Successful Aging: A Neuroscientist Explores the Power and Potential of Our Lives

by Daniel J. Levitin

Start getting ready for bed about two hours before sleep time. Stop watching TV, using a computer, tablet, or smartphone, or other sources of blue light (daylight wavelengths) that could act as a zeitgeber for the pineal gland and cause your brain to produce wake-up hormones. Do something that helps you relax—a warm bath, reading, music listening, whatever works for you. Ensure that the room you sleep in is completely dark. If you have a clock, charger, or other device that emits blue light, cover it up. Make sure that your curtains block out both daylight and any artificial light that may come into the bedroom. Sleep in a cool room if possible. Help to keep your sleep and wake cycle synchronized properly by getting sunlight in the morning—even on a cloudy day, the wavelengths you need can activate the pineal gland. A simulated dawn (blue-light) lamp for fifteen to thirty minutes in the morning can help. Write in a journal before bedtime. Recent research shows that it helps you to relax and can improve memory. It’s especially effective if you write a quick to-do list for tomorrow. Worrying about incomplete future tasks is a significant contributor to difficulty falling asleep. Don’t rely on sleeping pills for more than one or two nights. The sleep they induce is less productive and less restorative than natural sleep. Go to bed at the same time every night. Wake up at the same time every morning. If you have to stay up late one night, you should still get up at your fixed ...