We’ve talked about habits you should add to your nighttime routine, but what about nighttime routine habits you should avoid?
Part of creating a cozy & happy life means getting good sleep. A good night’s rest can be the difference between a bad day and a good day, being grumpy or being happy, feeling depressed or feeling hopeful and motivated.
Sleep HUGELY impacts our mental and physical health. But getting great sleep isn’t as simple as laying your head on a pillow and shutting your eyes.
The good news? There are several things you can do to promote sleep health. And in the same way, there are also several things that you can AVOID to improve that quality of your ZZZs as well.
Let’s get into the 6 nighttime routine habits to avoid for a good night’s sleep.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products that I personally would use or do currently use. Please read full disclosure for more information.
1. Avoid the big light.
In my house, we avoid the ‘big lights’ at all cost anyways, but this is even more crucial at nighttime. Light tells our brains that it’s ‘awake time’. So by dimming the lights, or switching to table lambs instead of overhead lighting an hour or two before bed, we are telling our brains it’s time to wind down and get in sleep mode.
This is also true of those moments throughout the night where we wake up for a bathroom run. The more light we can avoid during those moments, the easier it will be for us to fall asleep.
Having softer light lamps in your bedroom is a great way to ensure that no big lights are used before bedtime
2. Avoid drinking caffeine.
I’m sure this comes as no surprise to you, but drinking caffeine in the evenings or even afternoons has a HUGE impact on our ability to get and stay asleep.
Caffeine’s effects last long after the last sip. It varies from person to person, but for most people, caffeine keeps doing its thing for 4-6 hours after consumption, with some people even experiencing its effects for up to 12 hours.
Struggle with getting rid of your afternoon coffee? Start small. If your normally drink your last cup of joe at 4pm every day, try changing that to 3pm and see if any improvements are made. Then keep scaling back as needed. Even swapping out your afternoon coffee for a cup of decaf or half-caf can make a difference.
3. Avoid eating a large meal right before bed.
When it’s time for rest, the ideal state of our bodies is exactly that: restful. But if we’re going through any significant process (such as digestion), then it will be harder for both our bodies and minds to relax and wind down.
When we eat, it takes both time and energy for things to digest. And if our bodies are doing that while we’re trying to get some shut-eye, then chances are we’re going to be stuck lying awake while it’s happening.
Even more than that, eating a large meal before laying down can disrupt the natural flow of digestion, leading to gas, heartburn, and indigestion.
Try eating your meals at least 2 hours before bedtime if possible.
Pro tip: if you find yourself often being hungry at bedtime, try eating a banana! It’s small and easy to digest, but the nutrients act as a natural muscle relaxer and can help your body feel restful.
4. Avoid going to bed with anxieties swirling around your mind.
We’ve all been there- it’s time to go to sleep but instead, your brain is playing this fun game of ‘stress about every possible situation’ or ‘think of every embarrassing thing I’ve ever done’. I know it all too well.
And if you struggle with mental health conditions such as anxiety or depression, then the nights where your mind keeps you up are probably even more common.
Luckily for us, there is an easy fix for this: brain dumping.
I’m a big advocate of brain dumping, mostly because it has worked so well for me in dealing with my own mental health struggles.
But making it a part of your nighttime routine is even more helpful.
Brain dumping is simple: get out a notebook, or a voice memo app, or even another person and just spill what’s on your mind. List out any anxieties you have, any stressors or worries, things that happened throughout the day- whatever is on your mind. Even the little stuff. And give yourself permission to worry about that stuff tomorrow, if needed.
I once heard someone say that things always seem heavier and scarier after 9pm, and man have I found that to be true. Something that might cause me a little tiny twinge of anxiety in the daylight can completely derail my mental state after dark.
So sometimes even getting out the things that seem minor and insignificant can help us avoid a whole ordeal once it comes time for bed.
5. Avoid skipping your nighttime routine.
Our brains LOVE structure and routine. And both the quality and quantity of our sleep is so easily influenced by that structure.
So if we are spending 30 minutes each evening going through a routine before we lay down for sleep, then pretty soon our brains learn that once that routine starts, it’s time to get in sleep-mode.
Skipping the routine completely confuses our brains, which can lead to irregular sleep patterns and trouble falling asleep.
Your nighttime routine doesn’t have to be anything extreme. You can start small and build from there. If you want to develop a nighttime routine but don’t have a lot of time, I suggest starting with the most important thing: commit to a consistent bedtime. This is the #1 habit that will help our brains find structure and certainty.
If you do this consistently, you’ll notice after a while that as that time gets close every night, you will start to get tired. That’s your brain taking notice of that routine!
If you’re looking for more nighttime routine habits, you can check out my blog post here!
6. Avoid technology before bed.
Everyone’s least favorite advice ever- don’t use your phone before bed.
Trust me, I have my own bone to pick with this one because I am quite (happily) guilty of scrolling through reels or playing games on my phone until I fall asleep.
But I do have to say I’ve noticed the nights where I avoid the blue light and opt for a different method of sleep encouragement, I truly do sleep better.
If you’re like me and can’t just lay your head down and drift off immediately (yet), there are still options to help your brain wind down. Reading is my favorite go-to for this, but also things like knitting or crocheting, meditating, doing a sudoku, or even listening to a bedtime story (yes, they have those for adults).
If you’re in need of a book light for nighttime reading, but want to avoid that nasty blue light we were talking about earlier, this is the one I use and love!
Pro tip: If reading a book, try to pick fiction! Self-help books keep our minds busy with thoughts and ideas, and non-fiction keeps us asking questions. Fiction books are the easiest for our brains to disconnect from once the book is shut.
By avoiding these 6 nighttime routine habits, you are on your way to better sleep.
Remember, getting good sleep is not only good for avoiding being tired, but also easing the effects of anxiety, depression, ADHD along with other mental conditions and countless physical conditions.
Good sleep health is CRUCIAL to overall wellbeing, and I hope by following the steps in this post, you will be one step closer to improved sleep health in your own life!
Interested in more posts about sleep health, mental health, and creating a cozy life? I’d love it if you joined my newsletter! 🙂
I would love it if you saved this post on Pinterest! ☺
Leave a Reply