---
title: "How are your sleep habits?"
date: 2025-02-25
canonical: https://www.capeconciergept.com/post/how-are-your-sleep-habits
description: "Small changes can transform your sleep: a consistent bedtime and wake time, morning sunlight, journaling and a wind-down ritual that cues your body to rest."
---

# How are your sleep habits?

Let's dig a little deeper into what developing good sleep habits looks like. There might be some small changes you could make to your current routine that could have a positive impact on your overall sleep quality.

## Create a bedtime ritual.

Create a bedtime ritual to help cue the body to and mind to slow and/or calm down.

- Go to bed at the same time every night.

- Set alarms or reminders for 1 hour and another for 15 min before bedtime to begin the wind down process.

- Wake up at the same time.

This helps to set circadian rhythms and may have a positive effect on sleep quality, general health, and cognition. Even better if you can combine this with 5-10 min of morning sunlight. And yes, going to bed and waking up at the same time includes weekends.

- 30-60 minutes before bed wind down with a hot bath.

- Set up for the following morning.

- Journaling.

- Writing out a to-do list, or a stream of conscious thinking, also known as a "brain dump" to clear your mind before getting into bed.

## What the heck is good sleep hygiene?

Practice good sleep hygiene with habits that are conducive to a good night's sleep. The list may seem overwhelming but adding 1-2 changes over the course of a week or two can definitely have an impact.

- Avoid caffeine and stimulants in the afternoon.

- Avoid alcohol a few hours before bed - alcohol can contribute to hot flashes and night sweats.

- Limit use of electronics in the hour before bed. This includes e-readers. If they are used, try a setting or glasses to block blue light.

- Dim the lights 1 hours before bed.

- Perform high intensity or high effort exercise early in the day.

- Low intensity exercise such as a slow walk or yoga may be helpful for sleep.

- Exercise and eat a similar times every day to regulate circadian rhythms.

- Use timers to shut off social media apps, notifications, and television approximately 1 hour before bed.

- Get 5-10 minutes of morning sunlight daily.

- Optimize your sleep environment by using your bed for sleep, not work, TV, or gaming.

- Keep the room dark with light blocking shades or use of an eye mask.

- Use ear plugs, a fan, or white noise machine to block noise.

- Make the bed comfortable.

- Keep the room cool.

- And place electronic devices outside of the bedroom if possible. Even when turned off, they can emit small amounts of blue light into the environment.

## When all else fails, just breathe.

Finally, here are 2 breathing strategies to trial to assist with falling asleep at bedtime or if you wake up overnight.

## - 4-7-8 technique

- Inhale through the nose - count of 4.

- Hold breath - count of 7

- Exhale through pursed lips - count of 8.

## - Box breathing

- Inhale through nose - count of 4.

- Hold breath - count of 4.

- Exhale - count of 4.

- Hold - count of 4.