I'm An RD & This Is When I Eat Dinner To Ensure A+ Sleep
I've been obsessed with sleep for as long as I can remember. But back in college, I didn't really place any importance on sleep itself but rather on the aesthetics of sleep: I was always looking for soft, cozy sheets, the fluffiest yet lightest duvet, and comfy, soothing pajamas. Yet many days, I would stay up until 3 a.m. but somehow bounce back at 8 a.m. for a morning class or an internship.
It wasn't until my mid-20s that I started craving a routine. I became a personal trainer and group fitness instructor and was on my feet at least 25 hours a week. I started focusing on self-care a lot more, which for me meant prioritizing my sleep. I got into a rhythm of going to bed by 10 p.m. on nights I would have a 6 a.m. start the next day. This is when I realized how connected sleep is to physical fitness.
Within a couple of years, I began my journey to become a dietitian and became very observant of how nutrition affects sleep too. While I didn't really apply these findings to my own life until after my second child—in my mid-30s—when I did, I got amazing, high-quality nights of deep, rejuvenating sleep.
Fortunately, I've become very knowledgeable about what foods, activities, and triggers impact my sleep over the years. But life always finds a way to "get in the way!" While my routine is far from perfect, I've found strategies that help me rebound after a few nights of interrupted sleep, a weekend of socializing, or days of traveling.
- Average hours I sleep a night: 7½ hours most days—some days it's closer to 8½ hours.
- Ideal bedtime: 10:30 p.m.
- Ideal wake-up time: 7 a.m. most days, but sometimes 7:30 if I'm really tired.
- Nightstand essentials: Water bottle, foot cream, lip balm, grip socks
- Favorite place I've ever slept: I usually sleep best in my own bed. I am a sucker for pillowtop mattresses, and I love soft cotton jersey sheets to help keep me cool and ultra-cozy.
- Sleep bad habit: I do tend to look at my phone a handful of times during my wind-down process.
- Caffeine consumption: I have 12 ounces of coffee before 12 p.m.—nothing after 12 p.m.
- How I track my sleep: I've been using an OURA ring since January 2022. It's helped me understand my sleep health, sleep patterns, and most importantly, the factors that affect my sleep.
- The last product or habit that changed my sleep for the better: I eat dinner before 6:30 p.m. at least 5 or 6 nights out of the week. Eating an earlier dinner helps me settle into a sleep routine rather quickly and feel lighter and more relaxed at night. I also love using a heat pack as I settle into bed.
- The first thing I do when I wake up: If I'm being honest, I use the bathroom. My GI system is like clockwork, and I usually have to go to the bathroom when my feet hit the ground! This (btw) took a handful of years of training. My maternal grandfather was a yogi who helped me really develop healthy GI habits in my adolescent and teenage years.
9 p.m.: I've settled both my kids into bed. They may or may not have fallen asleep.
9:15 p.m.: I usually catch up on emails, make my to-do lists for the next day, meal plan, and complete my online grocery orders.
10 p.m.: I wrap up these tasks, fill up my water bottle, brush my teeth, and either read or watch an episode of something on my watch list for a few minutes.
10:15 p.m.: Most nights, I spend 10 minutes foam rolling my upper back to release any tension from the day as well as my IT band and front quads to increase blood flow.
10:25 p.m.: I grab my foot cream, massage my feet, then put on my grip socks to wear to bed (a new add-on in my late 30s!).
10:35 p.m.: I usually turn off all lights and all screens.
10:45 p.m.: Sometimes, I have to use the bathroom once more.
10:50 p.m.: I pretty much fall asleep within a few minutes.
7:15 a.m.: Wake up. I usually wake up to use the bathroom once or sometimes twice, but many days I sleep right through the night (unless my little one comes in in the middle of the night) and wake up when my body starts feeling some movement.
