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The secret to waking up well-rested is having a good nighttime routine. What you do before bed has a profound impact on the quality of your sleep. I used to be pretty bad about and filling my nights by binge-watching shows on Hulu and Netflix followed by time on Instagram and Snapchat.
My Nighttime Routine
Prep for school: Packing the school bags the night before makes getting out of the house on time much easier.
Pull out meat from the freezer for dinner: I am still a bit bad about remembering to do this, but it really does help reduce my stress. Nothing is worse than having hungry kids and a hungry husband to find you didn’t take the chicken out of the freezer.
Ten Minute Tidy: I’m not one of those moms that keeps the house spotless. I do my best to keep things picked up. At the end of the day, I do make sure to do an extra ten minutes of picking things up.
Nighttime Beauty Routine: I always wash my face, apply eye cream, and night cream.
Read/ Bible Study/ Prayer: I really try to do something relaxing before bed. When I do read, I make sure it isn’t something stressful like the news or an intense action book. I’ll read something light and fun.
Lights out: I need it dark, so all the lights go out.
Ideas For Your Own Nighttime Routine
My nighttime routine is what works for me. You may find that you can’t read before bed or you’ll end up reading all night. Every person will have a unique combination of what works for them. Here are some ideas to help you come up with your nighttime routine.
Prep
Reduce the amount of work you have to do in the morning. Pick out your outfit or 3, pack your lunch for tomorrow, or prep your overnight oats.
Ten Minute Tidy
Clutter causes stress. Reduce your stress by reducing the mess. Clean up the mess from dinner, take out the trash, or put away your laundry. Take a few minutes to tidy up and you will feel much better.
Electronics Free
Turn off the TV, the iPad, and iPhone and have some electronics-free time. I know how easy it is to go from checking on Gillie Houston on Snapchat to checking out The Everygirl to looking at Amber Fillerup Clark’s Instagram feed. Next thing you know it is 1 am. Plus the lights from electronics make it harder to sleep.
Cool Off
While it may be second nature to pile on the blankets and crank up the heat when going to bed, the optimal temperature for sleeping is between 60-68. My husband keeps the thermostat set to 68 in our bedroom.
Lights Off
Exposure to too much light before bed can make it harder to sleep. Having the lights turned down will make it easier to fall asleep.
Additional Tips
Avoid caffeine consumption 6-8 hours before bed
3-4 hours before bed avoid strenuous exercise
Eliminate snacking 1-2 hours before bed
Now that you have a good nighttime routine, don’t forget to start your day off right.
