Dr. Rebecca Robbins
Appearances
The Mel Robbins Podcast
The Top Expert Advice of the Year: The Best of the Mel Robbins Podcast
One of my favorite tips for a great night's sleep is this idea that routine is absolutely queen. And we're really not meant to keep different sleep schedules as human beings. Falling asleep at 2 a.m. one night, 10 p.m. the next, understand how vitally important consistency is in our sleep routines.
The Mel Robbins Podcast
The Top Expert Advice of the Year: The Best of the Mel Robbins Podcast
Because then our brain and our body starts to understand when it should be tired and prepare for sleep. and when it should be awake. And then it allows ourselves to better organize ourselves and get a lot out of our sleep episode. The best sleep comes when we're keeping our sleep times consistent. So falling asleep at the same time and waking up as close to the same time as possible.
The Mel Robbins Podcast
The Top Expert Advice of the Year: The Best of the Mel Robbins Podcast
Absolutely. And I think we're slaves to our alarm clocks. But we don't really talk about the wind down time. It's kind of like a fuzzy idea, fuzzy game plan. It's not a, okay, 1030 is when I'm going to start to power down. I'm going to get off my phone. I'm going to boil a cup of, a small cup of tea, herbal tea, and then start my bedtime ritual and wind down routine.
The Mel Robbins Podcast
The Top Expert Advice of the Year: The Best of the Mel Robbins Podcast
which is an essential part of sleep. We always think, you know, oh, you know, now's time. Now feels pretty good for sleep, but it really, it takes time.
The Mel Robbins Podcast
The Top Expert Advice of the Year: The Best of the Mel Robbins Podcast
My wind-down routine is one thing that I am very diligent about, and it's not complex, but I'm very diligent about the time. I do my best. I try to get all my computer stuff done, and then I put my boys to bed, and then it's 8.30, and then I am switching my mindset, and it's time for mama to go to bed. And there are days where I need to be working and plug back in, but the best-case scenario is...
The Mel Robbins Podcast
The Top Expert Advice of the Year: The Best of the Mel Robbins Podcast
My boys are down and then I do a couple, maybe I clean up a tiny bit around the house. I start to turn the lights off and then I go upstairs and I turn my phone off. I wash my face. I take a shower and then I do one breathing exercise. I sit cross-legged on the ground in my bedroom and turning lights off as I kind of move into the bedroom.
The Mel Robbins Podcast
The Top Expert Advice of the Year: The Best of the Mel Robbins Podcast
And I do one breathing exercise and I don't set an alarm, but I just kind of do it until I feel like I've gotten rid of that busy mind, you know, that has served me so well over the course of the day. And sometimes that's five times on busier, more stressful days. Sometimes that's seven rounds of this, but it's the military breathing technique. So I breathe in through my nose for a count of four.
The Mel Robbins Podcast
The Top Expert Advice of the Year: The Best of the Mel Robbins Podcast
I hold for seven. And then I exhale, purse my lips for eight. And those times are longer than you think, right? The seven and the eight really like you're kind of fighting for the breath at the end. And that's the benefit of that technique. It restricts and restrains the breath and can help calm the heart rate and calm your mind.
The Mel Robbins Podcast
The Top Expert Advice of the Year: The Best of the Mel Robbins Podcast
And now while I'm doing that, thoughts are flying in because of course, what I forgot to do or I need to do. And I come back to this idea of, no, not now. Now is my time. I've done things for my students, my partner, my kids all day. And now is my time to restore and relax. And if anything, any thoughts are still fighting to the surface, I write those down at my nightstand.
The Mel Robbins Podcast
The Top Expert Advice of the Year: The Best of the Mel Robbins Podcast
So I've done the four, seven, eight technique. And then I mosey into my bed. I read a couple pages in a book and I do progressive muscle relaxation. I clench and release every muscle group starting from the toes and I inhale, clench, and then exhale, release. And I really kind of add on to that something, like something that I'm letting go, heaviness or a thought that's not serving me.
The Mel Robbins Podcast
The Top Expert Advice of the Year: The Best of the Mel Robbins Podcast
And then I say a prayer and I go to sleep. And it doesn't happen every night, but that's my ritual. And I use the word ritual purposefully because you want to cultivate a ritual. A ritual is something you do every time. And so it's thoughtful. It's, you know, one, two, three, boom, sleep is next.
The Mel Robbins Podcast
The Top Expert Advice of the Year: The Best of the Mel Robbins Podcast
For you listening, what are the three things that you can do tonight and tomorrow night and really institute as your ritual? that you can ideally also take on the road when you travel. And be diligent. Try to do those every single night because then what the brain starts to understand is what comes next to sleep.
The Mel Robbins Podcast
The Top Expert Advice of the Year: The Best of the Mel Robbins Podcast
Let's know.