Does sticking to a sleep schedule really help? I followed one for 30 days to find out

I went to bed and woke up at the same time every day; extra energy was just one of the reasons it was awesome.

I learned a bedtime routine was essential

Bedtime tea helped me get into sleep mode

To get out of bed, I had to get creative with my alarm

It turns out, I can accomplish a lot in the mornings

It was hard to stick to on the weekends and during the holidays

It really helped that my husband stuck to the same schedule, too

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I’ve always had problems getting up in the mornings. And despite being a sleep editor (that’s right—I spend many hours writing and researching about circadian rhythms, melatonin and much more), I haven’t had much luck getting in a regular routine myself.

Research shows that sticking to a sleep schedule can help regulate your circadian rhythm, or sleep-wake cycle; consistency will help you fall asleep at night—and stay asleep through the night.

I wanted to test the theory out for myself—for 30 days, my goal was to go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time (even on the weekends) and hopefully reap some of these benefits.