How To Have A Good Night’s Sleep Before A Big Day

One of the greatest ironies of sleep is that many people struggle to get enough sleep the night before a day when they really need to be well-rested and ready for a big event, an early morning or a huge meeting.

On those nights, it can be frustrating to try and get into bed in luxury nightwear, force yourself to sleep as early as possible and accidentally keep yourself awake all night, missing out on the 7-9 hours of sleep we need on average according to the National Sleep Foundation.

As anyone who has tried to get to sleep early in order to be ready for an early start can attest to, this does not always work, particularly if you are someone who tends to naturally sleep later.

However, there are some tips and tricks that can help ensure you have an effective and restful sleep.

Try A Power Nap

As counterproductive as it can seem to sleep before you are going to have a big sleep, planning a half-hour power nap can help make it easier to fall asleep earlier.

Alternatively, if you have woken up early the next day, a power nap is the best way to get a quick boost and fall asleep later.

Avoid Alcohol And Large Snacks

Stimulants such as caffeine and sugar can often cause significant disruption to our sleeping patterns and should be avoided after lunch the day before you need to sleep if at all possible.

Similarly, alcohol in the evening can have a similar problem, as anyone who has tried to wake up the next day with a hangover can attest to.

Wake Up With Light

The best way to properly wake up early is to turn on as bright a light as you have near to your bed, before getting up and opening the curtains.

This helps your body adjust its circadian rhythm, boosting your energy during the day, and making the following night’s sleep easier and more rewarding.

How To Handle A Disruption

A late-night call or a constantly buzzing mobile device can really mess with and disrupt your sleeping pattern. If it is at all possible, try to ignore it or shut off notifications, but if that is not possible, make sure not to turn the light on and ensure the conversation is calm and brief.

Try to go to sleep immediately after, but if it takes more than a few minutes to finally drift off again, turn on as dim a light as possible and read a heavy, dense, largely unexciting book or instruction manual.

Practice Mindfulness

As with other stressful situations, mindfulness, meditation and breathing exercises can be particularly helpful for calming down an excited or stressed mind and making it easier to transition from relaxed to asleep.

Several guided meditation tools exist to help with this, but in all three cases the focus is typically on breathing and slowing yourself and your breathing down, allowing the stresses of the day to shake loose before you enter a restful state.