Setting the Mood for Sleep: A Guide to Better Sleep Hygiene
Author: Ziad Ashraf, Kinesiologist
It’s been more than an hour since you tried to go to sleep. Your body still feels restless, and your mind is as scattered as Lego pieces. You’re thinking about that early morning gathering, that meeting you can’t miss, the 7 a.m. workout class you optimistically signed up for, and, most importantly, what you’re going to eat tomorrow.
All these thoughts trick you into thinking you’re not actually sleepy, so you grab your phone to “check the time” and end up scrolling for another 15 minutes... to help you fall asleep, of course.
It’s alright. We've all been there. We power through the next day, running on fumes and caffeine. But are we just destined to keep accumulating sleep debt? You read that right, your body is the real tax collector here (more on that later).
Building the perfect sleep routine is tough, especially with stress, schedules, and kids in the mix. But the real culprit might not be the chaos... it might be the beautiful, expensive overhead lighting you were so proud of.
No, we’re not telling you to return your lights. But what if you dimmed them an hour or two before bed?
Here’s the science: Our bodies naturally produce melatonin, the same hormone found in those sleep supplements. But this process has a strong relationship with darkness. It’s a deeply evolutionary rhythm. Our ancestors rose with the sun to hunt and explore, and rested in the dark.
Fast forward to the modern age, and we’ve replaced firelight with fluorescent glow. A study by Burgess & Molina (2014) found that those who dimmed their lights at least an hour before bed fell asleep an average of 15 minutes faster. That includes the glow of your Netflix screen... and yes, those “harmless” 30 minutes of scrolling TikTok before bed.
You might be thinking, “But I wear blue light glasses! I’m protected.”
Well, the glasses can block light, sure, but what about your brain’s state of arousal after watching Steph Curry hit that buzzer-beater? The real issue might not be the light, but it’s the mental stimulation we’re feeding our minds before bed.
Restricting phone use even just 30 minutes before sleep has been shown to improve both sleep onset and sleep quality (He et al., 2020). And it gets better! Doing so also boosts mood and working memory the next day.
So… now that Mr. Science has made his case, how do we actually put this into practice?
As a psychotherapist-in-training and kinesiologist, I’ve spent a lot of time studying the brain, and I’ve put together some simple, actionable steps to help you build a better bedtime routine:
Ziad’s Wind-Down Routine:
Step 1:
Thirty minutes before bed, set your alarm and plug in your phone, preferably far away from your bed (I charge mine in the bathroom).
Step 2:
Turn on some unwinding music. I love Bossa Nova—its soft, beachy instrumentals from the coasts of Rio help me settle down.
Step 3:
Dim the lights. Experiment with warm, soft lighting to help signal your body it’s time to rest.
Step 4:
Get into your nightly ritual—brush your teeth, floss, and don’t forget your skincare.
Step 5 (Here’s where you get creative):
Do something relaxing and low-stimulation:
● Gentle yoga or light stretching
● Read 10 pages of your favorite sci-fi
● Doodle in a notepad
The point is to let your brain wind down. Engage in activities that are calming—not stimulating—so your body has a chance to say, “Okay, I’m ready for sleep now.”
Step 6: (THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP)
If you’re in bed and can’t sleep, don’t grab your phone from the other room. Let your mind wander for a bit, and I promise you it will reach its final destination to sleep.
Sleep is not just a luxury, rather t’s a foundational pillar of wellness. With small tweaks and consistent cues, we can start telling our minds and bodies: It’s time to rest.
If you try this out, let us know how it goes! We’d love to hear your favourite wind-down tips in the comments.
References
Burgess, H. J., & Molina, T. A. (2014). Home lighting before usual bedtime impacts circadian timing: a field study. Photochemistry and photobiology, 90(3), 723–726. https://doi.org/10.1111/php.12241
He, J. W., Tu, Z. H., Xiao, L., Su, T., & Tang, Y. X. (2020). Effect of restricting bedtime mobile phone use on sleep, arousal, mood, and working memory: A randomized pilot trial. PloS one, 15(2), e0228756. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0228756
