Many people underestimate the power of a good nighttime routine. I have come to learn that a successful nightly routine is essential for having a good night’s rest as well as having a better morning. Here are some things that are a crucial part of my night.
Dinner
The first step in my night routine happens before the night even begins. I am usually starving after a long day of classes, so around 6, I have dinner. Some days I either have leftovers or I make something simple like pasta or rice with some kind of protein.
Homework
Once I’ve finished dinner, I work on homework assignments that are due the next day. This step can range from 30 minutes to 2 or more hours depending on how much work I have.
Clean
A way that I wind down after a long day is to do a cursory clean of my room. This means wiping down surfaces, putting away stray papers and things, as well as doing a quick sweeping. Doing this prevents clutter from piling up and ensures that you wake up with a clean space.
Me Time
Once my assignments are done and my room is clean, it’s usually around 9:30. I take this time to do something to treat myself. Some nights this includes reading a novel, watching YouTube videos, catching up on Grey’s Anatomy or making chocolate chip cookies. Whatever it is, I use this time to just relax and reward myself for a long day’s work. If my day had been really stressful, then I’d do a combination of a sweet treat, entertainment and then a mini spa night.
Clean Body=Clean Mind
Speaking of spa night, at around 10 I start to get ready for bed. So I’ll shower, wash my hair, do a face mask, brush my teeth and anything else I need to do. If it’s a mini spa night, I take a bath using essential oils and a bath bomb.
As you may be able to tell, I’m a big advocate of self-care, so any particular spa night is tailored based on how I am feeling.
Self Improvement
After showering, I’ll put some pajamas on and then read a few pages to a chapter of a motivational/ self-help book. Currently, I am reading You are a Badass by Jen Sincero. By then, it’s usually 11 so I’ll plan out my top three goals for the next day as well as any additional “to-dos” to the Reminders app on my phone. During my morning routine, I transfer these things to my planner.
Lights out
Once that is done, I turn my lights off and try to go to sleep. A bad habit that I’m trying to break is that I usually then read a contemporary romance on my phone which sometimes keep me engaged well past midnight.
Usually though, 11:30-midnight is when I go to sleep.
I hope you enjoyed getting a view of what I do as a part of my night routine, and hopefully you can get some inspiration for your own.