If you are someone that struggles waking up in the morning or if you constantly feel exhausted, you may have poor habits at night that disrupt your energy levels in the morning.
The way you spend the last hour before bed strongly shapes how the first hour of your morning goes. Below are 5 practical night habits that reliably improve your energy, focus, and mood the next morning.
Make Sleep Timing Consistent
Yes, going to bed and waking up roughly at the same time every day matters….even on weekends. Consistent bedtime and wakeup time is shown to strengthen your circadian rhythm which improves sleep quality.
Irregular sleep timing is linked to weakened immune system, poor metabolic health, poor cardiovascular health and overall worse sleep health. Sleep consistency isn’t just for kids it helps adults create a steadier, more peaceful morning.
Limit Blue Light Exposure One Hour Before Bed
Stop the doom scroll and the Netflix binges. Night time blue light exposure from phones, tablets, or TVs suppresses melatonin release which shifts circadian timing. Melatonin is the hormone responsible for falling and staying asleep.
Try switching your device to night mode which blocks blue light, use blue light blocking glasses, or better yet, try implementing a “no screens” rule for the last 60 minutes before bed to help your body release melatonin. The last 60 minutes before sleep, you could try reading, coloring, knitting, or listening to a podcast with the phone screen face down.
Journal With Purpose
Do you find it hard to fall asleep because you are thinking about everything that needs to be done the next day? Journaling might be what helps you relax. Studies find that writing down tomorrow’s tasks or writing down stressors/worries before bed shortens the time it takes to fall asleep.
Try a 5-minute “brain dump” session one hour before bed of tomorrow’s to-do list or some stressors you are dealing with, then write one sentence of gratitude to shift your mind from doing to resting.
Avoid Alcohol and Heavy Meals Late At Night
While alcohol might make you feel sleepy sooner, it impacts sleep and reduces REM, which is essential for emotional processing and cognitive functioning for the next-day.
Heavy meals can have a similar effect, eating a large meal before bedtime can cause discomfort, acid reflux, increase bathroom usage, and overall increase awakenings in the middle of the night. The key for restful sleep and clearer mornings, is to avoid alcohol and big dinners 1 to 2 hours before bed.
Exercise, But Not Before Bed
Exercising daily can improve sleep quality but the timing and intensity matters for some. Recent studies suggest that vigorous exercise close to bed time can increase endorphins leading to more energy at night, impacting your ability to fall asleep.
If you are the type of person who enjoys intense workouts, do them in the morning or 3 hours before bed to allow your body to relax and calm down. If you enjoy some movement before bed, you could try gentle mobility, restorative yoga or a casual 10-20 minute walk.
Sample 4 Step Night Routine For Better Mornings
1. Set a bedtime and wind down alarm 60 minutes before you intend to sleep.
2. Power down screens, use blue light filters/glasses, or try a non-screen activity (reading, podcast, crafts, etc.)
3. Spend 5 minutes brain dumping worries or tasks for the upcoming day.
4. Skip late night alcohol and heavy meals.
There is a ton you can implement to create better mornings. But start out small to avoid getting overwhelmed.
Choose one of these habits, try it out for a week or two, add in another habit once you feel confident to do so. Either of these 5 nighttime habits will help you improve morning alertness, faster wakeup, and stable energy and mood during the day.
