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A good night’s sleep
Last night, the clocks were once again changed to daylight saving time. Thus, where I live, an hour was erased from the passage of time and the clocks were advanced from 2:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m.
For as long as I can remember, there has been a debate every six months as to whether and, if so, when the time change should finally be abolished. According to polls, more than 75% of the population across Europe is in favour of abolition. Personally, I am definitely one of the opponents of the time change. One reason is that I have ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), which means that I have to make an incredible effort to follow certain routines and show a certain discipline in order to accomplish my tasks and actually achieve my self-imposed goals. Otherwise, the daily distractions will divide my attention so much that I will sink into chaos. In the case of the time change, this has a serious impact on my routines. It is very difficult for me to get up an hour earlier just because the clock shows a later time. My inner clock rebels against the imposed time change, until at the end of October the time is finally changed back to normal winter time.
Effects of the time change
There are actually statistics that show that in the days following the time change to daylight saving time, significantly more heart attacks, cases of illness and even more traffic accidents happen. A connection with this time change has been known for a long time. Incidentally, when switching back to normal winter time, there are no known increases in such incidents. Surveys found that at least 25% of respondents suffered from various health problems after the time change to daylight saving time. Of the respondents, as many as 85% said they suffered from tiredness and exhaustion. Many also had trouble falling asleep and having trouble concentrating. It is a mystery to me why we are still expected to accept this imposed time change, even though it has been clear for decades that the desired effects, namely savings in energy costs, will not be achieved at all.
But even if we don’t suffer from the time change, good sleep cannot be taken for granted. That’s why I’ve put together my 7 best tips for a good night’s sleep.
A restful sleep begins in the evening
We all know it and have certainly heard it a hundred times. Getting enough restful sleep is important for our health and well-being. And yet it is not uncommon for us to watch one more episode of the series than planned or to stumble across another YouTube video that we can’t ignore. Maybe we’re scrolling endlessly through social media. In other cases, the new book may have been too exciting, or our work may be endless.
Whatever it is, you procrastinate it to go to bed on time.
After all, going to sleep is voluntary and we finally have something that we can ignore without theoretically threatening serious consequences. Then it is often midnight or even later and the alarm clock early in the morning becomes a torture. Something like this still happens to me sometimes, but most evenings I have a well-functioning routine.
My 7 best tips for a good evening routine and restful sleep
Tip 1: Early dinner
This starts with having dinner at 6 p.m. at the latest, sometimes even as early as 5 p.m. Since I don’t eat again until around 10 o’clock in the morning, this allows me about 16 hours of fasting.
Tip 2: Reset
This is followed by a short reset for my apartment. Everything is tidied up and cleaned. If I don’t do it early enough, then experience has shown that I don’t do it anymore. Coming into a kitchen the next morning with dirty dishes in the sink is unfortunately not really a good start to the day. In addition, in the evening, when you fall asleep, you often have the feeling that you still have unfinished business, which does not exactly contribute to a good night’s sleep.
So this is important for me in that I have the feeling that I am at least really “finished” with the housework that day. And not to be behind the next day.
Tip 3: Planning
At that point, I like to look over my daily schedule again and plan the next day. I’m usually done with that around 7:30 p.m. / 8:00 p.m.
Tip 4: Micronutrients
Then I take a glass of water with a spoonful of MSM (methylsufonylmethane), a portion of glycine and magnesium, as well as melatonin. If you would like to reduce aging processes, you should definitely try my tips on magnesium and melatonin. Magnesium actually smoothes wrinkles and fine lines and can thus help to maintain a more youthful appearance. In addition, like MSM, it has an anti-inflammatory effect. Aging processes and inflammatory processes are literally mutually dependent. Anti-inflammatory foods or micronutrients are therefore essential. Melatonin is not only a circardial hormone, it is also a powerful antioxidant.
It protects our cells from so-called free radicals overnight by binding to oxygen and nitrogen radicals. Melatonin even penetrates into the mitochondria, the “power plants” in our cells, where it acts as an apex antioxidant, i.e. as a “peak or main antioxidant”. Glycine is the smallest proteinogenic amino acid that is not essential, i.e. we don’t actually have to absorb it from the outside, our body can produce it itself. But it is a component of countless or almost all proteins. It is involved in detoxification in the liver, it strengthens our immune system, it is important in the formation of bones, tendons, skin and muscles and much more. It is the largest component of collagen and makes up about a third of it. It is also involved in the formation of creatine, the energy store of our muscles.
Tip 5: Wellness
On some evenings I also take either a full bath with magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt) or at least a foot bath with Epsom salt. The body can also absorb magnesium through the skin. This additionally relaxes the muscles, has an anti-inflammatory effect, as already mentioned, and perfectly attunes to a good night’s sleep.
Tip 6: Go to bed early
I usually go to bed around 9:00 p.m. Sometimes I sleep right away, but some evenings I like to study, read, draw or write for a while.
However, I wouldn’t do any more strenuous or stressful things at this time. I always try to sleep around 10 p.m., but it also gets midnight occasionally. However, I then sleep correspondingly longer, so that I get 7-8 hours of sleep.
Tip 7: Listen to a sleep meditation
To get started, I like to listen to a sleep meditation. Which I really recommend. When I discovered this for me, a few years ago, it was really a kind of gamechanger for me. before that, I had always listened to classical music or nature sounds to fall asleep for a long time, which I can also recommend. But a sleep meditation that is suitable for you also has, depending on the content, lasting effects on the mindset and stress level, etc.
Stand up
Between 4:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. I usually get up again. I’m not very strict about this, because I notice that I have a very different need for sleep and that’s okay, I think. For men e.g. Strict wake-up times can work, but I think that the need for sleep in women is very much linked to the cycle and I like to give my body an hour more sleep when in doubt. On days when I might have been able to fall asleep at 9 p.m. because I didn’t feel like reading or writing anymore, I often wake up on my own around 4:00 a.m.
I also like the peace and quiet so early in the morning and then like to use this time to work. But if I tried to get up at 4 a.m. every day, then in most cases I failed or was noticeably overtired and exhausted after a few days. On other days when I was awake longer in the evening, I get up later to be sufficiently rested.
Are strict routines better?
I don’t think there’s any right or wrong. If you have a job that you really finish after work, then I think you can always fall asleep and get up at the same time. In my case, it doesn’t work because I don’t have strict working hours. Creativity is also not based on fixed times. If I can’t be as creative as I would like to be in the morning and just can’t think of so much, but suddenly the ideas are bubbling over in the evening, then I can’t and don’t want to just say, but now it’s time to call it a day. If I don’t put things on “paper”, then I might forget them again. Also, that wouldn’t leave me alone until I somehow wrote down the ideas, or designed whatever it is that comes to mind.
You can only decide for yourself which routines suit you better.
I don’t think you’re automatically more successful if you force yourself to get up at 5 a.m. every day. I have known many people in my life who were more productive at night and some of them were very successful. However, the sleep pressure in the evening is correspondingly greater if you get up earlier in the morning. As a result, people tend to sleep earlier in the evening and waste less time watching TV. If you tend to do so, you might really want to try to get up earlier in the morning if your goal is to use your time more effectively.
Conclusion
Establishing some steps in the evening that get you in the mood for a good sleep work, in my opinion, really well to improve sleep. If these have become habits, the steps are easy and you consistently do something for your own health. These many little things add up over time and can have a lasting effect on health, well-being and appearance. You look more refreshed in the morning and feel more vital. I hope my tips are helpful and you were able to take something away from them. What are your favorite evening routines? Do you generally sleep well or rather badly? What do you think about getting up early (4:00-5:00)? Feel free to let me know in the comments.
I wish you a relaxing weekend.
All the love
Christina
“Three things help to bear the hardships of life: hope, sleep and laughter.”
Immanuel Kant
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About the author
Christina Ernst is founder and CEO of Linen & Quince. She is also a designer, author and real estate expert. She shares her experiences and knowledge not only on our Linen & Quince blog, but also on her personal blog, christinaernst.net , where she writes about financial knowledge, starting a business, real estate knowledge and personal development. She loves interior design, art, antiques, as well as elegant, sustainable and high-quality fashion.
