Establishing a Nighttime Routine for Better Sleep
Finding the energy to make it through the day can be hard when you’re struggling with a poor night’s sleep. It can take a toll on our ability to focus, be productive, and maintain healthy relationships. Establishing good sleep habits is critical for our mental and physical well-being. The key is to create an effective nighttime routine so that your body and mind recognize when it’s time to slow down, relax and get the rest you need.
Creating a nighttime routine means taking a mindful and holistic approach to our daily self-care. It’s about tuning into your own needs — whether it’s aromatherapy, reading a book, or a warm hot bath. When you start honoring how you prefer to end your day, you’ll be setting yourself up for optimal rest and relaxation.
By establishing a repeated pattern of behavior before bed, you’ll slowly form this habit in your body and mind, so that when you start your nighttime routine, you can easily slip into a relaxed and natural sleep. These simple steps can make a dramatic difference in your quality of sleep and help put you back on track to getting important rest.
Set Your Environment for Sleep
The first step in your nighttime routine should be to create the right environment for rest. During the day, your bedroom should reflect the activities you spend most of your time doing — working, playing, studying, or even just relaxing. But in the evening, you’ll want to turn your bedroom into a sleep sanctuary.
You can do this by dimming the lights, using a fan or dimmer switch to lower the temperature, and adding comfortable furniture—a mattress or chair is especially beneficial. Additionally, playing relaxing music or white noise can be beneficial if it helps to reduce outside noises coming into the bedroom. Make sure to reduce your exposure to electronic devices and light-emitting screens for an hour or two before you turn in!
Practice Calming Activities
Practicing calming activities before sleep can prevent your mind from racing just as you’re trying to rest. You can try light stretching, progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, and listening to calming music. Even just spending a few moments in quiet introspection can be a valuable part of your pre-sleep routine.
Aromatherapy can be a great way to promote relaxation and undo stress from the day. Lighting a candle or diffusing essential oils like lavender and chamomile can reduce anxiety and help you form a positive connection between scent and sleep. Taking a bath with Epsom salt or herbs can bring instant relaxation effects to your body.
Reading before bed can also be effective as well. Studies have shown that reading helps the body relax and that it can be easier to fall asleep after spending a few minutes with a good book. As long as you read physical books rather than electronic versions, that is!
Stay on a Schedule
One of the most important aspects of forming good sleep habits is consistency. You should do your best to go to sleep and wake up at roughly the same times every night and morning — no matter how tempting it is to sleep in on weekends! This will ensure your body’s internal clock synchronizes to this rhythm and is ready to go to sleep at night.
Create a Nighttime Ritual
- Do something calming an hour before bed
- Set an electronics curfew prior to bedtime
- Set up your bedroom for maximum relaxation
- Keep a consistent bedtime
- Indulge in light stretching or aromatherapy
- Read a good book
Conclusion
Having a consistent night-time routine will send cues to your body that it’s time to rest. By keeping a regular bedtime, practicing calming activities like stretching and aromatherapy, and setting up an environment conducive to sleep, you’ll be able to create a rewarding sleep cycle that sets you up for success every day.