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When Angela Holliday-Bell, MD, was in medical school, she stopped being able to sleep.
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Every part of my life was suffering, she says.
I was stressed and irritable, work was really difficult, my relationships were strained.
I really like to make my bedtime routine an indulgent process.
Its something that I look forward to, she says.
Change the lightscape.
Your sleep routine should begin about an hour before bedtime, she says.
Set the mood.
If you have a good morning, get-ready-for-work playlist that pumps you up, consider making a bedtime version.
Settle your mind.
Choose the right accessories.
Dr. Holliday-Bell swears by a few must-have sleep accessories: a fan, red light, andblackout sleep mask.
She also switches on a red light, which somesmall studieshave found might promote natural melatonin release.
Her trio of accessories are positive sleep associations, which means she connects them to a good nights rest.
They can help improve the ability to fall and stay asleep, due in part to that emotional association.
Then do it again tomorrow.
Doing the proper things even in one night can make a big difference, she says.
For Dr. Holliday-Bell, going tech-free for an hour before bed was difficult at first.
Even sleep experts have a hard time staying off Instagram.
If youre reading this after 10 p.m., chances are, shes already asleep.
Watch Keke Palmer React to TikTok Trends:
