Some people say what you do and when you wake up in the morning affects your entire day. For me, I believe how you spend your night has a huge impact on your morning or your day, in general. What you felt the night before is still what you (usually) feel when you wake up. What you did last night such as watching 2 seasons of your favorite TV series, shows on your face and your actions the following day.

What should we be doing at night before sleep?

1. Read books. As they say, growth requires learning. Most successful people read personal growth books to improve themselves, their business, their career, or their hobbies. By allotting time to read, you get to expand the horizon of your mind in a relaxed way.

2. Spend quality time with family/friends. By spending time with your friends and family, you get to stay connected with the people who really care and support you.

3. Plan and get ready for the next day. The key to prevent forgetting things and having a stressful morning is to plan the night before. Simple things like planning and ironing your clothes, creating your to do list, prepping your bag and lunch for work, setting an alarm, and more could lead to a stress free morning.

4. Clean Up. This habit was a rule by my mom. By cleaning up (even for a few minutes) before bedtime helps minimize the clutter in the room. You don’t step or tumble on anything when you wake up, you know where everything is so you don’t have to rummage through your barrage of stuff when you’re in a hurry.

5. Unplug from the world. We know that the blue light from our phones mimics the brightness of the sun. Hence, the brain stops producing melatonin (the sleep hormone). By disconnecting from the world such as not checking your email or social media before bed helps signal the brain that its bedtime and prevent distractions.

6. Meditate. I just recently started meditating purely because of its amazing benefits. I started with 5 minutes in the morning and at night. Now, I feel like I have less anxiety, less stress, I could focus and internalize ideas better.

7. Disconnect from Work. When I get home, I usually don’t do any work related tasks. I already spent 8 hours of my day for work, I would rather spend the rest of my day pampering myself, wind down, or doing things I love.

8. Prioritize Sleep. By not getting enough sleep, you don’t get to replenish your energy which leads to feeling tired or sluggish. Thus, it could lead to low productivity and sometimes headaches.