For a long time, I found myself stuck in a cycle of watching endless YouTube videos late at night, which often resulted in only getting about 4 hours of sleep. I had a growing list of 121 books that I wanted to read but never seemed to get around to it. Three months ago, I decided to overhaul my nighttime routine. I established a fixed bedtime of 10 PM, began brushing my teeth at 9 PM, and made a point to put away my phone well before bed. I also stopped eating after 7 PM. A month into this new routine, I replaced my screen time with reading books from my wish list. So far, I’ve completed two books using this method. Reading not only helps me wind down but also significantly improves the quality of my sleep. My anxiety lessens, and I fall asleep almost immediately after putting down my book. This change in my sleep habits has been transformative for my overall lifestyle.
That’s amazing! But how do you manage to stop reading and go to sleep instead of staying up to finish a book?
Addison said:
That’s amazing! But how do you manage to stop reading and go to sleep instead of staying up to finish a book?
I’ve found that having a consistent bedtime helps my body naturally wind down. I incorporated reading into this routine. It’s about layering habits on top of each other, as mentioned in ‘Atomic Habits.’ I occasionally check the time and start looking for a good stopping point as it nears 10 PM. My main goal is to read a little bit each night rather than a lot all at once, aiming to read more overall throughout the year.
Addison said:
That’s amazing! But how do you manage to stop reading and go to sleep instead of staying up to finish a book?
I had the same issue, but I noticed it doesn’t happen as much with non-fiction books. For those particularly prone to insomnia, even engaging non-fiction can be too stimulating. Try reading something more dense or academic if you need a surefire way to wind down.
Addison said:
That’s amazing! But how do you manage to stop reading and go to sleep instead of staying up to finish a book?
Try non-fiction; it might help!
Addison said:
That’s amazing! But how do you manage to stop reading and go to sleep instead of staying up to finish a book?
Try non-fiction; it might help!
Some of us actually love reading non-fiction!
Addison said:
That’s amazing! But how do you manage to stop reading and go to sleep instead of staying up to finish a book?
I set a goal, like reading 30 pages, then make sure to stop.
I used to follow a similar routine and felt great, but I’ve fallen out of practice. Seeing this at 12:38 AM is a real wake-up call. I’m inspired to start reading before bed again!
Ari said:
I used to follow a similar routine and felt great, but I’ve fallen out of practice. Seeing this at 12:38 AM is a real wake-up call. I’m inspired to start reading before bed again!
I hope you find your way back to better sleep habits. The difference between good sleep and poor sleep is night and day for me, and I hope never to go back to the old ways.
I also have many self-help books that I want to read, which tend to get me excited about implementing changes. Maybe switching to biographies or novels would help.
But how do you do it?
Paxton said:
But how do you do it?
It’s all about stacking small changes. First, I fixed my bedtime, then gradually built other healthy habits around it, like cutting off screen time, incorporating a regular brushing routine with my son, and finally adding book reading. Not eating before bed has also significantly improved my sleep quality, according to my Garmin sleep scores. Each step has made a big difference, but there’s still room for improvement, like getting out of bed earlier. It’s a process.
Amazing! It’s great to hear how you’ve systematically made changes to develop a healthy routine.
What books have you been reading?
Amari said:
What books have you been reading?
Here are some book recommendations: ‘The Psychology of Money,’ ‘Do Nothing,’ ‘Reasons Not to Worry,’ ‘Don’t Believe Everything You Think,’ ‘The Art of Good Life,’ ‘Same as Ever,’ ‘The Good Enough Job,’ and ‘The Courage to Be Disliked.’
@Jesse
Thanks for the suggestions!
Amari said:
What books have you been reading?
I’ve recently read ‘Atomic Habits’ and ‘The Making of a Manager.’ I’m currently enjoying ‘The Unicorn Project.’
Amari said:
What books have you been reading?
I’ve recently read ‘Atomic Habits’ and ‘The Making of a Manager.’ I’m currently enjoying ‘The Unicorn Project.’
What’s ‘The Unicorn Project’ about?
@Olen
It’s a follow-up to ‘The Phoenix Project’ and centers around IT management. It’s a fictional story that addresses real issues in the tech industry through engaging narrative.
Thank you for sharing your experience! It’s incredibly inspiring to see someone take control of their sleep and well-being.