The Game-Changing Bedtime Hack That Helped Me Get an Extra Hour of Sleep. Who knew a step so small could help me fix my sleep schedule?

 

The Game-Changing Bedtime Hack That Helped Me Get an Extra Hour of Sleep.

Who knew a step so small could help me fix my sleep schedule?

I’m a creature of habit. I am also perma-tired. I’ve been going to bed around midnight for years, and getting up for work (not to mention getting through the day) has become an exhausting challenge. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), 7 to 9 hours of sleep is recommended per night for adults, and those who clock in less than that per night (hello, me!) have more health issues.

My six or so hours of sleep per night weren’t working for me, but going to bed before 11 p.m. felt like a punishment. I think I had some kind of sleep FOMO. I’d sneak a peek at my phone and then go down the rabbit hole of Google and Instagram. I was basically an adult toddler with an early bedtime I didn’t like, and I could never keep the schedule up for long. My drastic approach of forcing myself to tuck in an hour early wasn't sustainable.

How I got myself to go to bed earlier

Sleep experts agree that keeping to a consistent schedule is the best thing you can do to fall asleep faster and wake up rested.

“Maintaining a regular schedule helps to reinforce the natural circadian rhythms that regulate your body’s internal clock, making it easier to fall asleep and wake up naturally. Going to sleep and waking up at the same times are key, but it typically takes up to a week for your body to settle into the new routine, so a gradual approach helps your body adjust,” says Raj Dasgupta, M.D., an ABIM quadruple board-certified physician, specializing in internal medicine and sleep medicine. “If your goal is to go to bed one hour earlier, then start by moving your bedtime back by 15-minute intervals each week.”

Little-by-little was the key, so each week, I went to bed 15 minutes earlier. Week one was 11:15 p.m., and even that was a little bit challenging at first. Moving my bedtime earlier by just a few minutes (rather than a whole hour) made me feel less FOMO and deprivation, and I was able to adjust over the course of a week. Fifteen minutes earlier didn’t feel like such a big deal, and over the course of a month I was going to bed at 10:30 p.m. A whole hour earlier than my usual.

I found that I wanted to go to bed earlier and when my alarm went off at 6:30AM I didn’t press snooze repeatedly for half an hour.

5 other things I did to reset my sleep schedule

This baby steps strategy wasn’t my only secret. I also relied on a few tried-and-true pro tips to help me wind down and get to sleep easier and faster.

One note: While these methods worked for me, they might not work for everyone. If you're struggling to fall asleep at night, you should definitely reach out to your doctor for advice. You may need to rule out a sleep disorder, or seek advice from a therapist.