Looking to get better sleep in 2021? Try this 7-day sleep plan
Is the pandemic keeping you up at night? You’re not alone. A lot of us have been typing the words “COVID insomnia” into the Google search bar on repeat this past year.
So, what is the best way to get some shut-eye? Before you reach for a cure in the drugstore aisle, Rebecca Robbins, Ph.D., a sleep scientist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, told TODAY the best sleep aid is “natural sleep, which comes with practicing healthy sleep strategies.” Some of these habits include:
- Keeping a consistent bedtime schedule.
- Practicing relaxing bedtime rituals before bed.
- Making time for exercise.
- Managing stress over the day.
Think of all of this as sleep training — but for adults.
Robbins said many of us are falling short of adequate sleep, which is between seven and nine hours for adults, and as many as 30% of us struggle with insomnia symptoms each night.
Habits for better sleep
Like eating well or moving more, a good night’s sleep is crucial to good health. Sleep affects everything from how we learn to our mood to immune system, so it’s definitely worth moving sleep up a notch on your to-do list.
Unless you have a medical condition that’s preventing you from getting in those zzz’s, a lot of common sleep issues can be tackled by building better sleep habits.
This seven-day sleep plan will help you unlock the secrets to better sleep by giving you the tools to understand your individual sleep patterns. Over the next week, you’ll start to uncover what’s keeping you up at night — and make the transition from bleary-eyed and tired to well-rested and ready to take on the new day. We’ll even give you an expert-backed plan to help you deal with that pesky time change.
Day 1: Download your sleep diary
This journey is all about mindfulness. Every morning for the next seven days, you’ll ask yourself these three questions: When did I go to sleep? How did I sleep? And how did I feel when I woke up? Jot the answers down in this handy downloadable and printable sleep diary PDF and you’ll get insights into what’s keeping you up at night (and the knowledge you need to fix it).
Day 2: Get off screens before bedtime
The light from your TV or phone make it harder to unwind and fall asleep. Your challenge for today is to shut down your devices or whatever else is keeping you up (looking at you, pandemic) at least one hour before bedtime to give your brain (and body) the best chance for some quality sleep. If you’re still scrolling through work emails, Robbins had this advice: “Anything that can wait, write down exactly what it is on a notepad, no matter how large or small. … The act of writing down these tasks — or really anything on your mind — can help take off the pressure and help you slip into sleep.”
