How to Make Your Nighttime Routine All About Relaxation

Our days are filled with our busy lives, jobs, and relationships, but nighttime is when we can relax and recharge. Whether you spend your days responding to text messages in the average 90 seconds, chasing after your kids, or both, your day to day life will present many different stressors that can impact your sleep. Below are a few tips to help you revamp your nighttime routine and make it more relaxing so you can get better sleep.

Stop Drinking Caffeine in the Afternoon

It takes approximately six hours for any caffeine you consume to be out of your body, so depending on your ideal bedtime, try to stop having anything with a lot of caffeine in it late in the day. Although that afternoon iced matcha oat milk latte might get you through your 4 o’clock meeting, it could also impact how restful your sleep is that night, which will only make you that much more tired the next day.

Avoid Screens

Between the light and the mental stimulation you get from your electronic devices, there are a lot of different ways they can disrupt your sleep. When you start your nighttime routine, try plugging your phone into its charger and committing to not looking at it.

One easy way to make sure you aren’t looking at your phone in bed is to have it charge across your room. This also will make things easier to wake up in the morning since in order to hit snooze you’ll have to get out of bed. It sounds like a much bigger change than it really is, but if you’re unsure about it, try this trick for a week and see how you feel.

Make Your Bathroom a Spa

Even if you are one of the 14.81% of bathrooms that are considered compact, you can make every night have a spa-like feel with a few simple things.

• An essential oil diffuser. Essential oil diffusers are available for very reasonable prices nowadays, and you can choose whatever type of essential oil you want to include in your diffuser. Choosing a scent like lavender or eucalyptus can help you relax and unwind for bedtime.
• A relaxing playlist. There are playlists on music streaming services like Apple Music and Spotify that are meant to help with relaxation or mimic songs you might listen to at a spa, and playing one of these playlists to listen to while you prepare for bed can help you catch some more restful shut-eye during the night.
• A face mask. It is not recommended that you do a face mask every night, but at the end of a particularly stressful day, using a face mask can help you feel pampered and relaxed, and you can do another relaxing activity, like reading, for the fifteen minutes it is on.
• CBD drops. About 6% of people in the US take CBD daily, and it can really help with relaxation. It does not have THC in it, so it is legal, and taking a few drops before you go to bed can help you begin to unwind and relax no matter the kind of day you’ve had. Some CBD drops are also formulated to help with other issues, such as muscle soreness for athletes, so try to research some different brands before you start taking CBD. And as with any other supplement, check in with your doctor before use, and stop taking it immediately if you exhibit any negative reaction.

Creating a space that you can feel relaxed and happy in is important for settling into a nighttime routine that leads to restful sleep.

Invest in Your Skin Care Routine

Skincare products can get ridiculously expensive, but investing in skincare that works for your skin type is still a good idea. That doesn’t mean you need to buy $100 moisturizer, but sometimes ingredients in cheaper skincare products are not conducive to your skin’s health. Make sure to read the labels and do some research into what is best for your skin type.

Having a consistent skincare routine, even if it just consists of washing your face and moisturizing, is a signal to your body that you are beginning the process of winding down for the night.

Brush Your Teeth and Floss

Brushing your teeth is key to any nighttime routine, and just like your skincare routine, it is a signal to your body that it is time to wind down. However, if you are not flossing, you are not getting the most out of your oral health routine. Flossing helps stop the buildup of plaque that can eventually lead to cavities, and it is the best way to make sure your teeth are getting as clean as possible.

Journal or Write a To-Do List

Once you have finished with your bathroom routine, it is time to begin settling into bed. Journalling is a great way to empty your mind of all of the thoughts that are trapped in your head by the end of the day. Doing a completely free write where you just write anything that comes to mind for 5-10 minutes can really help the restfulness of your sleep.

If journaling is not for you, then making a to-do list for the next day can also be helpful. If you feel there is something especially important that you don’t want to forget, this is a great time to write it down. This way, you won’t be worrying about forgetting about it as you’re trying to count sheep.

Meditate

After you finish journaling, get into a comfortable position for some relaxing meditation. There are guided meditations that focus on getting to sleep, and many are available for free online. This is the one time where a peek at your phone will help your nighttime routine, although you should just play the guided meditation and not respond to texts or check social media.

Time to Sleep!

Once you have completed everything above, you should have less trouble drifting to sleep. When you are lying in bed, focus on clearing your mind and visualize yourself well-rested the next morning. Best of luck revamping your nighttime routine, and sweet dreams!