Celebrities have been telling us about their sleep routines lately. That’s great; sleep is crucial, and we live in a culture with a tricky rest/work balance. Yet, it’s not always helpful to get sleep tips that require $100 candles and $400 sheets.
We love getting good quality sleep, but we don’t love spending tons of money on a sleep routine. We’ve got some sleep routine ideas for you that won’t break the bank but hopefully will help you break that insomnia.
Timing
Every article that talks about waking up early says you should go to bed at the same time each night. That’s because it’s true. It’s not easy, but it’s time to take that sleeping habit seriously.
You should start your sleep routine 1 hour before you actually want to sleep, so you wind down peacefully and on time. Just remember, your productive morning actually starts the night before.
Sleep Stretches
Incorporating a mini yoga session into your nightly ritual is a healthy way to put yourself in a relaxed and sleepy state. Make it a short practice, so it’s never too daunting to start when you’re already tired. It’s also important to set aside a particular location where you do these stretches so that going over to it at the same time every night immediately triggers the habit to start stretching. Ten minutes of stretching and deep breathing will help release the tension you’ve been carrying all day while also slowing your thoughts down by getting you to focus on your body.
Meditation
Meditation is an excellent trick for getting your mind to quiet down at bedtime. If you’re even just the slightest bit tired, a 5-minute meditation will make it hard to open your eyes afterward.
Add Lavender
Lavender candles, lavender lotion, lavender essential oil — whichever way you find most convenient, add lavender to your nightly ritual. While the smell of lavender is just plain relaxing and pleasant, there’s also plenty of actual science to back up why lavender is a useful sleep aid.
Beverage
If you don’t have a warm drink before bed, we regret to inform you that you’re missing out on a powerful nighttime ritual. Having the same drink every night can condition your brain to disengage with the outside world and slip into night-mode every time you sip a particular flavor.
Chamomile tea is the traditional pre-bed drink of choice for its mild flavor and for proven sedative effects. You don’t have to be too preoccupied with which tea to buy as the chamomile will do its job regardless.
Read Before Bed
There’s something really peaceful in how Amish it feels not to have technology around you before bed. Reserve your pre-bed hour as a mini media-blackout: no phone, no computer, no screens.
The importance of sleep can’t be overstated, but the significance of the time we spend right before sleep warrants just as much attention. A well-planned and healthy sleep routine directly influences the type of morning routine you’ll have.
