How to Sleep Earlier: 9 Tips to Help You Go to Bed Earlier

Humans need sleep to maintain healthy bodies and minds. Our natural circadian rhythms typically cause us to enter a sleep cycle at least once every twenty-four hours. While the amount of sleep needed varies by age, maintaining a consistent sleep routine provides your body with innumerable health benefits. Sleep is essential for learning and long-term memory consolidation, cell regeneration, immune support, and mental health. A good night’s sleep also protects the body from health concerns such as hypertension, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

No matter how much sleep you ultimately need, aim for durations long enough to progress through a full sleep cycle from light sleep to slow-wave deep sleep to REM sleep.

Individual sleep requirements vary widely from person to person; however, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends these minimum amounts of sleep for healthy adults and children:

• Infants: Newborn babies and infants need the most sleep of any age group. Newborns typically sleep fourteen to seventeen hours a day. Babies and toddlers older than six months require a few hours less, but they may need supplemental napping during the day.
• Preschoolers: A preschool-aged child typically needs ten to thirteen hours of sleep at night.
• School-age: School-age children (from six to twelve) need nine to twelve hours of sleep every day. This sometimes includes napping but often does not.
• Teenagers: Young adults and teenagers require eight to ten hours of sleep per night. However, their natural circadian rhythms may encourage night owl tendencies. It is common for teens to stay up at night and sleep late in the mornings to get enough sleep.
• Adults: Both young adults and middle-aged adults need at least seven hours of sleep per night.
• Older adults: Between ages sixty-one and sixty-four, adults should aim for a sleep duration of seven to nine hours per night.
• Retirees: Adults age sixty-five and over typically need seven to eight hours of sleep in a twenty-four-hour period. As people age, their melatonin levels become less consistent, which may lead to a need for less sleep.

There are many health benefits to establishing an early bedtime. If you go to sleep earlier, you can experience these benefits. Going to be early:

1. 1. Allows enough time for a full night’s rest: Establish your bedtime based on how much sleep you require at night and when you want to wake up. Sticking to this earlier bedtime allows you to get the quality sleep you need.
2. 2. Encourages a better sleep schedule: Setting a specific bedtime and establishing a nighttime routine is a crucial first step in encouraging better sleeping habits. If you are a night owl or spend too much late-night time on your cell phone, establishing an early bedtime helps prevent procrastination and instead prioritizes healthy sleep.
3. 3. Permits healthy amounts of natural light exposure: Sleep experts say waking up early results in many sleep benefits. When you rise early, you get more morning light exposure, which helps maintain a healthy circadian rhythm and encourages a full night’s sleep.

Going to bed earlier can improve your quality of sleep and curb sleep problems. Try these tips to establish an earlier bedtime:

1. 1. Avoid caffeine in the afternoon. Caffeinated drinks give you an afternoon energy boost, but they disrupt your sleep cycle, including your ability to sleep earlier. Remove caffeine from your routine in the six hours leading up to your bedtime.
2. 2. Avoid electronic devices before bed. Put away electronics that emit blue light, such as computers and cell phones. Sources of bright light imitate daylight, fooling your natural body clock to prep you for the day ahead instead of winding down for a night of restful sleep.
3. 3. Create an evening bedtime routine. Maintaining a bedtime routine sets you up for success; it encourages you to fall asleep earlier, improving overall sleep quality. A bedtime routine should be an enjoyable and relaxing set of activities specific to your goals and needs. This can include journaling or meditating to get into a calm headspace, reading a book to relax and induce sleepiness, or taking a warm shower and completing a skincare routine.
4. 4. Create a relaxing sleeping space. A comfortable environment can help improve your sleep hygiene and foster a healthy sleep foundation. This will look different for everyone, but it can include anything from a sleeping mask or earplugs to a heating blanket or air conditioner to help you maintain a comfortable body temperature.
5. 5. Follow an exercise regimen. Working out every day creates a routine and rhythm for your body. Early morning cardio or weight training invigorates your mind and body and boosts your energy levels throughout the day. Daily workouts also release endorphins and stress-relieving hormones to improve your mood.
6. 6. Gradually go to bed earlier. Avoid going to bed exponentially earlier than you usually do to kick-start a new routine—your internal body clock needs time to adjust, so you may toss and turn. Instead, gradually ease yourself into an earlier bedtime and adust your wake-up time accordingly.
7. 7. Refrain from eating in the evening. To create optimal sleep conditions, refrain from consuming foods or liquids two to three hours before bed. Although nutrition and hydration play a vital role in sleep health, indigestion and numerous trips to the bathroom disrupts your body’s circadian rhythm and REM cycles.
8. 8. Try natural sleep remedies. You can try over-the-counter sleep aids to boost your body’s natural melatonin production. A few micrograms of melatonin can help get to bed earlier, stay asleep through the middle of the night, and wake sooner the next day. However, you should gradually scale down your doses once your internal clock is in its optimal rhythm. Excessive dependence on sleep supplements can disturb the natural production of melatonin.
9. 9. Visit your doctor or volunteer for a sleep study. If you continue to struggle to achieve adequate rest at night, it may be time to consult your healthcare provider. You can ask your doctor for advice or a referral to a sleep specialist who can diagnose possible disorders. Common sleep disorders include sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, or insomnia.
   

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