Strategies For Sleeping Well When Excited For Tomorrow

Whether it's a holiday, a big meeting, or some other exciting event, there are ways to help you fall asleep when you're excited about the next day. When you're excited, your body produces more cortisol and adrenaline, which can make it difficult to fall asleep. However, there are several techniques you can use to calm your mind and body and improve your sleep. These include keeping your room cool, dark, and quiet, avoiding screens before bed, and trying relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, or yoga. You can also try listening to soothing music, taking a warm bath, or doing something distracting like reading or playing puzzles. Additionally, it's important to stick to your normal bedtime and ensure that you've completed any necessary tasks for the next day beforehand.

Keep your room cool

Keeping your room cool is one of the most important factors in getting a good night's sleep, especially when you're excited for the next day. Here are some tips to keep your room cool and maximise your chances of a restful night:

Ideal Temperature Range

Sleep studies have found that a room temperature between 60–67 °F (15.5–19.4 °C) is the ideal range for restful REM sleep. This temperature range will help your body relax and prepare for sleep, even if your mind is racing with excitement. Check a thermometer in your room to ensure the temperature is within this range.

Open or Close Windows Accordingly

Before getting into bed, check if your windows need to be opened or closed to maintain the ideal temperature. If it's a hot summer night, open the windows to let in a cool breeze. If it's cold outside, keep the windows closed to retain the warmth. You can also use a fan to create a cool breeze and provide white noise to help you sleep.

Use Appropriate Bedding

Adjust your bedding according to the season and temperature. In hot weather, switch to lightweight, breathable bedding and avoid thick, heavy fabrics that trap heat. You can also invest in moisture-wicking bedding to keep you cool and comfortable. Conversely, in cold weather, use thicker blankets or a higher tog duvet to stay warm.

Keep Electronics to a Minimum

Electronics like phones, laptops, and tablets emit heat, which can raise the temperature of your room. It's best to keep these devices out of your bedroom or at least turned off an hour before bedtime. This will help reduce the temperature and minimise distractions, improving your chances of falling asleep.

Stay Hydrated

Drinking plenty of water throughout the day will help regulate your body temperature and keep you cool at night. Avoid excessive caffeine and alcohol consumption, as these can disrupt your sleep and affect your body's temperature regulation.

By following these tips, you can create a cool and comfortable environment that will help you sleep, even when you're excited for the next day. A good night's rest will ensure you approach the upcoming event with a clear head and energised body!

Finish tasks and to-do lists before bed

If you're excited about the next day, you might find it hard to fall asleep. Finishing your tasks and to-do lists before bed can help you relax and prepare for a good night's rest. Here are some tips to help you do that:

Have a "Master" List

Create a master list, or a "brain dump", where you jot down all the tasks that come to mind, no matter how big or small. This list can be added to at any time and will serve as a repository for all your tasks. Each evening, review this list and decide which tasks to prioritise for the following day.

Prioritise Your Top 3 Tasks

From your master list, select the three most important tasks that will have the biggest impact on your day. Number them, but don't feel like you have to tackle them in that order. Starting with a quick and easy task can help build momentum and energise you for the bigger challenges.

Break Tasks Down into Specific Actions

Make your to-do list actionable and specific. Instead of a vague task like "work on a research paper", break it down into smaller, more manageable tasks like "write the first paragraph of the research paper". This will make your goals seem more achievable and help you stay focused.

Be Intentional with Unfinished Tasks

Analyse why some tasks remain on your list for days, weeks, or even years. Are they too broad or daunting? Break them down into sub-tasks. Are they no longer important to you? Cross them off the list. Do you simply not want to do them? Prioritise them for the next day to get them out of the way.

Plan Your To-Do List the Night Before

Compose your to-do list for the next day the night before. This way, if something unexpected comes up in the morning, it won't throw off your entire schedule. You can quickly find pockets of time to complete your tasks and stay on track. Planning the night before also helps you visualise and allocate time for each task, so you're more likely to tackle the hardest ones first.

Be Realistic with Your Goals

Limit your daily to-do list to a manageable number of tasks, such as five. This way, you're more likely to complete most or all of them, giving you a sense of accomplishment and reducing anxiety about unfinished tasks.

By finishing your tasks and creating a well-planned to-do list before bed, you can calm your excitement, clear your mind, and set yourself up for a restful night's sleep.

Avoid screens and electronics

Screens and electronics are a significant hindrance to sleep. The blue light emitted by these devices interferes with your body's production of melatonin, which is essential for falling asleep. Even if you're taking melatonin supplements, screen glare can still disrupt your sleep. Therefore, it's best to avoid watching television, using computers, tablets, or smartphones before bed.

To avoid the negative impact of screens, you can put your devices in night mode to block the sleep-disrupting blue light. However, it's best to avoid screens altogether for at least one hour before bedtime. Instead of scrolling through your phone or watching TV, try reading a book, listening to soothing music, or focusing on your breathing. These activities will help relax your mind and body and improve your sleep quality.

If you must use your devices before bed, there are a few things you can do to minimise their impact on your sleep. Firstly, try using blue light filters or night mode on your devices. Additionally, you can invest in a pair of blue light blocking glasses to wear while using screens at night. These measures will help reduce the amount of blue light reaching your eyes and may improve your sleep. However, completely avoiding screens and electronics before bed is the most effective strategy.

Listen to music or natural sounds

Music can have a powerful effect on the brain, and listening to soothing music can help you relax and fall asleep. If you have a particular album that always calms you down, try listening to it in the dark. You could also try listening to a sad song, as research suggests that sad music can leave listeners feeling soothed and even uplifted, which may help curb the restlessness that's keeping you awake.

Listening to natural sounds, like rainfall or ocean waves, can also help you fall asleep by creating the illusion of a calm, natural environment. This can be particularly effective if you combine it with visualization, such as imagining the chirping birds, patterning rain, and rippling waves.

Write down what's on your mind

If you're too excited to sleep, it can be helpful to write down what's on your mind. This will help you to stop focusing on your thoughts and tasks, and prevent you from dwelling on them when you're trying to sleep.

Write down any tasks that you need to do, or any brilliant ideas that you want to tackle later. You could also try a 'mind dump'—grab a notepad and write down everything that you're excited about. This can help to get your excited thoughts out of your system.

If you have a lot on your mind, it's a good idea to finish any packing, cleaning, or laundry you need to do well before bedtime. That way, you won't be dwelling on everything you need to do the next day when you're trying to sleep.

If you're lying awake and feeling too excited or anxious to sleep, try getting up and doing something to distract your mind. You could try listening to soothing music, or writing in a journal.

Frequently asked questions