Sleep is essential to your mental and physical health. However, many of us aren't getting proper sleep. Whether that's because your sleep schedule is off, you're not getting enough sleep, or you're waking up throughout the night. Instead of getting stuck in this pattern of insomnia and sleepless nights, there are proven methods to reset your sleep schedule and get back on track.

Why Everyone Needs To Reset Their Sleep Schedules

In fact, with the right sleep program, you can get back on track and stick to these practices and have a healthier ongoing relationship with sleep. If you're ready to take back control of your sleep, Sleep Reset can help. Sleep Reset provides a digital, personalized sleep clinic accessible from anywhere on your mobile app. Sign up for your sleep consultation today or read on to learn more about the importance of your sleep schedule and how Sleep Reset can be your solution.

Why Is a Sleep Schedule Important? 

First, why do you need a sleep schedule in the first place? Common advice would say that you should be fine as long as you get your eight hours. While this is true, not everyone needs eight hours of sleep per night. Also, those may not be eight quality hours of sleep if you're often waking or having trouble falling asleep or feeling groggy when you wake.

A set sleep schedule can maintain your body's internal clock and regulate your circadian rhythm. When your body is on this schedule, you can fall asleep easier, wake without feeling tired, and sleep soundly throughout the night. Even making small adjustments to your sleep schedule can make a big difference in your sleep quality. The key is sticking to your schedule and practicing other good sleep hygiene habits to improve your sleep in other areas.

What Are the Benefits? 

The biggest benefit of having a regular sleep schedule is getting better sleep. Of course, this just scratches the surface of the benefits you get from good quality sleep. Getting enough sleep and getting good quality sleep can make you healthier in numerous physical and mental areas. Including:

• Better immune system - when you get enough sleep, you don't get sick as often.
• Improved mood - Sleep helps regulate your mood and can help reduce your risk for mood disorders like anxiety and depression. A lack of sleep can feed into these mood disorders, increasing the intensity and frequency of symptoms.
• Weight regulation - Getting enough sleep can help you stay at a healthier weight.
• Improved focus and memory retention - Good sleep provides more mental benefits than just improved mood. You can also increase your ability to focus and maintain memories.
• Improved cardiovascular health - Sleep allows your heart to rest, decreasing your risk for high blood pressure and heart attacks.
  

The benefits of sleep go on. Maintaining a good sleep schedule and having good sleep hygiene can feed into better sleep, providing you with all the above benefits and more.

Things That Interrupt Quality Sleep

Getting better sleep is sometimes easier said than done. Various factors can affect the quality of our sleep and interrupt the stages of sleep. It's essential to make sure your sleep environment is as free from interruptions as possible. There are also factors outside your sleep environment that can affect and disrupt the quality of your sleep. Let's take a look at some of the different factors that may affect your sleep quality:

• Sleep disorders - Sleep disorders are a common reason for low-quality or interrupted sleep. Sleep disorders occur in many individuals, and up to 60% of adults have chronic sleep issues. There are many different sleep disorders, including insomnia, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, and narcolepsy. Sleep disorders like insomnia can often be resolved with lifestyle changes and improved sleep habits. Some sleep disorders may need medications or special treatments.
• Irregular sleep habits - If you don't get enough sleep or sleep in too often, this can continue to set you on a path to getting poor sleep. Also, napping throughout the day can throw off your sleep patterns.
• Stress - Stress can play a significant role in the quality of your sleep. Those with anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders can also have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep.
• Circadian rhythm disruptions - As mentioned, the circadian rhythm regulates your body's internal clock. It lets your body know when it's time to go to sleep and when it's time to wake up. You may find your circadian rhythm thrown off if you're getting irregular daylight due to factors like working the night shift or traveling through multiple time zones. 
• Lifestyle choices - Certain lifestyle choices can cause you to have poor sleep quality. Drug, alcohol, and caffeine use can all affect your sleep depending on the frequency of use and what time you partake in these substances. Lack of exercise or exercise too close to bedtime can also play a role.  
• Your sleep environment - The state of your sleep environment can also determine the quality of your sleep. Your sleep environment should be dark, quiet, cool, and free of distractions like screens from a phone or TV. If you have an ideal sleep environment, it's easier to fall asleep and sleep through the night.
  

What Happens When Your Nighttime Routine Gets Thrown Off?

With all that in mind, it's wise to create a positive relationship with bedtime and avoid sleep anxiety, making you dread going to sleep. Let's say you've formed good sleep habits and have been sticking to a sleep schedule for weeks, but suddenly your sleep schedule is thrown off. There is no need to panic if you miss a nighttime routine now and then. No one can maintain a perfect sleep schedule. Sometimes factors outside our control can disrupt our sleep routines, or we may even disrupt them through our choices.

This is perfectly normal. The best way to get back on track is to make sure you wake up at the same time you normally would and try to go to bed at the same scheduled time the next day. Giving up after messing up isn't necessary; otherwise, no one would have good sleep habits.

How To Reset Your Circadian Rhythm & Internal Clock

It takes effort, but it's possible to reset your circadian rhythm. You'll first need to determine your sleep schedule and stick to it as close as possible. Also, keep in mind that your circadian rhythm revolves around light. Make sure you're getting enough exposure to daylight during normal daylight hours. If you have an irregular schedule, you may try light therapy devices to normalize your daylight exposure. Stay active during the day by exercising if possible, and avoid eating or drinking caffeine too close to your scheduled bedtime.

Tips To Set Your Internal Clock 

Once your circadian rhythm resets, you can maintain that by promoting good sleep habits and behaviors. Some of these include sticking to your sleep schedule, even on weekends. If you miss your schedule, pick it up again the next night. You'll want to continue getting daylight, exercising, and eating at the right times. 

Things like caffeine have different effects on each individual, so make sure you learn when you need to cut caffeine off for the day. For some people, this will be after your morning coffee. Others may be able to have caffeine in the evening and still sleep fine. It would be best if you also avoided alcohol too close to bedtime. No one is perfect, so take the anxiety and stress off yourself if you miss part of your usual sleep routine.

When Should You Go To Bed and Wake Up?

Deciding on your sleep schedule is an important step in resetting your sleep. For the most part, your sleep schedule is up to you. The most important factor will be deciding what time you need to wake up each day. Once you know your wake-up time, you need to determine the ideal amount of sleep. The amount of sleep everyone needs varies from person to person but aim to get between 7 to 9 hours per night. Once you know your ideal sleep time, you should go to bed at a time that allows you to get that much sleep and still stick to your wake-up time.

More Tips To Fix Your Sleep Cycle

Fixing your sleep cycle is a process, so you don't have to put everything into practice at once necessarily. Gradually fixing your sleep cycle may take a little bit of time, so make sure to be patient with yourself. Here are some general guidelines for getting back on track:

• Have a good bedtime routine - Have a relaxing way that you start about an hour before bedtime. Make sure it's something you enjoy and calms you so you associate positive feelings with bedtime. A warm bath and reading a relaxing book are some ideas you might try.
• Don't eat big meals before bed - Digestion can take a lot of energy. Avoid eating too close to bedtime.
• Don't exercise too close to bedtime - Exercising too close to bed can give you energy and make it hard to sleep. Make sure you're getting your exercise in earlier in the day.
• Stick to your schedule - Don't sleep in, don't nap, and make sure to go to bed at the same time each day.
• Try Sleep Reset - Sleep Reset is a program based on cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, without the months-long waitlist you normally have to deal with when signing up for a sleep clinic. Take your sleep quiz today to see if Sleep Reset is right for you!
  

Take Our Sleep Quiz!

Sleep Reset is a custom-built sleep schedule with a real sleep coach that addresses your specific sleep concerns. With our convenient mobile app, you can improve your sleep with proven sleep clinic techniques. Sleep Reset isn't a quick fix. It's a lifelong, sustainable solution to better sleep that doesn't require sleeping pills or supplements. If you're ready for no more sleepless nights and no more groggy mornings.

Click here to take our Sleep quiz!

Disclaimer: The information provided on this page should not be taken as medical advice and should not replace the advice of your healthcare provider. Always consult your physician before taking any new medication(s) or altering your current dosage.