Set a Daytime Schedule for Better Sleep at Night

Set a Daytime Schedule for Better Sleep at Night (1:29)

People who don't have regularly scheduled times to wake up, get dressed, eat meals and be active are more likely to have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. In this video, Michael Roizen, MD, explains how having a schedule can help you sleep.

Read Transcript

Hi, Dr. Mike Royse in here with a helpful tip for better sleep. If you're spontaneous kind of guy or girl chances are you have trouble sleeping. Researchers found that people who don't have regularly scheduled times to wake up, get dressed, eat meals and be active are more likely to have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep than those who do have a firm schedule.

How does a schedule help you sleep? Regular daylight exposures help set your body core just following the routine helps you program your mind and body to know when the lights go out it's time to wind down. But you don't have to give up on your spontaneous zing to get your zs. Once you set firm go to bed and get up times, go ahead and live large.

Just remember to skip stimulants like exercise and caffeine anywhere near your bedtime. Also give your bedroom a no stress make over. No computers, no T.Vs, no stacks of bills, no newspapers. Get a cozy comforter, soothing sheets, blankets and then reserve your bedroom for sleep and sex, nothing else.

Who said hitting the hay had to be dull.