Can these daily tips mitigate your nightly rest? (Part 2)

In the last piece on preparing by day for better nights, we covered some crucial points.

Namely they surrounded your tasks, technology, and tonics. The pros purport that you should do your chores early, stop technology use early, and forget the frappucinos six hours of less before bed – if you want your time there to be quality level. Now, we’ll carry on with that list by knocking out another three: cardio, cobweb clearing, and conventions. Here’s why you wanna exercise, take un-naps, and create special rituals before your nightly R&R.

4. Exercise, not excuses

Yes, I can already hear you making the excuses.

And they’re all brilliant and great ones – don’t get me wrong. Some of them are even pretty creative. But you know what they aren’t? Effective in helping you sleep sans the side effects of whatever else you’ve been using as a shoe in. ‘cause studies suggest you’ll fall asleep faster and have a better overall rest if you do make time… in lieu of excuses. In fact, research has shown that any time you make for cardio – even right before lights out – is better than none at all. So we can add “it’s too late” to the erroneous excuse list, too. Unless, of course, your doctor has said you shouldn’t. (And you’re not your own doctor.)

“Just another night at the bar… get it? Ahhh? Get it?!”

5. Un-napping

The problem with nap-taking is that, when you get past a certain point in your napping, you start a whole sleep cycle and wake up cranky because your body thought it was getting a full night’s rest when instead your iphone’s jangle awakened you halfway through back into the unwelcome light of day. (Which you now have to finish while feigning that you’re refreshed.) Instead, some researchers have suggested everything from the likes of an “Un-nap” (a somatic mind-body practice that re-calibrates you) to the Einstein power nap (A 20 minute nap while holding an object to preclude you from falling into deep sleep – but still allow you to the benefits of body and brain rest). And when should you do either’a these? Prior to 4 in the afternoon, it’s said.

Oh, and then, of course there’s meditation which you can do any damned time you please.

6. Make a pre-bed ritual

One thing I didn’t know till just now: your body needs at least half an hour to relax pre-sleep.

This’s probably why they say to toggle off electronics 30 minutes before takeoff in your dream shuttle. And, what should you do in that time? Some reach for non-fiction (not on a kindle) in dim lighting (though not too dim – because: vision). Some do yoga or meditation. For me, I make a list of tomorrow’s to-do’s – so that I won’t be plagued by some abstract concept of them as I fall asleep (or upon waking). I’ll know they’re waiting there, all in order, to be done when it’s time to. And another recent one I liked? The trigger point self massage technique. The idea is that you undo all the stress you’ve accrued in your shoulders from poor posture all day – via tennis ball and deep relaxation techniques.

“These blue balls keep the Sandman from blueballing my sleep stiffy.”

That last one’s actually come to be my favorite when I’m unwilling and unmotivated to do the others.

Thus, speaking of unwilling and unmotivated, if you’ve read this whole thing, thinking “But, I don’t wanna,” then at least try this mental exercise. Fast forward to tonight. When you’re laying in bed, fried but untired enough to float off into sub-conscious bliss. Just like last night. And probably the night before. Wishing you’d better prepped, am I right? Good.

So let’s rewind back to now, where the day’s your oyster.

And shuck that shiz with these six tips, so you can chuck the chemicals come comatose o’ clock.