13 things you should never do before bed

13. Switching things up

Doing the same thing every night before bed is one of the tenets of good sleep hygiene. Brushing your teeth, washing your face, and laying out your clothes for the morning, for example, can all send a signal to your brain that it’s time for bed – especially if you do them in the same order, at the same time every night.

But switching up that routine, by doing things out of order or earlier in the night than usual, can disrupt that mental process.

Without a consistent bedtime routine, your brain doesn’t go into sleep mode until you crawl into bed and turn out the light.

You’ll fall asleep much faster if you can start that process a little bit earlier, as you’re getting ready.