A Sleep Specialist Swears By This 5-Step Bedtime Routine

Sleep is something we all need — but we never seem to get enough of it. And sometimes, the hardest part is simply falling asleep in the first place.

Struggling to fall asleep is one of the most common sleep issues. In fact, the average adult in the UK only gets three days a week with good sleep.

When Angela Holliday-Bell, was in medical school, she stopped being able to sleep. “Every part of my life was suffering,” she says. “I was stressed and irritable, work was really difficult, my relationships were strained.”

So, she became an expert. She decided to read “every book there was” about sleep, the work in the sleep clinic at her hospital and how to fix her relationship with slumber.

Now board-certified in pediatrics and clinical sleep health, Holliday-Bell has completely revamped her sleep habits and helps others do the same. “I really like to make my bedtime routine an indulgent process,” she says. “It’s something that I look forward to.”

According to Holliday-Bell, you may feel the benefits of these changes the very first evening you incorporate them — so why not start tonight?

Change the lightscape.

Your sleep routine should begin about an hour before bedtime, she says. For Holliday-Bell, bedtime is at 10 p.m., so when the clock strikes nine, she dims all the lights in her house. Changing the lightscape can signal to the body that it’s time to start winding down.

“In decreasing the amount of light exposure, I’m getting the signal to my brain that it’s time to prepare for bed and to stimulate melatonin,” she says.

She also sets her phone to automatically turn on Do Not Disturb mode at nine, which cuts down the temptation to look at the screen.

Set the mood.

If you have a ‘good morning, get-ready-for-work’ playlist that pumps you up, consider making a bedtime version — a little routine to get you in the mood for slep.

Every evening, Holliday-Bell turns on soothing music that, she says, “makes me feel good as I’m winding down.” She fires up the playlist and a few candles (ones with notes of lavender are her favourite) to enhance the relaxing ambiance.

With the music on and the soothing scents wafting in, she does her skincare routine and brushes her teeth.

Settle your mind.

A racing mind is a surefire way to make sleep feel impossible. About 15 minutes before her strict 10 p.m. bedtime — with her phone tucked out of reach on a charger — she cracks open a book, which helps destress her after a long day and distract her from any lingering anxiety.