5 Simple Steps For A Calming Bedtime Self-Care Routine
The way you end your day influences the quality of your sleep, which is crucial for your health and well-being, so having a bedtime self-care routine is essential to help you switch off and get the restful sleep your body and mind need.
Incorporating a calming bedtime routine in your evening helps you wind down at the end of the day. It helps release tension and stress, both physically and mentally while ensuring you’re feeling relaxed and prepared for a good night’s sleep by the time you go to bed.
Benefits of establishing a calming bedtime routine:
- improved sleep quality
- reduced stress and anxiety
- enhanced productivity
- improved focus and alertness
- feeling calmer and peaceful
- being more present and balanced
- connected to your inner self
The secret of a successful night self-care routine is to slow down and turn your attention back to yourself. To really focus on soothing yourself, and releasing mental and physical tension so you can go to bed feeling relaxed and sleep well.
So let’s see how to build a peaceful night self-care routine to end your day for a good night’s sleep.
5 simple steps to create a calming bedtime self-care routine
1. Eat a light, nourishing dinner
Food habits are a tricky topic because everyone’s different and thus reacts differently to a same habit. So there’s no universal advice that will suit everyone. However, eating a large and heavy meal before bedtime can make it difficult to fall asleep.
Eating a light dinner instead may help improve your digestion and make it easier to sleep better at night, and wake up feeling well-rested and refreshed (especially if this is something you’re struggling with).
Tips for a sleep-friendly dinner:
- Try to focus on nourishing your body with whole and nutritious foods if you can.
- Try to eat at least two – preferably three – hours before going to bed so that you won’t go to sleep with a heavy and upset stomach.
2. Journal to clear your mind
Journaling is a powerful way to declutter your mind and release tension. And any sort of journaling works here, but two methods in particular help with releasing tension and stress.
1. Brain dumps
Brain dumps are important to declutter your mind and get all your problems out. They’re like a mental cleanse after a stressful and busy day.
After you’ve spent your day filling your brain with mental clutter, now is the time to get rid of it all. And to do that, simply write it down. Put everything on paper and let it all out. It doesn’t have to be pretty or organized or even make sense – just get it out.
2. Self-reflection
Taking the time to reflect back on your day is also a good way to release stress and tension while giving you a chance to go back over what happened throughout the day.
- Was it a good day or a bad day?
- How did you feel?
- What made you happy today?
- What made you unhappy?
- Is there anything you would do differently if you could?
- Did you accomplish something of which you’re proud of?
- Were you kind to yourself?
- Could you have been kinder to yourself?
- Have you done something good for your body today?
(These prompts are just ideas, don’t hesitate to come up with your own.)
Also, another benefit of self-reflection journaling is how it helps with self-awareness and self-discovery as it forces you to assess your reactions, feelings, and behavior.
I like these two methods but feel free to choose any other journaling type that suits you better.
3. Turn off electronics one hour before bed
Another good habit to implement in your bedtime routine is to turn off your screens at least one hour before sleep. Screens emit blue light – which may interfere with your body’s natural melatonin production (and thus your sleep), so avoiding them will help your brain regulate your melatonin levels as well as regulate your body clock and prepare you for restful sleep.
I know, this is something you might not be inclined to do, but try it just for a couple of days and notice how you feel.
Turning off electronics before bed is one of these instances where you need to push yourself to get results. It might feel inconvenient or tough to stay away from your phone or TV at first, but give it a try – the efforts are well worth the results.
4. Do a Relaxing Evening Activity
Now that you’ve decluttered your mind and turned off your screens, let’s focus on “You” time.
“You” time is the moment when you slow down and shush the outside world to turn your attention away from external matters and return to yourself.
This time is for peaceful and calming activities that help you wind down. The key to this relaxing-activity bedtime ritual is to soothe yourself, slow down, and relax.
Ideas for relaxing evening activities:
- Read a book
- Meditate
- Draw or write
- Listen to music
- Have a cup of your favorite drink
- Yoga or pilates
- Have a bubble bath with scented candles
The point is to come back to yourself. To reconnect to your body and inner self while trying to find that inner peaceful awareness and balance. It’s important to take the time to turn your awareness inwards after a day spent focused on the outside world.
This is the secret to maintaining balance on a daily basis. From the outside to the inside.
5. Breathe and stretch before bed
It’s important to take the time to prepare your mind and body before going to bed, and practicing deep breathing mindfulness while stretching is the perfect way to achieve this.
It doesn’t have to be a long practice. Just give it 5 or 10 minutes. Stretch your body while focusing on taking long, deep breaths and releasing tension from your muscles.
Sun Salutations are a really nice way to do this. The flow of the practice helps your body slow down, and connect your breathing to your movements while taking note of how you and your body feel.
Bonus Bedtime Self-Care Tips for Better Sleep
1. Avoid caffeine
Stay away from caffeinated drinks late in the day. Try alternative soothing bedtime drinks like honey milk, golden milk, chamomile tea, etc…
2. Create a healthy sleep environment
Sleeping in a healthy and comfortable space is crucial. Your sleeping environment is one of the key factors to a good night’s sleep.
To set it up, focus on these three main elements:
- A tidy and calm bedroom
- Comfortable temperature (not too hot / not too cold)
- Minimal light and noise exposure ( unnatural light exposure may perturb sleep)
These changes are small and simple but they can dramatically improve your overall sleep hygiene so don’t hesitate to give them a try.
Final word
If you often end your days feeling stressed or disconnected, building a consistent bedtime self-care routine can help make a big difference. It will help you release tension, switch off, and come back to yourself to ensure you get a good night’s sleep.
Remember, this guide is intended to provide you with guidance. These 5 calming steps offer a solid foundation for a calming bedtime routine you can alter and personalize based on what works for you and what doesn’t. Your own bedtime self-care routine should suit you as best as it can. Always listen to yourself and what you need.
For more self-care tips and tricks, you can go and check out this guide How To Create The Perfect Self-Care Plan In 7 Easy Steps as well as The 7 Self-Care Pillars: A complete Guide and Checklist and Top 10 Common Self-Care Mistakes And How To Avoid Them to help you navigate self-care as easily and smoothly as possible.
Please, don’t hesitate to share your own tips and ideas, and what works for you in the comments.
Have a nice day, and remember to take care of yourself. You deserve it.