How to Reset Your Sleep Habits for the New Year
You did it – another year is in the books (another tough year at that). We know with the New Year, the holidays, wintertime, and everyday stressors, the pressure of a New Year's resolution can feel overwhelming. With so much going on, making resolutions can feel unattainable.
While resolutions are personal, they don’t always have to be sweeping life changes. It's all about you. They can be small attainable goals, and the new year is an opportunity to start fresh. We like to think bite-sized when it comes to resolutions. Next year, don’t expect a whole new you, but perhaps it's a good time to work towards a better-rested you.
If you want to set some goals, and are looking for a place to start, we suggest working towards building one better sleep habit at a time. Practicing healthy sleep habits is a great goal and can be the foundation to working towards other resolutions, and more sustainable wellness this year. Win-win, right? If you’re ready to set a sleep goal and start including better sleep routines and habits into your plan this year, we’re giving you the roadmap for exactly how to do it.
Why Sleep Matters
Let’s get one thing out of the way first: why does sleep matter, and how much of a difference can healthy habits really make?
Sleep is an integral part of your mood, performance, and health every single day. While it’s a daily activity and often gets taken for granted, we’re here to remind you to check in with yourself. Quality sleep can help with more than just energy levels, like supporting your body and mind. If you have goals related to your mental or physical health, relationships, or career, it may be time to commit to building sleep habits to support them.
“Insufficient sleep jeopardizes our personal health, our workplace productivity, and the well-being of our communities,” according to a recent study. Quality sleep has the potential to improve life in many ways, and if this sounds good to you, it can be as easy as customizing some aspects of your day to support sleep.
Setting Yourself Up for Healthy Sleep Habits
Let’s get into creating a sleep resolution that works for you.
First, note that there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach to sleep, and each person has different needs, preferences, and circumstances. Therefore, when you learn these healthy sleep practices and habits, listen to yourself and go for shifts that will work for your body, mind and lifestyle.
Impactful Sleep Habits to Try This Year
1. Set aside enough time for sleep each night. For adults, the sweet spot for sleep is 7-9 hours per night. Know that it takes some time to fall sleep, you may need to add a bit more time to settle into rest.
2. Do your best to keep to the same sleep schedule every day, even on weekends.
3. Cultivate enjoyable, simple routines before bed and when waking up in the morning. Do what feels good to you here.
Morning routines should help you wake up easily, feel refreshed, and include just enough tasks without forcing you to rush around the house. For a pleasant wake-up, use a sunrise alarm. Instead of being startled awake by your bedside alarm or phone, you can wake up naturally and calmly each morning.
Bedtime routines should be similar, but focused on winding down. Create a routine that you enjoy and that lasts about 30-60 minutes before your ideal bedtime. Consider adding a morning meditation, a nutritious breakfast, and hygiene tasks to your morning routine, and stick to your schedule daily.
4. Create a sleep space that supports your rest. Here are some sleep hygiene practices for your bedroom:
- Cool, dark, and quiet room
- Use white noise at night
- Use your bed for sleep and intimacy only (no late-night snacking and Netflix)
5. Daytime habits can affect your sleep. You might not be thinking about how your day can impact your rest. Here are a few tips to try each day:
- Stay active, and if you choose to exercise in the evening, opt for a workout a few hours before bedtime so your body has time to unwind.
- Eat nutritious meals, but avoid big meals before bed.
- Avoid caffeine in the afternoon and later.
Ease into Sleep Changes
We’re proud of you for prioritizing your sleep, and you’ll be proud of the changes you make come next year.
Better rest is good for your well-being, but changes to your routine can be difficult to master. Be easy on yourself – don’t expect to make several big changes to your sleep all at once. Creating a sleep routine and practicing healthy habits can take time to master, and finding what works for you might take some trial and error. Here are a few changes to help your resolutions work for you.
- Treat yourself gently as you get started. If you’ve done something one way for months or even years, it’s not going to be easy to stop and start something new.
- Start small. If you’re not ready to take the full plunge, keep a list of bite-sized sleep goals and make one small change (or add in one thing) at a time.
- Support yourself with sleep frameworks that work. Bring in all the support you need to make changes and stick with your new routines. Whether you use a Hatch Restore, or another solution, it can be easier to make changes when you have a schedule to lean on. Customizing your bedtime and wake up with color and sounds you love, can help keep you invested in your habits & lead to long term sleep success.
New Year New Zzz’s
This year is your time to commit to healthy sleep habits, whatever that means for you. We’re here to support you and can’t wait to see you crush goals, sleep-related and not!
Check out these blogs to dig deeper into some common sleep goals, like routine building, waking up refreshed, and sticking to a healthy sleep schedule.