How To Get To Sleep The Night Before A Big Event
When you have to get up early for a 6am flight or a meeting first thing in the morning, getting to sleep can be challenging. You know you need to get to sleep so you’re rested and ready, but when you can’t seem to snooze, the worry sets in and that starts a whole sleepless spiral. That’s because worrying doesn’t help, it actually makes it harder.
“The reality is that often the harder we try to relax and transition into sleep, the more we worry that we’re losing precious sleep time, making the elusive ‘good night’s sleep’ more difficult to obtain,” explains sleep specialist Dr. Raj Gupta.
So when you can’t sleep and have to be up early the next day, these tried and true tips from experts can help:
Don’t try for the impossible - If you usually go to bed at 11 and try to force yourself to go to sleep at 9pm, you’re setting yourself up to fail. Instead, Dr. Phyllis Zee, director of the Center for Circadian and Sleep Medicine at Northwestern University suggests dimming the lights by 9pm and aiming for a 10pm bedtime.
Meditation, mindfulness and breathing - Being stressed about sleeping is a “huge barrier from getting refreshing sleep,” Dasgupta says, but meditation and focusing on breathing can help you calm down and quiet the mind, helping you fall asleep.
Let the daylight in - When the alarm goes off all too early, turn on bright lights and let the sunlight in to tell the brain it’s time to be awake.
Plan a power nap - A 20-to 30-minute power nap in the early afternoon can help you catch up and get through the rest of the day without keeping you from falling asleep that night.
Avoid alcohol and sweets - Steer clear of caffeine after lunch and alcohol near bedtime since both can disrupt sleep. Dasgupta also recommends keeping after-dinner snacks small, sugar-free and easily digestible so they don’t interfere with sleep either.
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