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Ah, sleep. Essential for everyone, but elusive for so many people. According to the Centers for Disease Control, one in three American adults don’t get the rest that they need. This chronic exhaustion wreaks havoc on a person– not just physically, but mentally as well. Over the years, there’s been a lot of research showing different ways that people can improve their sleep. Today I’d like to showcase one important, if overlooked tool to improving their sleep hygiene: the nightly routine.
Parents know the importance of a good bedtime routine for a child. Studies show that maintaining a steady nightly routine helps children go to sleep more quickly, sleep without disruption, and wake up with more energy. This strategy alone makes it a popular must-do for moms and dads.
However, a nightly routine helps grown-ups, too. After all, humans are creatures of habit. A number of research studies have demonstrated adults enjoy the same benefits from maintaining a nightly routine as kids.
Why? Well, for one, doing the same bedtime routine and going to sleep at a consistent time each night helps our bodies’ internal clocks sync up. This way, our biological clock better understands when it’s time to wind down or wake up. There’s also something to be said about leaving the day’s stresses behind us and focusing on some self-care before bed. Putting our minds and bodies in a more relaxed state will inevitably help us fall asleep faster.
What’s that I hear you say? “Well Chris, how do I put together a good nightly routine then?”
I thought you’d never ask. I put together some suggestions below, organized below by category. Please keep in mind that a good bedtime routine will look different for everyone. Just pick the tips that sound helpful and try them out.
Building a Nightly Routine to Your Needs
Get Ready for Tomorrow
Why not get your future self set up as part of your nightly routine? Mornings can devolve into bleary-eyed chaos with the press of one snooze button. To save yourself a headache, you can do some preparation. Maybe set out your clothes for the next day, or perhaps pack a lunch.
One of my favorite strategies is to write out tomorrow’s to-do list before getting ready for bed. This serves two purposes. For one, you can start the next day smoothly, keeping track of chores without forgetting them. Also, this practice relieves your brain of the duty of holding onto all those to-do items. It can get crowed in there! Empty your mind onto the page so you don’t have to remember everything you have to do. This frees you up to focus on relaxing.
Make Your Space Cozy
Another important step to a nightly routine is to make sure that your sleep space will be extra sleep-friendly. Again, this means different things to different people. Some individuals will want to turn on a fan to cool the room. Others may bring in a space heater or an extra blanket. Regardless, prepping the bed’s temperature is a universally important part of a bedtime routine.
Another thought is to make sure that there won’t be too much light, as that will degrade your sleep. This means turning off any unnecessary lights, or possibly closing the blinds if there’s light coming in from outside. You likely want to stay away from screens too, as electronics’ lights may disrupt our body’s ability to produce sleep-inducing hormones.
Think about your senses when getting ready to sleep. If the sight of a pile of clothes stresses you out, maybe clean it up or move it out of the way. Try to eliminate any noise that may disturb you. For example, some people like to play music or white noise to help them sleep. Smell can be important, too. Do you have a candle with a supremely calming scent? Maybe lighting it will help you relax during your nightly routine.
Don’t Forget Your Hygiene!
Hygiene is an important part of preparing for sleep. It’s not just medically smart. Everyone knows that brushing your teeth is generally a good idea– unless you just love visiting the dentist for a root canal. However, practicing good hygiene also means practicing self-care. Brushing your hair or applying facial cream is not ‘necessary,’ but it’s a great way to show yourself some love and feel good. Many people even say that these habits give themselves a bit of headspace to reflect on the day and mentally prepare for bed.
An additional thought– there’s nothing wrong with morning showers, but sometimes bathing in warm water at night helps clean away the day. An extra benefit exists with this strategy, too: stepping out of a hot shower or bath means that our bodies’ temperatures begin dropping. That cooling sensation mimics the natural cooling process our bodies undergo when entering sleep. As a result, people generally get sleepier as a result. Science!
Prep Your Body and Mind
Beyond hygiene, you may want to prepare yourself for sleep both physically and mentally within your nightly routine.
Firstly, some light stretching can do wonders in helping the body release the day’s tensions. I’m not talking about making yourself into a human pretzel or anything– more along the lines of shoulder rolls, neck twists, child’s pose and the like. Also, if you’re feeling hungry, treat yourself to a light snack. Don’t go overboard– eating too much can lead to indigestion. On the other hand, cherries, grapes, strawberries, nuts, and oats all have high melatonin content, making them great sleep aids. A nice cup of hot, non-caffeinated tea can feel so relaxing, too.
Mentally, there’s a lot you can do to prepare for bed. Some people practice mindful breathing or meditation. Others read a good book. Prayer and other various spiritual practices can be helpful, too. One popular skill for a nightly routine is writing in a journal. This can be anything from a gratitude journal to something more free-form.
Be Consistent
I threw a lot of ideas at you in the above sections, and I’m sure there are many I didn’t cover. We are all need different things to help us sleep. Take any of my suggestions from above that sounded helpful and incorporate them into your nightly routine with your own ideas. Keep in mind, a nightly routine shouldn’t be too onerous. Going to sleep can’t feel like a part-time job!
The other essential part of a bedtime routine– other than the activities themselves– is the consistency. Practicing a bit of hygiene and stretching once per week probably won’t help your sleep too much in the long run. As I mentioned previously, your internal clock looks forward to certain signals to know when it’s time to rest. With time, a consistent nightly routine will condition the body and mind to know when it’s time to wind down and sleep.
The Nightly Routine is One Piece of the Puzzle
Having a steady nightly routine that meets a person’s needs is incredibly important for their mental and physical health. It’s all about finding a practice that works for them and practicing it consistently. The effects may not be immediate, but over time, most people find they sleep more quickly and restfully.
But a nightly routine is not the be-all, end-all of sleep hygiene. I put together a guide, found here, that briefly discusses all of the different strategies somebody can use to improve their sleep.
At the end of the day, we all have our own specific needs for sleep. You may want to experiment with routines and habits to see what works best for you. One way to do this is to use a sleep diary. If you subscribe to my newsletter, you get a free worksheet to track the quality of your sleep, as well as your nightly routine. This tool also helps show the relationship between your sleep and your mood. Having tangible data like this paints a picture on how to modify your day-to-day schedule.
What does your nighttime routine look like? Feel free to share in the comments below. And if you know somebody struggling to get to sleep, consider sharing this article with them.
