How A Psychotherapist Winds Down From The Day & Gets His Mind Into Sleep Mode

In my younger years, my relationship with sleep was a rocky venture. As I got older, I came to understand the importance of a good night's sleep. Now, I consider myself a very good, deep, and heavy sleeper. I find that I get my best sleep when I am at home, in my bed, and know my kids are home and safe.

7:30 p.m.: My wife does a good job of giving me a 15-minute warning to start shutting down my work for the evening. I wrap up what I'm working on for the next day and start getting into bedtime mode.

8 p.m.: I shut down all work-related activities.

8:30 p.m.: Given my normal bedtime of 11, I try to start wrapping up the day and getting ready for bed at around 8:30 on most nights. Around that time, I talk with my wife about things that have happened that day, as well as check in on what is going on with the kids. Together, we tidy up the basement and turn off the TVs in the house. Once we have shut down the basement level, we go upstairs, and I go to each of my kids' rooms and check in with them. This usually entails a summary of their day and a short discussion of what the next day looks like for them. I spend around 10 to 15 minutes with each of them.

10 p.m.: After that, I retire with my wife into our haven, the bedroom. I brush my teeth and at that point, decide what I will read that night before bedtime.

10:15 p.m.: We may catch a portion of the nightly news, and then the bedroom TV goes off and my bedside lamp goes on.

10:30 p.m.: My reading begins. I like to have something to read that allows my mind to wander off into another world. I read for 20 to 40 minutes and then shut everything down.