Today I thought I’d share some tips on how I wind down at the end of the day. It’s taken awhile to figure out how to relax enough before bed to fall asleep in a decent amount of time. I’ve struggled with my sleep before and I’ve found that these tips help to make me fall asleep as soon as I can.
2 hours before bed:
No TV
While it might be relaxing to sit on the couch and zone out, watching TV tends to get me wound up. I usually sleep a lot better if I avoid TV for a few hours before I go to sleep – it’s just too much stimulation for me.
No food
I have a hard time falling asleep with a full stomach, so I try not to eat right before bed. I especially avoid anything with too much sugar in the evening.
Plan out the next day
Planning out what the next day will look like helps me sleep better. I don’t worry about whether or not I’m going to forget something. I also like to write down my to do list for the next day. It’s easier to relax and fall asleep without all those little things flying around my head.
1 hour before bed:
Get changed into pajamas and wash my face
I take off any makeup if I’m wearing it, wash my face, and brush my teeth. I make sure to do this every single night – even if I’m tired. I’m in my mid-thirties now and I’m realizing how important it is to make care of my skin. If I get lazy and don’t do my daily skincare routine, my sensitive skin revolts. It’s actually kind of relaxing for me because it’s put me in the “going to bed mood”.
Put out clothes for the next day
Just like making my to do list and planning for the next day, knowing that I’m prepared and my clothes are out helps me to fall asleep. It’s especially important on those days where I’m going to the gym before work. Having my clothes out already helps me to save a few minutes in the morning.
Meditate
I use the Headspace app (I wrote an entire post about Headspace here). Being able to spend 10 or 15 minutes focusing on my breath helps me to relax. I make sure to turn on the blue light filter on my phone before I use it before bed to make sure that it doesn’t interfere with my sleep.
Getting into bed:
Read until I get tired
I read until my eyes start to get heavy. I’ve been a huge fan of the Libby app. I’m able to download eBooks from my local library without having to actually go to the library. EBooks are my preferred way to read these days. As I mentioned before, I make sure to turn on my phone’s blue light filter.
Fan on
I need white noise to be able to fall sleep. It blocks out all of those little noises that the house makes that would otherwise wake me up. I also like to sleep in a cooler room, so the fan helps with that too.
How do you wind down at the end of the day?
LOVE the Headspace app! I use it every day as well, but I can’t do it in bed because I always fall asleep hah. I also love getting as many things as I can ready for the next day so that my mornings are less hectic.
I think I’ve only fell asleep once while meditating. When I first bought my subscription for it, I wasn’t sure if it would be worth it, but it’s quite possibly the best money I’ve spent in 2018.