Night Routine: The Ultimate Guide To A Healthy, Productive Night Routine

Just like a morning routine, having a night routine can be extremely beneficial for a healthy, productive lifestyle. Night routines typically include calming self-care activities that you do every night that last no longer than an hour or two at most.

Night routines can include anything like yoga, meditation, journaling, reading, skincare, or even a to-do list for the next day.
If you are one of those people who hop into bed at the end of the day and endlessly scroll through social media until you go to sleep or someone who snacks while they watch TV until they doze off, you are negatively impacting your lifestyle.
There are plenty of things that you might be doing before going to bed, that most of you don’t realize can be bad for you. In this post, you will get a night routine breakdown and some ideas to help inspire you when creating your own night routine.

Why You Should Have A Night Routine

The recommended amount of sleep is seven or more hours of sleep every night, for the average adult. The amount can vary depending on age and lifestyle but regardless, not enough sleep can be harmful to your health.

Whatever you do in the evening has a huge impact on being able to fall asleep or stay asleep.

Once you establish habits, your brain will start to recognize the process and automatically follow through. So if you form a bedtime routine by doing the same activities every night before you go to sleep, your brain will become accustomed to things, and falling asleep will come easier and faster.

Having a night routine can also give you time to relax and focus on important, self-care things and gives your mind time to wander as opposed to leaving thoughts unchecked which can eventually turn into stress and anxiety.

Attempting to go to sleep with lingering thoughts can cause a restless night.

Before going to bed is an ideal time to review what you achieved that day and also allows time for you to prep for the next day. Writing your thoughts can help lessen stress and anxiety.

Benefits Of Having A Night Routine

Tips For Creating A Great Night Routine

• DECIDE ON A BEDTIME: Your brain starts to wind down a couple of hours before your bedtime, so a night routine can make the sleep-wake cycle more effective. Your brain will naturally feel tired once you form a consistent sleep routine. Set an alarm! SCHEDULE TIMES THEN COMMIT. Bedtime / Wake up time / Night routine length (30mins-2hrs ideally)

• MINIMIZE ELECTRONIC USE: Most electronics emit blue light, which can fool the brain into thinking it’s daytime. This can cause the brain to think it’s awake by suppressing melatonin production. (melatonin=hormone that encourages sleep). Limiting electronic use can further the process of relaxing your brain. Utilize the “Do Not Disturb” settings on your phone and take a break from tv. *Your Netflix shows and Instagram feed will still be there tomorrow

• SET THE MOOD: Changing your environment earlier in the evening signals your body to start adjusting to prepare for sleep. Dimming the lights or using candles is one way to set the mood. Just like electronics, lights can also produce blue light, which can make it more difficult to fall asleep. Lowering the thermostat helps the body go into “hibernation mode”. Personally, it feels amazing to have a cool, dark room to cozy up under blankets and fall asleep in. (Just thinking about it makes me want to take a nap)

• PREPARE FOR THE NEXT DAY: Getting a head start and preparing for tomorrow’s tasks can increase your productivity a lot. Preparing for the next day can lessen the feeling of being rushed in the mornings, and give you extra time to focus on other things. It can also give you peace of mind and encourage relaxation by decreasing stress and anxiety knowing you are already on track for tomorrow.

• EAT LIGHT & HEALTHY: Eating heavy, late-night meals can negatively affect your sleep quality and metabolism which can lead to weight gain. Eating light and healthy options later in the day (way before bedtime), can boost your melatonin levels. Drinking something warm like chamomile tea has been shown to promote sleep.

• WASH-OFF STRESS: Taking a shower or bath towards the end of the day can help you wash the day off and allow you to start “fresh” in the morning. Taking a shower or bath can help relax the mind and body, and also lowers the body temperature which aids in going to sleep. Even if you prefer your showers in the morning, showering or bathing at night gives you time to do things like facial masks, shaving, body scrubs, hair treatment, and whatever things you may not have time for in the morning.

• CREATE A BEDTIME PLAYLIST: Having a bedtime playlist can help set the mood and lets your brain know you will be sleeping soon. Listening to relaxing music can help you mentally and emotionally detach from the day and encourage sleep. If you don’t know what to listen to, r&b, instrumental, jazz, lofi/indie, or noises like rainfall, thunderstorm, ocean, or jungle, are good places to start. *Pick whatever type of music you want, as long as its on the relaxing side and not upbeat music that gets you going

• LOW IMPACT ACTIVITIES: Low impact exercises like walking, yoga, and meditation, are all very calming, grounding activities. These can help you destress, focus on your breathing, loosen up your muscles and relax your body and mind for sleep. *Even with these light, low-impact activities, you should finish them an hour or so before bedtime.

• SENSES: Aromatherapy/Essential oils can be very beneficial to a good night’s sleep. Soothing fragrances like lavender and cedarwood can help with stress, aid in restful sleep, and calm and relax the mind and body. You can always use a diffuser or put a few drops in your bath or on your pillow before bed.

Night Routine Ideas

Hopefully, this article gave you a deeper understanding of night routines and why it is important to have one.

When creating your night routine, your primary goal should be choosing things that help you take care of yourself, wind down and relax, and tasks that make things easier for you by increasing your productivity.

It will probably take some trial and error to find out what works best for you. If you’re not used to having one, stay persistent until it becomes a habit. Things may seem forced at first, but once you start to see and feel the benefits, you will probably come to love it and look forward to it.

Let us know in the comments what your current night routine is and what you want to add or eliminate!