Dan Swiniarski is the president and chief operating officer of Wright Creative Branding & Labels. Since Swiniarski is based in Arizona, he enjoys everything the year-round warm climate has to offer, including golf and all types of exercise. When he’s not working out or hitting the links, he enjoys a good book. One of his recent favorite reads was “The Body” by Bill Bryson. When it comes to bedtime, Swiniarski adheres to his routine religiously. Read on to find out what it entails.
BedTimes: Tell us about your bedtime routine.
Dan Swiniarski: Normally Kristi and I have an early dinner around 4 or 5 p.m., followed by a 2-3 mile walk. Then we prep for bed and watch 30 minutes of a show. While watching the show, I put on a red light mask for about 20 minutes. We keep our air conditioning set to 65 and then it’s lights out by 8 p.m. I’m normally up and running by 4 a.m. That hasn’t changed since I was in the Marines.
BT: How many hours do you typically sleep?
DS: Between seven and eight hours but six hours works, too.
BT: Pets in the bed? Yay or nay?
DS: We have two cats. There’s Callaway, a 19-pound Snowshoe Siamese mix, and Auggie, his much smaller tabby companion. Neither are snugglers, but it’s not uncommon to have one walk across your body at some point in the evening or snuggle up against your head.
BT: What are your best sleep tips?
DS: We take our sleep very seriously. We have a consistent routine, avoid alcohol at least five hours before sleep and maintain a cool, dark and quiet room.
BT: Where is the last place you got a great night’s sleep that wasn’t your house?
DS: Our trip to Maui in February. What’s not to love? Mahalo.
BT: What are your secrets for getting a good night’s sleep while traveling?
DS: Try to stay on a consistent time clock. I live in Arizona and travel east quite a bit. The three-hour time zone change can kill the sleep cycle so trying to maintain the same routine helps. Avoiding big meals and red wine will definitely assist with the sleep cycles. Also, exercise as often as possible.
BT: What do you do if you have insomnia?
DS: I get out of bed, watch something, make a tea, etc. Luckily, this one only happens once in a great while. If I wake up, I get up. I don’t try to fight the monkey mind and fall back to sleep. I get to the gym or go for a run.
BT: What’s on your nightstand?
DS: Kindle, readers, remote for the adjustable bed.
BT: OK, now for a game of “Would You Rather?” Sleep mask or sound machine?
DS: I love my sleep mask, but I also have a travel sound device.
BT: Physical book or Kindle?
DS: I love a physical book for many reasons, but my primary go-to is the Kindle as it’s always ready on a phone, notebook or Kindle device.
BT: Before bed — read a book, watch a show or listen to a podcast?
DS: Read a few pages on the Kindle.
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