How many nights have you laid in bed, tossing and turning, completely unable to fall asleep? If you’re anything like me, these nights come along faaarrrrr too often.
One of the most effective things we can do to allow ourselves better sleep is to develop a nighttime routine. Doing this helps us get in the habit of winding down for the night, preparing our bodies for rest, and allowing our minds to relax in ways we might not be currently capable of.
Below, I’ve outlined some super important activities to add to your nighttime routine. The key here is to design a routine you love and that works for you and then- here’s the most important part- stick to it. After all, it is a routine!
I’ve separated these ideas into 3 phases:
Phase 1: Wrap up the day
Phase 2: Set yourself up for tomorrow
Phase 3: Wind Down & Get Ready for Sleep
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PHASE 1: WRAP UP THE DAY
1. Check off your to-do list.
I’m a big believer in the to-do list.
I feel like it’s such an easy way to measure our productivity throughout the day, and honestly, it just feels so good to check something off of a list and know that you accomplished something.
The first part of bringing the day to a close and beginning your nighttime routine is taking note of everything you got done/accomplished throughout the day.
This can be on paper (my preferred method), mentally, or however works best for you.
2. Let all your thoughts out.
It’s very very likely that at the end of the day, you have a lot of thoughts and feelings swirling around in your head.
Most of us don’t realize how important it is to get those thoughts out before ending the day.
Think about it- how many nights are you unable to sleep because you can’t seem to turn your brain off?
Maybe you’re up thinking about something that happened that day, or what you’re going to do tomorrow, or you’re overthinking a decision you made.
Whatever it may be, it’s likely to happen if we don’t take proper time to ’empty’ our brains out before we go to bed.
I find the easiest and most effective ways to do this to be either journaling, praying, or talking to my someone.
Keeping a journal that you write in each night can be such a great way to keep track of what goes on during the day as well as letting out anything that may be on your mind.
If writing isn’t your thing, it can also be helpful to find someone that you can talk to about your day.
A spouse, a friend, a parent, or even God (he’s legit the best listener).
Whatever your medium, you’ll find it much easier to let go of the day if you allow yourself to empty your mind.
PHASE 2 // SET YOURSELF UP FOR TOMORROW
This is so important!! Having a good day truly, 100% starts the night before.
1. Tidy up today’s mess (so you wake up to a clean home)
This one makes all the difference in how your day starts.
Ya know how they say ‘clutter in your home = clutter in your mind’?! yeah, well that’s 100% true. and who wants to start their day with a cluttered mind?
It seriously feels so good to wake up to a clean home.
Now, you absolutely do not have to go overboard here.
I’m not saying you need to mop the floors every night and that your home has to be completely spotless. The little things really mean the most here.
The things I’ve found to be the most helpful:
- Make sure the dishwasher is unloaded, so any dirty dishes can be put in there effort-free the next day.
- Make sure your workspace is cleared off.
- If you work from home like I currently do, this is a biggie. It’s so much easier and less stressful if you can just get started on your workday without first having to clean up your workspace.
- Pick up any trash you left out.
- Simply put, it doesn’t feel great to wake up to trash laying everywhere. Picking up the trash around the house can make a home feel so much cleaner.
- Wipe off the counters.
2. Set yourself up for a healthy day.
Being healthy is a lot easier when we have the things we need ready when we need them.
Here are some things I find super helpful:
- Fill up the water pitcher
- Cold, filtered water ready for the next day.
- Prep breakfast ahead of time
- This can be especially helpful if you have busy mornings and don’t have the time to cook a healthy breakfast.
- Chia pudding, overnight oats, or even dishes that can just be heated up in the morning work well for this.
- Set out workout clothes & gear.
- If you’re someone who likes to exercise in the mornings, this can be an easy way to get a jumpstart on the day. (this can also work as a visual reminder of your goals and help you stay motivated)
3. Make tomorrow’s to-do list.
You’ve already checked off today’s to-do list, now it’s time to make tomorrow’s list.
Making a list of things you’d like to accomplish tomorrow is a great way to prepare yourself for a productive day.
Often times, our brains can think of more things at the end of the day, so this is a great way to get all of your goals and to-dos out of your head and onto paper.
Then, the next morning when you wake up, you already have your day kind of planned out.
PHASE 3 // WIND DOWN & GET READY FOR SLEEP
Okay, you’ve reflected on your day, you’ve set yourself up for tomorrow, now it’s time to wind down!
At this point, your brain should be cleared out from all the mental clutter and your home is clear of the physical clutter, so you are in the perfect place to begin to relax.
This is the phase where you really begin getting ready for bed. You’re turning your brain off, letting yourself relax and unwind, and preparing your body for sleep.
Bonus tip for this phase: Turn off any bright lights, light some candles, turn on some calming music and let yourself really get relaxed as you do these activities.
1. Beauty & Hygiene Routine
Developing a nightly beauty routine is super important. Going to bed feeling clean and refreshed is honestly one of the best feelings.
Find things that make you feel fresh and relaxed, and do them nightly.
Here are a few of the basics:
- Wash your face (or do a facial)
- Brush your teeth
- Take a warm shower
- bonus tip: if you’re a nighttime showerer- do some visualization and try to imagine that the water is literally washing the stress and worries of the day away. sounds kinda kooky, but this legit helps.
- Exfoliate your skin
- Put on moisturizer.
- BONUS: this lotion works double-time. it functions as a moisturizer and helps you get in the sleepy-time mood. and the smell is the absolute BEST.
2. Stretch it out.
Chances are your body is in need of a little TLC by the end of the day, especially if you have a fairly sedentary lifestyle.
Taking just a few minutes to stretch or even do a few yoga poses can really benefit you in more ways than one.
3. Put on some comfy PJs
Comfy PJs are underrated.
As someone who struggles with falling and staying asleep, I can attest to the difference that good-quality PJs make.
Make sure you have clean and comfortable clothes that you can put on.
4. Read some fiction.
There’s something so cozy about ending the day with a good book.
As someone who doesn’t usually read a lot, I have found it to be a super wonderful thing to add ad the end of each day.
I always forget how amazing reading is until I get back into the habit of it.
Take just 15-30 minutes and let yourself get lost in a book.
Keep in mind, at this point in the night you should be allowing yourself to somewhat ‘turn off’ your brain, so avoid books that require a lot of thinking or seem to ‘wake you up’, like self-help books.
It’s best to stick to fiction books that your brain can easily stop thinking about once you close the book for the night.
5. Meditate
This is so so SO helpful for getting ready for sleep.
I mean what’s more relaxing than just quite literally clearing your mind and not moving?
I like to do this right before I go to sleep and 9 times out of 10, I end up falling asleep before the meditation exercise is even over.
If you’re looking to get into meditation but don’t know where to start, I highly suggest checking out Headspace.
They have several options for guided meditations at varying time lengths. They also have plenty of free options!
I like to do just a quick 3 or 5 minute session before bed and it’s enough to completely get me in sleep-mode.
You can check out Headspace here.
6. Get some sleep
Okay, now you’re officially ready to sleep!
Once you’ve developed a relaxing nighttime routine, this step will seem effortless. Soon you’ll be on your way to much better sleep! Hooray for that!
I hope this list gave you some inspiration to develop your own nighttime routine, and that you can take what you love from this list and come up with a plan that works for you!
It’s so important that you develop a healthy nighttime routine, and by doing this, you’re on your way to a healthier and happier lifestyle! GO YOU! You’re kicking butt!
What does your nighttime routine look like? Are there any things (not on this list) that you have added to your routine? Comment below!
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