Have you ever had a hard time falling asleep at night? Or maybe you fall asleep quickly but then wake up because you suddenly remembered that you wanted to remember to do a certain important task tomorrow. You just have to get up and write it down, so that you don’t forget. Then you’re wide awake and thinking of more things. Before you know it, it’s morning and time to get up! Getting a good night’s sleep, sleeping soundly, is something everyone hopes for but did you know there are a few things you can do to make it easier to fall asleep?

Most everyone knows that a nice soak in a warm bath or shower helps to relax your body and helps you prepare to fall asleep. You can help yourself further by resisting the urge to check any of your electronic devices before bed. Research shows that sitting in front of a screen and engaging in emails or video games stimulates the brain. That’s the last thing you want to do, so .. Turn off all electronic devices about an hour before going to bed

Plan Your Day

The best thing you can do for yourself is to organize your day the night before. Planning your day the night before is a wonderful way to relieve your mind of all that you want to remember.  Here are the steps to take:

  • Review your calendar appointments for the next day – Is your day jam-packed? Will you have time to pick up lunch or should you pack a lunch for yourself tonight so that it’s ready when you are in the morning?
  • Think about the day that is just ending – is there anything you didn’t do today that you want to remember to do tomorrow? If so, make a note of it! Will you realistically have time tomorrow or perhaps it would make sense to schedule some tasks for later in the week when you have more time?
  • Double-check and make sure you have everything you need in your tote bag or briefcase
  • Review the errands you want to take care of and plot your route. Maybe you can take care of a couple of errands in a single spot – that would really save you time and gas!
  • Gather anything you need to take with you (dry cleaning or books to return to the library) and put them by the door
  • Create a short list of the things you want to do before you leave the house

Now that you’ve planned your day, as best you can, (for there’s always the unexpected thing that crops up) you can relax and enjoy your evening.

Try and do this planning exercise at the end of your workday, before dinner. This way your day is still fresh in your mind. Falling asleep is easier because your mind doesn’t have to hold the details to remember of the day to come.


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