Why Sleep is Foundational
- When you sleep well, good habits start to build naturally throughout your day.
- Quality sleep boosts your energy, mood, and focus, making it easier to eat well and keep active. Keep this up and watch the benefits compound.
Morning Routine
- Get outside for natural sunlight as soon as you can—allowing natural light into your eyes safely helps set your body’s clock (circadian rhythm).
- Spend a few minutes grounding—stand barefoot on grass or natural earth to help balance your body’s energy and reduce stress.
Daytime Habits
- Avoid caffeine after midday. Doing this will help you fall asleep at night easier and improve the quality of your restorative sleep.
- Stop eating and drinking at least 3 hours before bed to help with digestion and prevent nighttime discomfort.
Evening Routine
- Stop working and start winding down 2 hours before bed to help your mind relax.
- Dim house lights 1 hour before bed. Blue-blocking glasses can help—and are planned as a future Rise5 product.
- Avoid screens and put your phone away before bed.
- Stop drinking water 1-2 hours before sleep to limit bathroom trips at night.
Melatonin and Light
- Melatonin is a natural hormone your body makes to help control your sleep-wake cycle. It’s released by your brain when it gets dark, signaling that it’s time to sleep. Bright light, especially from screens at night, can reduce melatonin and make it harder to fall asleep.
Bedroom Setup
- Treat your bedroom as a sleep sanctuary: no TV or phones. Making your bedroom just for sleep helps your mind link that space with relaxation and rest.
- Read a book to relax (not on a screen).
- Keep your bedroom cool (turn off the heating before bed) and ventilated (crack a window if possible). Getting too warm is a common cause of waking up during the night.
- Use blackout blinds and remove electronic lights for darkness.
- Keep smart electronics (i.e. your phone) out of the bedroom to reduce EMF exposure while you sleep (Low EMF).
- Ear plugs and eye masks can also help—and are planned as future Rise5 products.
Mindset Before Bed
- Use positive self-talk: “I let go of today and welcome deep rest.” Check out our Affirmations blog.
- Try a simple prayer or moment of gratitude, whatever your beliefs.
- Practice breathwork. The box breathing technique is a good one: breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 4, out for 4, hold for 4—repeat and focus on your breath.
Nighttime Tips
- Train your bladder—if you wake, try to hold it and refocus for sleep. —often you’ll fall back asleep easier than if you fully wake to use the bathroom.
- If you wake up, avoid checking your phone!; the Rise5 alarm clock helps keep you unplugged.
Sleep Quality
- Consistent sleep and wake times strengthen your body clock and support better sleep, recovery, and overall health.
- Aim for 7–8 hours of sleep, with 40–50% being restorative sleep.
- Restorative sleep; Deep (or slow wave) sleep occurs early in your sleep cycle and is known for physical recovery; REM (or Rapid Eye Movement) sleep occurs later in your sleep cycle is known for mental recovery.
- Alcohol, even in small amounts, disrupts restorative sleep.
Action Step: Try these habits tonight. Let us know your results in the comments!