Bedtime Routines For Adults

Bedtime routines aren’t just for kids. Performing a set of activities in the same order each night can reduce stress and help you to get a better night’s sleep.

As children, a familiar bedtime routine helped them to drift off to dreamland. But most adults don’t have someone to read them a bedtime story, get them a glass of milk, and tuck them in each night. That’s why it’s essential to take matters into our own hands when it comes to hitting the hay at the end of the day.

We’ll tell you why it’s so important to establish a healthy bedtime routine and give you some ideas to get started.

What is a Bedtime Routine?

A routine is any set of activities that we regularly perform in the same way and the same order. A bedtime routine happens every night about thirty minutes to an hour before you lay down. These should be calming activities that help you to relax and unwind.

What are the Benefits of a Bedtime Routine for Adults?

The reason for a routine is to train your brain to establish particular habits. In the case of a bedtime routine, it tells your brain that it’s time to go to sleep.

A bedtime routine helps young bodies connect with their circadian rhythm. It can teach children how to self-calm and establish healthy routines.

By the time we’re adults, we’ve established a sleep-wake cycle. But learning how to relax is something many adults have yet to learn. A bedtime routine can help you to clear your mind and release the stresses of the day. It can help your brain switch into sleep mode.

Creating a Comfortable Sleeping Space

The best bedtime routine in the world could be all for naught if you don’t have a cozy place to rest your head at the end of the day. Here are some tips for creating an ideal bedroom environment:

• Keep the lights dim
• Make your bedroom a screen-free space
• Eliminate noise
• Keep the temperature cool
• Keep your bedroom clean
• Invest in a good mattress and pillow that are conducive to your sleeping style

Simple Bedtime Routine Ideas

The first step to starting a bedtime routine is setting a bedtime for yourself. Laying down at the same time every night will train your body to feel tired naturally.

Whether your bedtime routine takes thirty minutes or two hours, try to plan it at around the same time every night. Here are eight relaxing ideas to include in your bedtime routine.

Take a Warm Bath

One of the natural changes your body goes through as it prepares for sleep is to drop in temperature. Taking a warm bath at the end of the day can invoke this change in core temperature.

Take a warm bath about an hour before bed to reap the benefits. Add some herbal bath salts for a super relaxing experience.

Eat a Light Snack

Eating a heavy meal before bed can keep you up all night with indigestion. But at the same time, going to bed hungry can disrupt sleep. If it’s been a while since dinner, try a small snack to calm your stomach before bed.

Melatonin is a natural hormone that your body produces to help with sleep. Some foods are high in melatonin and make a great bedtime snack. These include:

• Eggs
• Fish
• Nuts
• Oats
• Grapes
• Tart cherries
• Strawberries

Have a Cup of Tea

If you don’t want to eat before hitting the sheets, how about a nice relaxing cup of tea? Just make sure it’s non-caffeinated.

Some herbal teas can help with relaxation and promote better sleep. These include lavender, chamomile, valerian root, passionflower, lemon balm, and magnolia bark.

Tea not your thing? How about a glass of warm milk? Many people remember using this sleepy time trick as children. Milk is also high in melatonin.

Read

A good bedtime story always worked when you were a child, so why not give it a try as an adult? Reading can help you to forget the tensions of real life and induce sleep.

One study found that just six minutes of reading before bed can reduce stress by 68%. The type of book doesn’t matter, as long as you are fully absorbed.

Journal

Writing in a journal or diary is an excellent way to sort out the events of a day and reflect on how they made you feel or react. Putting it all down in writing can help to answer questions or clear away stress.

If you don’t want to rehash your day, some suggest that writing what you’re going to do tomorrow can help you to fall asleep faster.

Meditate

After a particularly stressful day, relaxation is something you have to set your mind to. Practicing meditation, visualization, or deep breathing exercises can help to focus your mind and release tension.

Hand in hand with meditation, some people like to do some light yoga or stretching before bed. This can help your body to release physical tension, sleep better, and avoid sleep-related pain.

Listen to Music

Many people find that listening to music they love is a great way to relax. It can also free your mind from all of those worrisome thoughts. It doesn’t have to be any particular type of music; what might be calming to you could be earsplitting to someone else.

If you find yourself too distracted by music, try a white noise machine. Or make a playlist of ambient noise, like the sounds of falling rain, waves, a stream, or whale songs.

Ditch the Electronics

Most of us are tempted to switch on the TV or troll Facebook on our phones while lying in bed. But as relaxing as this may seem, it’s counterproductive to sleep.

Electronic devices emit short-wavelength enriched light (or blue light) that mimics daylight. This trickery can block melatonin production and make your brain want to stay awake.

Say goodnight to your television, phone, tablet, or computer and opt for a book instead to get the best rest.

Drifting off to Dreamland

The final step of a bedtime routine is getting into bed. Your body should associate your bed with sleep. So, once your head hits the pillow, try not to do anything but focus on falling asleep.

Like any ritual, it might take a while to adjust your body to a bedtime routine. But once you get into the rhythm of it, you’ll find it’s easier to get a good night’s sleep and wake up feeling refreshed.