Dear Reader: We often hear about early morning routines from successful leaders, but we don’t hear a lot about evening routines. What should you do to wind down tonight and set yourself up for success tomorrow?
Sleep has been getting a lot of press lately. For instance, researchers at the Yale School of Medicine evaluated brain images to see how sleep habits could impact brain health. They discovered that sleeping too much or too little may affect stroke and dementia risks later in life. Other research has also indicated how sleep impacts our health.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, there are several ways to optimize your sleep health of approximately seven to nine hours a night for adults, such as sleeping in a quiet, cool and dark environment and having a consistent routine with a relaxing wind-down for the same sleep and wake times.
These healthy habits can positively impact your work performance, too, considering how you feel when you wake up exhausted, sluggishly performing on the job, compared to feeling refreshed and crushing your workload. Depending on your job, exhaustion at the workplace may also result in errors, accidents and safety hazards.
Oliver Niño, spiritual coach, energy healer and author of “Do This Before Bed: Simple 5-Minute Practices That Will Change Your Life,” said nightly rituals are like “closing all the open tabs in your brain.” He said, “If you don’t, all that stress, mental clutter and work energy lingers, making it harder to sleep and draining you before the next day even begins. A simple, consistent nighttime routine helps you sleep better, wake up feeling more energized, and step into each day with clarity and focus.”
His advice? Mentally release lingering stress by clearing your space with a candle or calming music, unplugging from screens at least 30 minutes before you go to sleep, practicing gratitude or manifestation by jotting down three things you’re grateful for and one thing you want to call in, and listening to a guided meditation to relax your mind and body. “The key is consistency — your body will recognize the routine and naturally start to wind down,” he said.
This consistency means breaking old habits that don’t serve you, such as sending work emails from your bedroom. “Your bedroom should be your sanctuary, not an extension of your office. Keep work and electronics out of the space — not only does blue light mess with sleep, but the energy of stress lingers,” he said. “Burn sage or diffuse essential oils to clear stagnant energy, play calming music to raise the vibration of your space and declutter to create a peaceful environment. Treat your bedroom like a place for rest and restoration, not just another workspace.”
Ultimately, the way you wind down your day at the end of it may determine your energy a few hours later when you wake up. Niño said, “Your sleep is a powerful time to heal, manifest and reset. Prioritize your nighttime routine, and you’ll start waking up feeling clearer, more aligned, and ready to take on whatever’s next.”
Tribune News Service