Reviewed by Dietitian Katey Davidson, M.Sc.FN, RD, CPT
Credit: Getty Images. EatingWell design.
Key Points
Avoid eating too close to bedtime, which can lead to poorer sleep quality.
Having a hot shower and sleeping in a cool room sets your body up for better sleep.
Limit screens two hours before bed and establish a wind-down routine.
Quality sleep is a fundamental pillar of your heart health and overall well-being. Yet, building a reliable evening routine that actually helps you rest can feel like a guessing game. Recently, cardiologist Jeremy London, M.D., shared that he is slowly changing his relationship with sleep on his Instagram page. To achieve better rest, he relies on a targeted evening routine built around four straightforward habits.
He explains that by adjusting when you eat, how you manage your body temperature, your screen time and your bedroom environment, you can set the stage for a better night of sleep. Let us take a closer look at the four steps London takes before bed and the science that explains why they work.
1. Finish Eating Two Hours Before Bed
The timing of your last meal can have a significant impact on how well you sleep. London aims to finish eating for the day about two hours before heading to bed. As he points out, “going to sleep on a full stomach is a set up for a sleepless night.”
Research supports giving your body time to digest before you sleep. One large population study examined how evening eating habits affect sleep continuity. The researchers found that eating or drinking less than an hour before bed roughly doubles the likelihood of waking up in the middle of the night for an extended period. Digestion requires energy, and processing a meal right when your body is trying to wind down can disrupt your natural sleep cycles.
The study noted that as the buffer between your last meal and your bedtime lengthens, these negative impacts decrease. By waiting at least two hours, you give your digestive system a head start. This simple habit helps prevent your body from working overtime to process food while you are trying to rest.
2. Take a Hot Shower to Lower Body Temperature
It might sound backward, but warming up right before bed is actually a great way to help your body cool down. London uses a hot shower to signal to his body that the day is over. He explains that one of the ways our bodies signal that it’s time to go to sleep is a drop in body temperature. By taking a hot shower and letting your body temperature come down slowly, it is simple but very powerful.
The science behind this habit involves your body’s natural circadian rhythm. A review explored the relationship between thermoregulation and sleep, highlighting what researchers call the “warm bath effect.” As bedtime approaches, your core body temperature naturally needs to dip for you to transition into deep sleep.
When you take a hot shower, blood rushes to the surface of your skin, especially to your hands and feet. Once you step out of the warm water and into a cooler room, that heat rapidly escapes your body. This quick heat loss safely drops your core temperature, mimicking and supporting your body’s natural sleep signals. This physiological shift may help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
3. Skip Screens and Opt for Quiet Time
Modern evenings often revolve around televisions, tablets and phones. However, these devices actively work against your body’s natural sleep drive. London skips screens before bed entirely. Instead, he chooses to read a physical book, eventually putting it away to enjoy a few moments of peace. His advice is simple: “Let your mind quiet.”
A systematic review evaluated how blue light from electronic devices impacts sleep and performance. The researchers noted that blue light suppresses the secretion of melatonin, the key hormone responsible for regulating your sleep-wake cycle.
Furthermore, the review found that blue light exposure can increase cognitive performance, alertness and reaction times. While these effects are great if you are about to play a sport or give a presentation, they are the exact opposite of what you want before bed. Replacing screen time with a calming, low-stimulation activity like reading helps lower your heart rate and reduces mental tension, creating a smooth runway into sleep.
4. Control Your Sleep Environment
Your bedroom environment plays a massive role in whether you sleep soundly or wake up repeatedly. London makes a point to control his environment strictly, ensuring his bedroom is dark, quiet and cool.
Creating a controlled environment ties all the previous habits together. Keeping the room cool directly supports the body temperature drop we discussed earlier. If your room is too warm, your body cannot shed the heat it needs to enter deep, restorative sleep stages.
Similarly, maintaining a dark and quiet space prevents unexpected sensory inputs from pulling you out of light sleep. Light exposure may interfere with melatonin production, which is important for helping you feel sleepy. Using blackout curtains and a white noise machine can help mask disruptive sounds and lights, keeping your sleep environment consistent throughout the night.
Our Expert Take
Building a better relationship with sleep does not require complicated routines or expensive gadgets. By giving your body time to digest, using temperature shifts to your advantage, quieting your mind and optimizing your bedroom, you may find that you can more easily get some quality shut-eye (and feel more refreshed in the morning).
Read the original article on EatingWell
