To prepare for sleep it is helpful to build a wind down hour into the client’s evening. This can either exclude or include the 20 minutes I mentioned in the previous lesson (‘Set a Bedtime’) that is needed to fall asleep.
If we use the previous example of needing to be asleep by 11pm, the wind down hour starts at 9.40pm if we exclude the 20 minutes needed to fall asleep. Alternatively, you could decide to start the wind down hour at 10pm but do ensure your client knows they need to be in their bed by 10.40pm to allow for sleep latency.
There are no absolutes of what constitutes a wind-down hour as it is dependent upon your client. However, I will say that watching something loud, violent, aggressive on either the TV or social media; eating a very heavy meal; getting drunk; arguments; stimulating activities; working; email correspondence; high impact exercise; running around doing a million things, being anxious and stressed are not helpful. Naturally there will be times some of the things I have just mentioned will occur for that is life… but we want to avoid it becoming a habit.
This implies we want to make a bedtime wind down routine which is harmonious, peaceful and soothing.
Refer to the following ‘Sleep Well’ course sections:
- Bedroom Environment on ensuring the client has a restful bedroom.
- Bedtime Routine (the lessons in this section) for ideas on what to include in this wind down hour.
- Relaxation Tools for further ideas to unwind.
Wind Down Hour Helps with the Following Sleep Disturbances:
- Stress + Anxieties
- Sleep Debt
- FOMO
- Revenge Procrastination