When we were children, we had a bedtime routine. The television went off at a specific time, we would have a bath, listen to a story, the lights go off, and we settle to sleep.
Then we get to the age where we stay up late. We told all our friends that we stayed up past 10 pm. Such rebels!
As adults, no one tells us when to go to bed or stop binge-watching our favourite Netflix series.
However, this causes a BIG problem. Not enough sleep or good quality of sleep can do serious damage to our mental and physical health. Read more about the importance of sleep and its impact on our health in our blog.
How can we give ourselves the best chance of good quality sleep? It is time to go old school and bring back the bedtime routine.
We don’t need to have a bath at 6 pm, play with rubber duckies and read Thomas the Tank Engine (although, if it works, go for it), but a bedtime routine will be different for everyone.
Here are 3 easy steps we can introduce for a good night’s sleep!
1. Start a bedtime routine 1 hour before sleep!
If we want to be in bed and asleep by 10 pm, we need to start our routine from 9 pm. That means our devices go off, we limit blue light, and we finish eating by at least 7 pm.
Going to bed on a full stomach will keep our heart rate and body temperature up which means we are less likely to have a restful night’s sleep.
Looking at our phone right before bed or watching our favourite Netflix show will keep our brains active, making it harder to switch off to sleep.
At 9 pm (or whenever we choose to start our bedtime routine), our phone must go into aeroplane mode or switch off to avoid any unnecessary distractions, set a morning alarm, and jump into a warm shower.
Taking a warm shower forces our body into action to lower our core body temperature, which is crucial for a night of restorative sleep.
Why not make herbal tea (no caffeine), get into comfy PJs or a birthday suit and climb into bed?
Now we are ready for step 2!
2. Take a brain dump during your bedtime routine!
That is right! Your brain needs a dump! Keep a journal or notepad beside the bed and write down any racing thoughts that may come up.
Sometimes when we’re trying to sleep, we think of all the things we didn’t do that we now must remember for tomorrow, but tomorrow is already jam-packed with things to do. Our brain goes into overload!
To avoid this, we can write down our thoughts, helping our brain to let go because it no longer needs to remember these thoughts now they are on paper. It can be a to-do list for tomorrow, new ideas or how you’re feeling. Whatever it is, there are no wrong answers. Just dump!
3. Read a fiction book!
Reading is a great way to help the brain relax and escape. Don’t read something informative or anything hard to read. We are trying to unwind our brains to prepare for sleep.
Read a fictional book or something easy to read. I love to read a comic book before bed. Lots of amazing artwork helps my brain relax.
Do what works for you!
A sunset/sunrise lamp is great to include in the bedroom when we’re unwinding. It tells the brain that the sun is setting, signalling that it is time to relax and get ready for sleep.
A Lumie Light is great to use for a sunrise in the morning and a sunset in the evening to improve sleep.
By this time, we are starting to feel relaxed. Once we feel our body relaxing, close the book, get comfortable and enjoy a good night’s sleep.
Don’t fight it!
If you’re struggling to unwind, include meditation or Yin Yoga in your bedtime routine. Mix it up and see what works for you. Enjoy a face mask after a shower and lather yourself in your favourite body butter. Listen to meditative music or an audiobook.
Summary
Having a bedtime routine and setting ourselves up for a good night’s sleep will improve our physical and mental health. There are many things we can do to improve our sleep, but having a consistent routine at the same time most days has been proven to give us a better chance of sleeping well.
Have a play and try different things. The key is to limit blue light and find ways to unwind, without screen time at least an hour before bed.
Many factors can affect our sleep, but introducing a bedtime routine has a positive impact.
A bedtime routine isn’t just for children!
Sleep tight!
Seek and Discover
