T1D Sleep Hygiene: The One Pre-Sleep Habit That Actually Makes a Difference

SHOW NOTES:

"Sleep hygiene" sounds like you're brushing your sleep's teeth. Nobody has ever said that phrase in a natural conversation. And this episode is not about a 12-step pre-sleep protocol that you'll implement on Monday and abandon by Wednesday when life gets in the way.

It's about one thing. Just one. Because T1D brains are very good at building complicated systems -- we've been doing it since diagnosis -- and when we hear "build a routine," we design a fourteen-point optimization plan that fails by Wednesday, raises our cortisol, and disrupts our blood sugar. One anchor behavior, repeated consistently, is how habits actually form. You already have a pre-sleep T1D routine. We're extending it by about thirty minutes, in one direction.

We're in Week 7 of the While You Were Sleeping Challenge.

In this episode:

Why multi-step sleep protocols fail and what actually sticks long-term
The three pre-sleep candidate behaviors that research supports for T1D people
Why "the one that feels manageable" beats "the one that seems most impactful"
How to use your existing T1D bedtime routine as an anchor for one new behavior
What five nights of one habit actually tells you about whether it's working

This Week's Challenge: Pick one of the three pre-sleep behaviors from this episode. Commit to it for five nights. Write down what you notice.

Helpful resources and newsletter: https://yourbestt1dyear.com

Connect with Neil: TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@the.betes Instagram: https://instagram.com/thebetes Facebook: https://facebook.com/neilgreathouse LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/neil-greathouse-a607b912 Website: https://yourbestt1dyear.com

Books on Amazon: Type 1 Diabetes – One Day at a Time: https://a.co/d/6UHooWJ Type 1 Diabetes – True Stories: https://a.co/d/dfIlyI1

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