT EVENING ROUTINE
You can’t make successful changes without fully understanding your current routine. Below are some examples of some of the things people do as part of their routine. Think about how you typically spend the last hours of your day and write it down. Examples include:
- Brushing teeth
- Washing face
- Watching TV
- Reading work emails
- Walking the dog
- Cleaning or doing dishes
- Drinking a glass of wine
This video provides an overview of the 7 steps displayed on this page.
STEP 3: 🚧 IDENTIFY OBSTACLES THAT COULD PREVENT SLEEPING 7 TO 9 HOURS
A common obstacle for many people is they are unknowingly sleeping in a room that’s too hot. You want your bedroom to be cool and dark. The ideal room temperature for sleeping is between 61 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit (16 to 19 degrees Celsius). That may seem cold initially, but the body adapts and we sleep better in slightly cooler temperatures.
Obstacles also vary from person to person. What could be an obstacle for you may not be an obstacle for someone else. Some people have no problem falling asleep after evening exercise, others struggle and therefore need to exercise earlier in the day. Below we list some of the things that can negatively impact the quality of your sleep:
- Late night TV
- Working or reading work emails in the last hour before bed
- Looking at screens in general just before bed
- Drinking caffeinated beverages after 2 pm
- Consuming alcohol before bed.
These are things you want to start reducing or eliminating altogether.
STEP 4: ✏️ CREATE AN OPTIMAL SLEEP ROUTINE
Make a strategy that aligns with your objective, in this case the objective is sleeping a minimum of 7 hours per night. Determine what time you want to get up. If it’s 6 am, you should aim to be in bed by 10:00, or 10:30 pm at the latest. Different people have different routines. There is not one routine that works for everyone. That’s why it’s important you discover what works well for you. Below we display some examples and ideas that may help you restructure your evening routine.
Relaxation should start at least 9 hours before wake up time. This will give you time to prepare your mind and body for its rest. Some examples:
- Reading a book
- Prepping your lunch for tomorrow
- Spending quality time with a loved one
- Doing some stretches or yoga
- Listening to relaxing music
15 to 30 minutes before you go to bed:
- Close down your computer and turn off your TV
- Stop using your phone
- Place your phone at least 8 feet away from your bed or better in another room
- Think about buying an alarm clock if you use your phone as an alarm
- Do a few minutes of breathing exercises
STEP 5: 👶🏼 START OUT SMALL, OR BETTER YET START OUT “VERY SMALL”
Starting out with baby steps will help you ease into the process, improving the chances of success. Choose 1 or 2 small things you can do to improve your pre-sleep routine. Make sure they are simple and easy to follow. It should not feel overwhelming. When those things become embedded in your routine, you can add more.
STEP 6: ⏰ FIND A TRIGGER
Find a good “trigger” to kick off the new habit. A trigger is a cue that will serve as a reminder to perform the new habit. Test the trigger. A good trigger (or prompt) will help you follow the new routine. If you find you are forgetting to do the new habit, you need to identify a better trigger.
Examples of a trigger:
After I have washed my face, I will read 2 pages of a book
After I have put my kids to bed, I will stretch for 2 minutes
After I sit down for dinner, I will put my phone away
STEP 7: 🎈 CELEBRATE SUCCESS TO MAKE YOUR HABIT STICK
Celebrate success every single time you complete your new habit. It will help the habit stick. The celebration is a positive emotion. Our brains like positive reinforcement, and many celebrations over time make it more likely our new habits become part of our automatic behavior. Celebrations can vary from person to person, so find one that works for you. Examples:
💪 Tell yourself “good work” after you turned off your phone 30 minutes before going to bed
🙂 Smile and give yourself a thumbs-up after reading a few pages in a book
🎻 Imagine you hear your favorite song. Sing or hum it along to it
What if you fall off the wagon?
If one night you don’t get your 7-9 hours of sleep, don’t beat yourself up about it, just get back on track the next day. Some habits may take a bit longer to stick, but if you feel you’re falling off the wagon quite frequently, then revisit these 7 steps. You will probably discover new obstacles. If you don’t discover new obstacles, it might be a sign you need to start out smaller. Trial and error are part of the process; you are one step closer to finding the routine that works best for you.
Additional helpful resources: Tiny Habits, BJ Fogg, PhD
If you experience difficulties with implementing these 7 steps into your daily routine, or if you would like more information about habit formation, we encourage you to read “Tiny Habits” by BJ Fogg. BJ developed the Tiny Habits Method to help people build habits in a sustainable manner.
