The perfect pre-bedtime night routine sets you up for a successful tomorrow,
activates the parasympathetic nervous system, and primes you for restorative sleep.
Step one, create a consistent way of signaling yourself to begin the night
routine. It should be around the same time every night. If you're like me,
setting a reminder on your phone or scheduling your smart lights to dim can keep you on track.
Step two, set yourself up for tomorrow in two ways. The first is to ask yourself if there's
anything you need to do now to make tomorrow easier for you, like setting aside your ID,
pager, and stethoscope if you need to get to the hospital early. The second is to
reflect on the day with a 2 minute journaling exercise. This helps you wrap up the day on a
positive note and trap your thoughts on paper so they don't keep you up in bed.
Step three, activate your parasympathetic nervous system. Lower your body temperature,
avoid backlit screens, and reduce the volume on music. If you can't resist your phone, try blue
light blocking glasses. Some also find it helpful to stretch or do breath work to wind down as well.