Nighttime Routine for Better Sleep

Sleep is so important to us Mental, emotional and physical health and wellbeing. 7 hours is the recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult, and the average adult gets less than 7 hours of sleep per night. This is caused by a variety of factors — including stress, difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, maintaining work and life responsibilities, and technological distractions like phones, TVs, and other devices.

I’ve been trying to focus more on my nighttime routine lately. Overall, I’ve been lucky to sleep well, but I often wake up feeling anxious. I have many friends and family who struggle with sleep, which can be frustrating, lonely, and draining. Insomnia is a sleep disorder that causes recurring interruptions in sleep, which can lead to daytime sleepiness and disruption of daily activities. Sleep deprivation is a problem that many parents struggle with with young children from nighttime diaper changes and feedings to when the little one wakes up sick or crying from a nightmare. Sleep deprivation can be downright debilitating and negatively impact every aspect of our lives.

Regardless of your sleep problems, you deserve rest and a good night’s sleep to prepare for the day ahead. While we may not be able to control factors like our little ones waking up at night, there are many things we can do to ensure a good night’s sleep when possible. A good night’s sleep allows us to start our day feeling rejuvenated, relaxed and energized.

Whether you’re sleep deprived or looking to improve your sleep, today’s post is for you.Here are some nighttime routines to help you sleep better Waking up feeling ready to conquer the day.

Nighttime Routine for Better Sleep

Limit caffeine, sugar, and alcohol during the day, especially before bed.

Unfortunately, caffeine, sugar, and alcohol can all contribute to a poor night’s sleep. The impact on our bodies causes a burst of energy, a crash, and then anxiety sets in. oops! I found Ellen Vora’s ( The Anatomy of Anxiety) explaining the effect of alcohol on sleep is really helpful. Alcohol breaks down in our body into blood sugar, which can cause blood sugar spikes and crashes, she explained. This causes a surge of the neurotransmitter GABA, which actually has a slowing, calming effect on the body. That’s fine until our body’s natural response to this GABA works as a survival mechanism. This leads us in turn to try and restore homeostasis with glutamine, which leaves us waking up at 2am in an anxious state. Therefore, limit sugar and alcohol intake as much as possible before bedtime. Also, limiting your caffeine intake during the day can help. Try sticking to coffee in the morning and limit caffeinated beverages after noon.

Eat things that help you sleep.

Another way to help improve your sleep is to eat healthy, nutritious foods and drinks. Certain foods and drinks have been shown to be effective for sleep. The neurotransmitter GABA I mentioned earlier is also found in food and is great for naturally calming the body before bed. Try consuming GABA-rich foods such as soy protein, fermented yogurt and kefir, oranges and citrus fruits, walnuts, almonds, spinach, broccoli, sweet potatoes, lentils, brown rice, shrimp and halibut. Try adding these foods to your evening meals and you can hope to reap the benefits each night. Teas containing calming herbs such as lavender and chamomile, Passionflower, magnolia, and decaffeinated green tea are also great options for evening drinks.i just started drinking Four Sigma Chai Latte It’s a great relaxing treat and helps me calm down at night.

Turn off electronic devices 30 minutes to an hour before bed.

It’s a difficult process, and I often struggle to hold myself accountable for it. But the positive effects of turning off electronics at least 30 minutes before bedtime can be very beneficial. Not only does it signal and relax your brain, it also helps you sleep longer. The blue light from our phones blocks the natural release of melatonin, our body’s natural sleep hormone. This is detrimental to our sleep cycles and very messy for our bodies. Wondering why you feel so awake in bed after an hour of scrolling on your phone? Now you know. Maybe set up a charging station away from your bedside table and make the last 30 minutes before bed a calming (non-technical) activity like reading.

Use natural light before bed.

As I mentioned above, blue light is very harmful to our sleep cycle. Use dim natural light before bed to help signal your body that you are ready to fall asleep. This will help your body go to sleep in a natural, healthy way.

A great feature of the kindle is the warm light setting, which allows you to read without being negatively affected by blue light.Another good option is hatch recovery There are routines to help you relax, sleep and wake up. You can customize the color, brightness, sound and volume to help promote a healthy circadian rhythm and melatonin production for a better night’s sleep. The reading light is soft and soothing without harsh blue tint.

Try sleep supplements.

With so many sleep supplements on the market, it can be difficult to know which ones are safe and effective.Jesse and Craig both swear by Kinkou CBD Sleep Gummies (Use code jessannkirby for 20% off this month). They not only help you fall asleep, but also help you stay asleep. Always check with your doctor before taking melatonin or other sleep supplements. Other supplements that are said to be good for sleep include: magnesium, zinc, and vitamin B6.

Use relaxing sleep sounds.

Have you ever lay down to sleep only to find the silence suddenly deafening? When our minds are moving at a million miles per minute, silence can sometimes feel like welcoming every thought that enters your head to the surface again.try to use noise machine, a fan, or you can even play calming music or relaxing nature sounds. You can set a timer on the speaker so the music turns off after a certain amount of time.

Meditate or do yoga before bed.

meditation Restorative yoga practice has been scientifically proven to improve sleep. Yoga Nidra or Yogic Sleep is a type of yoga specifically designed to improve sleep. Yoga Nidra includes breathing techniques and restorative yoga poses that encourage relaxation. It also often includes guided meditations that allow you to enter a calm state (similar to a meditative state) between waking and sleeping. Yoga Nidra is said to improve your ability to fall asleep quickly and allow you to sleep longer throughout the night. This helps improve the REM sleep cycle and induce deep sleep. yoga ball If you search for “Yoga Nidra”, you can do various meditations and classes in the comfort of your own home.Here are some more about 5 easy ways to try meditation.

Read or write in a journal before bed.

I found reading and write diary Makes a great bedtime activity. Journaling helps to calm my mind and get out of my day. Trying a journaling ritual like a gratitude exercise can also be helpful. During the time I was battling debilitating anxiety, reviewing my day every night, writing down one thing that was difficult that day, one thing that went well, and my thoughts on the next day. Hope is a very simple but solid thing to practice.

read Also a great relaxing activity to transition to sleep.You can read something fun and simple like Fictional romance or drama or more thought-provoking or inspirational non-fiction books. Try to avoid things that are too dark or too strong before going to bed. This can make you feel anxious or fearful, which can disrupt your sleep.

What habits can help you get a better night’s sleep? Let us know in the comments below!