THE NUANCE
What’s the Best Way to Spend the Hour Before Bed?
To support sleep, make that last hour distinct from the rest of your day.
A majority of Americans — a little over 50% of the population — watches TV just before bed.
If you’re one of them and you tend to fall asleep easily, don’t change a thing. In fact, stop reading right now!
A lot of us would sacrifice a family member in exchange for your superpower. Also, new findings in the Journal of Sleep Research show that, despite its bad reputation, watching TV or using other forms of screen-based media before bed isn’t a problem for everyone. If what you’re doing is working, roll with it.
But if you struggle to fall asleep at night, researchers have found that adopting (or avoiding) certain hour-before-bed activities really can make a difference.
Warming your hands, feet, and skin causes your core temperature to drop, which is what you want.
Chris Winter, MD, offers the following advice: “A hot shower or bath, followed by relaxing in a cool, dimly lit room while reading something that is not stressful or anxiety-provoking.”
