From Wired to Rested: Sleep Hacks for Dance Professionals
Heads up: This post contains affiliate links. If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
We all know sleep is essential to muscle recovery, cognitive function, and emotional well-being
I also know that after a late night of class or rehearsal, sleep can be hard to come by.
After years of experimenting, I have discovered that I am the type of person that needs 9-10 hours of sleep every night to operate at my highest capacity. I am typically in bed around 8:30 pm and read until I fall asleep around 9 pm.
But on Mondays, I teach until 8:30 pm and get home around 9 pm. I find myself physically exhausted but mentally WIRED. I end up staying awake until around 11 pm and then sleepwalking through the entire day on Tuesday.
After a few years of this schedule - it’s time to take action to make a better routine for myself.
I reached out to my Instagram community for support and got some awesome responses! I also got a lot of messages of solidarity on this topic. This post combines some things you shared with me as well as things I know work for myself.
Take a hot shower or bath
The first thing I do when I walk in the door from a late night of teaching is hop in a hot shower. Mainly because I want to wash away the sweat and dirt of the day - but according to The Sleep Foundation, taking a hot shower or bath before bed can help improve sleep: “In the hours before bedtime, a human’s core body temperature naturally cools, while skin temperatures of the hands and feet increase. Scientists hypothesize that immersing the body in warm water aids this natural temperature regulation process, improving sleep as a result.”
Use light therapy
Another strategy I swear by is wearing my red light mask before bed. According to Calm, red light therapy can support your body’s natural production of melatonin by allowing your brain to relax: “A short session of red light therapy before bed—about 10 to 20 minutes—can promote relaxation and help signal to your body that it’s time to sleep.”
On the flip side, blue light (like the light from your phone or computer), tricks your brain into thinking it’s still daytime and makes it harder to fall asleep. While I do swear by the benefits of red light, at the very least, put the phone to sleep (outside of your bedroom!). And if you must use your devices, throw on some blue light-blocking glasses.
Brain dump!
This suggestion comes from Nicole Sabella over at The Nourished Dancer. She says:
“If a dancer or dance educator struggles to wind down after a late rehearsal or show night, I always recommend a brain dump! Take 5-10 minutes to write down everything on your mind, with no need for structure or poetry. Just let it flow. Journaling has proven benefits of course, but I like to think of it as offloading thoughts onto the page so your mind doesn’t have to carry it all. Let the page hold some of that weight for you, and if there’s anything important, it will be right there on the page for you to revisit in the morning.”
I love this suggestion and have definitely found it useful to calm my racing thoughts!
Get more magnesium
This was an overwhelming response I got from our community! According to this article from The Sleep Foundation, “Higher levels of magnesium in the body are associated with better sleep, longer sleep times, and less tiredness during the day.”.
Magnesium is found in foods such as nuts, whole grain, soy, dairy and leafy greens. You can also get your magnesium through supplements (of course, I recommend talking with your doctor before adding any supplements to your diet!).
Lavender
According to this article in Healthline, “research suggests that breathing in lavender’s aroma could improve sleep quality.” I definitely notice that adding a few drops of lavender oil to my diffuser, soaking my feet in some lavender-scented Epsom salts, or hopping in a lavender bubble bath helps me calm down after a stimulating day.
EFT tapping
This suggestion comes from Katrena Cohea over at yourbodyimagebff. She shares:
“EFT = emotional freedom technique, but it's also known as tapping and it's the process of gently tapping on pressure points in a specific order along your body, as you breathe and acknowledge your feelings. I like to do guided tapping meditations, but some people prefer to guide themselves. The app I use has a ton of guided meditations, on everything from winding down and sleep, to anxiety, and phobias. I've struggled with sleep most of my life, but when I regularly tap, I'm able to fall asleep so much easier. And it just feels very comforting and calming.”
Read a book
One of my favorite strategies to calm my racing mind! Replacing my late-night phone scrolling habit with reading has been such a game-changer. Social media is designed to keep us sucked in and often can trigger my nervous system because I’m met with alarming information or news when I’m trying to relax. Reading allows me to control what I’m consuming, gives me a more long lasting dopamine boost and overall makes me feel happier! If you’re looking for a good book to get into the reading habit, check out The Brainy Ballerina Book Club!
If taking in all these suggestions is making you feel overwhelmed, remember that you don’t have to do them all! It’s a bit of trial and error to figure out what works for you. The most important thing is to find out a habitual bedtime routine that you will follow through with even when you’re physically exhausted. After all, consistently doing one thing is better than doing all of these things one day a month.
According to Atomic Habits by James Clear (one of our past Brainy Ballerina Book Club picks!), to build a habit you need to: 1) make it obvious, 2) make it attractive, 3) make it easy, and 4) make it satisfying.
Here’s how that might look when it comes to building a post-dance bedtime routine:
1. Make it Obvious: set clear triggers that signal it's time to wind down
Environment Cues: Dim the lights or turn on a specific lamp you associate with bedtime.
Visual reminders: Before you head out for your day, set out your red light mask or your journal in an obvious place like your bathroom sink or nightstand
Habit stacking: Attach the new behavior to an existing habit. Example: After I get into bed, I will perform EFT tapping for 10 minutes.
2. Make it Attractive: link your bedtime routine with enjoyable activities.
Reward Yourself: Choose relaxing activities you genuinely enjoy, like reading, journaling, or listening to a podcast.
Positive Associations: Think of bedtime as self-care rather than a chore. Create a cozy environment with comfortable pillows and blankets.
Temptation Bundling: Pair a calming activity with something pleasurable. Example: I can only listen to my favorite podcast while soaking my feet in Epsom salts.
3. Make it Easy: simplify your routine to make it effortless.
Start Small: Begin with one or two simple steps, like reading for five minutes
Prepare in Advance: Prep your diffuser, or set your phone to "Do Not Disturb" early in the evening.
Optimize Accessibility: Keep your book or journal + pen on your nightstand so it’s within reach.
4. Make it Satisfying: end your routine with positive reinforcement.
Track Progress: Use a habit tracker to check off each successful night.
Immediate Reward: Relish the sense of relaxation at the end of the routine. Use a gratitude practice to close the day on a positive note.
Reflection: After a few nights, acknowledge how much better you feel when you follow the routine.
Using these cues, here’s what I am going to try to get better sleep after a long day:
Obvious: Set out my red light mask and book in the living room before leaving to teach (I tend to skip these habits on nights I teach because my husband is already in bed when I get home and I don’t want to wake him. Moving them to a different location will help me follow through)
Attractive: Put on my red light mask for 10 minutes while reading my book
Easy: Commit to reading for 10 minutes
Reward: Reflect on one good thing from the day
This feels totally manageable and I feel confident I can follow-through! What strategy will you try? I would love to hear from you in the comments!
Meet the Author
Caitlin Sloan is a Dance Educator and Career Mentor based in Madison, WI.
Caitlin received her Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Grand Valley State University and Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of Missouri.
She danced professionally for nine years with companies including Ballet Tucson and Missouri Contemporary Ballet (now Mareck Dance). Caitlin has taught at schools all over the Midwest, most notably serving as Director of The School of Missouri Contemporary Ballet and Youth Company Director for Central Indiana Dance Ensemble. She is currently on faculty at the School of Madison Ballet.
Caitlin founded The Brainy Ballerina® in 2019, a virtual resource providing support and guidance for aspiring ballet dancers. Follow @thebrainyballerina on Instagram for your daily dose of dance career guidance and inspiration.
