But while we often focus on morning routines, our days are highly dependent on our sleep, and our sleep is largely influenced by our bedtime routines.

Let's help you create an effective night routine.

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If a morning routine helps you get out of bed and lay the foundations to having an effective day, then a pre bed routine is the opposite.

An effective nighttime routine should focus on three main principles.

First, set you up for a successful tomorrow.

Second activates the parasympathetic nervous system and three optimize for sleep.

Perhaps the most frequently overlooked factor to an effective night routine is knowing when to initiate it.

Morning routines are easy.

You just start them as soon as you wake up.

But initiating an evening routine is more challenging.

We too often are distracted by our gadgets, a new show on Netflix or chatting with our friends and family.

Sometimes the most impactful changes are the simplest, and that holds true here.

A huge part of sleeping better comes down to waking up and falling asleep at consistent times.

By practicing this, I've noticed I can more easily fall asleep, and I can even wake up at my intended time without an alarm clock.

This is a more natural way to approach sleep, and you'll feel far more refreshed for the remainder of the day.

So when should you initiate the night routine?

If you're watching this video, you probably need between seven and nine hours of sleep.

Figure out when you need to wake up and work backwards from there.

My recommendation is you start your routine earlier than you think necessary as there are sometimes unforeseen delays that come up.

I personally give myself one hour from start until intended bedtime.

Create a system that will consistently remind you as relying on your willpower will likely fall apart.

I've set up my Philips Hue smart lights to turn red in my living room and bedroom at nine PM every night.

This is my signal, and red light is also much more friendly to your night vision.

You may also choose to set a recurring phone alarm instead.

Now that we've initiated the routine, first start with your bathroom necessities.

Brush your teeth wash your face shower and do whatever else you need to end the washroom.

Do this now at the beginning of your routine.

Otherwise, you'll startle yourself awake if you wash your face with cold water right before crawling into bed.

Next, set yourself up for a successful day tomorrow.

I approach this in two ways.

First, reflecting with journaling, I created a custom journaling template for my evenings, which prompts me with three amazing things that happened today.

Three lessons learned and what would have made today better.

If there are other thoughts bouncing around, I'll make it a point to journal a bit further.

Beyond my template, ID prompts.

This is important.

Otherwise my new business ideas or vacation plans will continue to occupy my mind, and it's more difficult to fall asleep.

Putting down the ideas on paper helps to trap them and free my mind.

This also plays into a concept pushed by Josh Wait, skin chess prodigy and expert on learning.

He recommends journaling at the end of each day on the singular, most important question of the day and posing it to your unconscious before you sleep.

That way, your unconscious mind can mull it over, and you'll likely have a fresh take to brainstorm on it in the morning.

Second, ask yourself if there's anything you need to do now to make tomorrow easier for future.

You.

If I'm getting on a flight in the morning, I'll make notes on a post it and put it on the bathroom mirror to remind myself to pack my toothbrush and retainers.

Since those are things I cannot pack until the morning anyway, and I don't want to forget.

If I have a chaotic day tomorrow, I'll write the one thing I want to get done despite being pulled in multiple directions.

If I have an early morning for filming a day in the life, I'll make sure I have my bag packed and my battery's charged.

Or if it was an early morning for surgery rotation, I'll make sure my I D pager, stethoscope and scrubs are laid out for easy access, so I don't have to hunt for them in the morning.

The sympathetic nervous system is your fight flight and fright system, dealing with higher acuity situations.

The parasympathetic nervous system, on the other hand, is the rest and digest system dealing with Mawr.

Restorative functions for optimal sleep.

We want to activate the parasympathetic nervous system leading up to bedtime.

There are a few ways to do this.

First, lower your body temperature, set your A C to a cooler level, or use a chili pad or reduce clothing while in bed.

I live in a hot climate, so I set my A C 2 72 degrees and sleep in my underwear with a light blanket.

I could get similar effects by setting the room a bit cooler and sleeping with a shirt and pajama as avoid things that stimulate you like backlit screens, high intensity and loud music or other things that your grandpa wouldn't approve of at late hours.

Ideally, you shouldn't be using backlit screens during this time.

But if you must turn down the brightness all the way and try wearing blue light blocking glasses and no night shift helps.

But it isn't good enough on its own.

This is important as blue light stimulates photo receptors in your eye that suppress melatonin Release from your pineal gland, which is an important hormone for the onset of sleep.

At this time, some light to relax further by stretching or doing light foam rolling.

Others practice deep breathing or meditation.

I go with reading.

I'll tell Google assistant to kill the lights, then grab my Kindle again, using it at a very dim setting and read something that will help me relax.

This is often fiction or a biography or something related to personal interests.

Currently, how to build a car by Adrian Newey, which is all about his 35 year career in Formula One.

On the other hand, if I read an intellectual business book, it's more likely to keep me up thinking, Once I feel tired, the Kindle goes on the night stand, and I'm off to sleep one last point.

If you're living by yourself, you Onley need to worry about your own preferences.

But if you have room mates or family living with you or a significant other that shares the bed with you, then consider how your routine may influence them and vice versa.

Seek to find a system that works for everyone.

For example, if your significant other sleeps before you consider doing your night routine activities that may disrupt them before they go to sleep, or if your family stays up later than you let them know you're going to bed.

So they know to keep the noise levels down and do the same for them.

If you enjoyed this video, definitely check out my video on the anatomy of a perfect morning routine or my personal 4 a.m. morning routine from medical school and surgical residency.

Much love and I'll see you guys there.