How Groundhog Day Can Help Improve Sleep

In the 1993 comedy movie “Groundhog Day,” a self-centered weatherman played by funnyman Bill Murray re-lives the same day over and over, with amusing and occasionally poignant results. Murray’s character spent day after day trying to break the cycle, but we here at SleepBetter would like to point out that doing the same thing day after day can actually help you get a better night’s rest.

We’re certainly not recommending repeated encounters with Punxatawny Phil, but developing a bedtime routine and sticking to it every day can help people of all ages get better sleep.  Family rituals such as “quiet time” and reading bedtime stories have long proved successful in helping children get to sleep.  Recent studies have proven that those same daily routines can also help adults, and particularly the elderly.

Here are three SleepBetter tips to start your own “Groundhog Day” Bedtime Routine:

• As bedtime approaches, wrap-up the day’s chores with some simple tasks, such as ironing a shirt for the next day. Don’t launch any tasks that involve strenuous physical or heavy effort.
• Bedtime stories are great for adults, too. Read a chapter of a book, chat quietly with a family member or meditate for a few minutes.
• Try to get to sleep at the same time each night and awaken the same time in the morning, even on weekends. Established daily rhythms can be a calming physical signal, especially at the end of the day.

To read more sleep tips tailored to you, visit our Sleep Tips page.