The bedtime routine
A good bedtime routine will help you wind down after a long day. Create a bedtime routine that will give you ultimate relaxation and comfort. Do not think that you have to make a large bedtime routine to get anything out of it. When starting something new, you should always ease into it. Try starting with two or three of the following habits before adding any more. If a habit does not work for you, then do not keep it in your schedule. You are in control here.
Yoga
Do some yoga or stretch before bed. On YouTube, there are several accounts that do yoga intended for deep sleep and relaxation. The videos usually range anywhere from 10-30 minutes. If you would love to try some nightly yoga, then start off with 10 minutes. It is not necessary to jump right into the 30-minute tutorial unless you really want to. Also, stretching before you sleep helps you ease the stress from tense muscles and also helps the body relax.
Skincare
Before you go to bed, get in the habit of cleansing your face. Take off your makeup and let your skin breathe a little bit. After the cleanser, you can put on a bedtime mask or moisturizer. For the bedtime mask, you will most likely have to wash it off when you wake up. As for the moisturizer, consider choosing a moisturizer that is made with hyaluronic acid.
Aroma Therapy
There are several scents that allow the mind and body to calm down after a long day. A few of these scents are lavender, rose, chamomile, and jasmine. Before you get into bed, you can spray the top layer of your bedding with these scents, or you can even use an essential oil diffuser.
Clean Your Space
Get into cleaning your space before bed. Toss any garbage if need be. Put away the laundry that you have been putting off. Don’t just put it in a corner or keep it in the basket! Let yourself go to bed in a tidy room. When you wake up in a clean room, then you start off the day “fresh.”
Journaling
Reflect on your day and your current thoughts. Journaling before bed allows you to do a little “brain dump.” If there is something upsetting you, then write about it. Pour all of your emotions about your day onto a notepad or the notes app on your phone. If you don’t want to reflect on your day, then you can write about anything you want! Here are two prompts:
- Write about what makes you feel cozy and comforted.
- Write about your favorite activities to do on a rainy day.
Sleep Sounds
Turn on some comforting sounds to fall asleep to. Light background noise can help lull you to sleep. There are multiple apps on your phone that provide comforting sounds. Try listening to rain, storms, white noise, forest sounds, etc.
Early to Bed, Early to Rise
Go to bed early. Get your beauty rest! Sleep is essential for us to be our happiest and healthiest selves. If you go to bed early, then getting up early will be a bit easier.