Bedtime Routine
I LOVE sleep! I’m such a grump if I don’t get a good night’s rest … my family will attest to this (sorry to you all). This is not something new; I’ve always been like this. My mum quite happily recounts how she would have to wake me up as a baby so that she could take my sister to playschool! Erm, what happened to never wake a sleeping baby?! Anyway…
There’s a reason why parents create a lovely little sleep routine for their children (bath, pjs, story, bed), and this isn’t just so that they can crack open the wine once they’re “off duty” (although I’m sure it’s a big part of it!). No, the reason they create this little routine for a child is so that their body and mind knows it’s wind-down time and it will make them sleep better, which makes for a less whingey, more pleasant and fully functioning child. Well, that’s the hope at least!
And it’s not just children that this applies to. As adults we take on daily stresses and challenges that by the end of the day can leave our minds whirring and our bodies aching. There are lots of small changes we can make to get a good night’s sleep and to ensure we are ready to start the new day feeling well rested and energised (and less whingey, more pleasant, fully functioning… etc).
Over the years I’ve created a lovely little bedtime routine that really works to get my body and mind ready for a restful sleep. So much so that, according to my Fitbit, I barely move once I’m asleep… basically I sleep like a corpse! And here’s how…
· My favourite way to unwind and relax after a busy day is to have a hot bath. I like to add in a handful of Epsom salt, which is great for cleansing the skin and amazing for relaxing tired muscles (perfect after a workout or just being on your feet all day). I also add a few drops of lavender essential oil. Lavender is a wonderful essential oil for calming the body and mind and really helps to unwind after a stressy day. For all the lavender haters out there, I’m afraid I have to apologise as there is a bit of theme in my bedtime routine. But you could always add in your favourite bubble bath instead and make bath time a more luxurious affair. Plus, if you have a bit of an obsession with candles like I do, you could always light a couple of candles and really get into relaxation mode.
· Once I’m out of the bath and have slapped on some body lotion to keep my dry skin smooth and supple, I’ll make myself a cup of …. you guessed it… lavender tea. Well, actually, it’s a blend of chamomile, rose, lavender and holy basil and it’s the prettiest tea as it has actual rose petals in it. The one I drink is by ‘We Are Tea’ and it’s their Sleep tea. All the ingredients are picked for their calming and relaxing properties. Maybe it’s mind over matter, but whenever I don’t have this tea, I feel like it takes me much longer to fall asleep.
· I try to stick to the rule of no phones in the bedroom, which also involves not looking at my phone an hour before bed. It’s something to do with the blue/white light that is emitted by phone screens that prevents melatonin (the sleep-inducing hormone) from being released by our brains. This can be a tricky one to implement if you are used to being on your phone all evening, but it is really worthwhile trying this, even if you only manage it a couple of times a week. Apparently, this also applies to the TV too and you should turn off the TV an hour before bed but, like always, this is about being beautifully balanced and not practically perfect and so for me I quite like to watch a bit of TV before bed… I’m a HUGE Grey’s Anatomy fan, so my perfect evening would be rounded off with an episode of Grey’s.
· The next step in my sleep arsenal is my lavender pillow spray from Neal’s Yard. There are so many different types of these sprays on the market and they all work in the same way. You spritz a bit on your pillow and the lavender scent helps calm your senses and provides a lovely relaxing sleep environment.
· Bedroom temperature plays a part too. Ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you that I absolutely HATE being cold and will happily roast in 40+ degree heat. However, there is one exception and that is when I sleep. I like the room to be on the cooler side. There are studies that show how the cooler temperature aids a restful sleep, and it certainly seems to do the trick for me.
· Reading before bed is a great way to relax before sleep (unless, of course, the book you’re reading is a bit of a nail-biter, then this might have the opposite effect!). I read a few pages of whichever book I am currently on (right now I’m reading ‘Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine’ which I’m loving), as well as a couple of positive affirmations to fill my mind with some lovely thoughts before I switch off. My favourite books for this are Miranda Kerr’s ‘Treasure Yourself ‘and ‘Empower Yourself’. They are filled with short and sweet one liners to fill my brain with a few positive thoughts before sleep.
· Finally, I pop on my lavender filled eye mask and I’m asleep within minutes. If you haven’t got one like this with the lavender inside, you could always spritz an eye mask with your pillow spray or a couple of drops of lavender essential oil (but make sure you’re putting this on the outer side of the eye mask, as it will not be conducive to a relaxing sleep routine if you feel like your eyeballs are on fire!).
And that’s it. You’ll sleep like a log/dead body ;-)
L x
Do you have a bedtime routine? What are your favourite tips for getting a good night’s sleep? Let me know in the comments below.