Naturally, many of us associate sleep with the nighttime — but what we may not realize is that our daytime habits drastically impact the quality of our shuteye. When we devote small moments throughout the day to recharging, we set ourselves up to get the quality sleep we need. Try adding one — or all — of these Microsteps to your daily routine to set yourself up for truly restorative sleep.
Set a daily caffeine cutoff.
Taken too late in the day, caffeine hinders our ability to fall asleep. Switch to decaf after 2 p.m. — your nighttime self will thank you.
Schedule time to go outside.
Take a walk in the sunshine, ideally in the morning, even for just a few minutes. As the days get shorter, exposure to light becomes more important to our physical and mental health and helps us get the sleep we need.
Block time on your calendar for movement.
Any kind of physical activity helps you sleep better, so treat your exercise time like you would an important meeting or doctor’s appointment. Even taking a quick stretch between Zoom meetings helps alleviate any tension that might have built up and promotes relaxation.