Night Routine for Better Sleep
For many years I ran through my days in a sort of circle, wake in the morning shaking off sleep, work, come home, eat, sleep…rinse and repeat. I think everyone feels a certain drudgery in their weekday routines, I certainly have. Even though a certain amount of routine is necessary, that doesn’t mean it has to be monotonous. I found by making some small changes, I could set myself up with an evening routine for better sleep.
After the dishes are done and everything sort of picked up there are things you can do to downshift from the fast daytime pace to the evening. Most of us fall into a chair and stare at some sort of screen, am I right? Well, yeah, I have done this many times, telling myself that I deserve this Z-out state, even need it. But while that can be truly what you need some nights, if you keep doing that every night, you’ll actually make yourself feel more tired and restless when you finally get to bed. It can be a cycle that’s hard to shake yourself loose from.
Where to Begin
I hope these tips, all or some, will help you make your evening routine better. Actually routine sounds kind of dull, but you can mix it up and see what works for you. The idea is to make your evening more pleasant to set yourself up for a good peaceful nights sleep. So if you’re ready, let’s dive in…
Evening Walks
Walking around your neighborhood with a partner, friend or taking your pet for a walk can feel like an upgrade in more ways than one. The first obvious benefit is exercise. If you work in an office, sitting at a desk all day – it actually feels good to move a little and get in those steps if you have a tracker. I also find that getting outside helps me work through things that maybe have been worrying me, or just things I need to process. A nice walk outside clears your mind, and the peaceful (hopefully) sounds of your neighborhood can be restorative.
Glow
When it comes to lighting, it’s good to have some sort of a soft light source, or candlelight instead of sitting in a pitch-dark room with only the glow of a TV or phone. Instead of relaxing, it always just made me groggy and if I’m honest, a little grumpy too, not sure why. The warm glow of a little lamp is very soothing.
Mini Spa
I kept reading about self care on weekends, as if it’s the only time that one could focus on skin and hair care in a spa like relaxing way but really that’s only true if we’re talking about a big block of hours. Any weeknight can fit in some self-care, a warm shower or bath with candles and music, why not? It’s a matter of choice in how you want to spend those Z-out hours. I started listening to a relaxing playlist (Cocktail Jazz on Spotify) that immediately, (I’m serious) puts me in a better, more relaxed mood. Instead of rushing through it like a chore, I slowed down, enjoyed the music and felt better about my evening. I suddenly felt like I was carving out some time for myself to relax and unwind.
Yoga
Right before bed some gentle yoga can be nice. It definitely can help if you sit at a desk looking at a computer all day long. It can unravel tension and prepare you for a good nights rest. I like Gaiam’s P.M. yoga – it features Rodney Yee and comes in a set with A.M. as well.
Slowing Down
I live in Michigan and life moves at a pretty good pace here. When I was a kid, we used to take occasional vacations to see our relatives down south in Missouri and can I say it was like a whole different world. Everything is slower paced and my family would go out after dinner and sit in a porch swing and have an iced tea or lemonade, take in the night air and talk to each other. To be fair, it was in the seventies without modern day distractions but I guess that’s my point. While I totally enjoy my iPhone (some might say I’m tethered to it) – there are times when I can’t seem to break out of the rabbit hole of Instagram, YouTube, etc., put the phone down and give my mind and eyes a break when that’s exactly what would help.
Reading in Bed
My favorite way to wind down and get ready for a good nights rest is to climb in bed and read a good book. Reading is relaxing, easing you toward sleep as most times with low light it actually makes you sleepy. Losing myself in a good story for a while before my eyelids get heavy is the best segue to sleep.
Finally, I would add to that list a warm cup of sleep inducing tea like Chamomile or Sleepy Time teas. I hope that these tips help you find a way to wind down after a long day and get a peaceful nights sleep. Bonne Nuit!
