I’ve always had a good relationship with sleep. You could literally serve me an espresso and I would be able to sleep in the next hour if need be. I know that this isn’t a reality for most people though. In fact, I’ve noticed that out of all the people in my daily life (that I know well enough to know their sleep behaviors & patterns), my mother is the only other person with a similarly good relationship with sleep. We’re those early to bed & early to rise folk.
More often than not, we hear the benefits of having a morning routine and how helpful it can be in getting you pumped & ready for the day. However, one thing we don’t talk about as often as we should is the importance of having a healthy nighttime routine. A nighttime routine is basically a list of activities that you do every night (preferably in the same order) to help you relax, wind down and sleep better. If done right (consistently and intentionally) a nighttime/bedtime routine has a host of benefits such as getting rid of sleep issues (thus improving overall health), helping you have a smoother morning routine and much more. Today I’ll be sharing reasons you need to create and stick to a healthy nighttime routine.
I like arranging my room first
It's Self Care!
You know I had to put this in here lol. In fact I’ve had a bedtime routine for a while just because it feels good and mainly for self-care before I knew of all the other benefits. A healthy bedtime routine helps you relax and unwind and take some time for yourself. This gives you some pockets of time to show yourself some extra TLC after a whole day of work, school or play. Little self-care activities that can come to play in your nighttime routine are things like your evening skincare, showers or baths, journaling and/or reading your current book.
Set Yourself Up For Productivity
Having a well-established bedtime routine is one of the best ways to set yourself up for success the following day. Not only will you have better sleep quality (which as we know improves productivity, memory, overall health, cognitive function, as well as mental and emotional wellness), but it also makes your mornings a smooth sailing experience hence setting you up for productivity throughout the day. I mean think about it, when you sleep well, waking up to do your morning routine and taking on the day feels so much better and easier! I can’t count the number of times I had a slow day or morning and wished I had slept better.
I tend to be more productive after a good night's sleep
It's Important To Wind Down & Rest
Rest is actually one of the most important ingredients for productivity & success. That’s why we sleep ideally everyday. Having a good quality bedtime routine opens up the space for you to relax, wind down from the day’s activities and decompress mentally & physically. You know those nights when you go to bed and you have racing thoughts, what-ifs and anxieties and sleep is so hard to come by? Yeah, it’s ‘cause you didn’t take the time to decompress mentally. Or when you can’t sleep too well because your body is just not feeling right? Yup, you just didn’t decompress physically. That’s why having a healthy bedtime routine is so important for rest and sleep quality.
Improved Relationships
You know how when you don’t get enough sleep or had a rough night you become irritable and snarky? That just goes to show how important having a good night’s sleep is to your emotional and relational well-being. Having good quality sleep helps us have less stress, be less irritable and aggressive, and helps us empathize with others. This goes a long way in maintaining healthy relationships with the people around us.
Develop Healthy Habits
Since having a good nighttime routine means incorporating healthy habits to end your day such as less screen time, organizing your space, showers, journaling and skincare, doing this consistently allows more healthy habits to seep into your daily life. You might find yourself having significantly reduced your screen time, being more aware of your feelings, and being more organized.
I like to have a glass of water at my bedside & a refreshing shower before I sleep
That’s all for my take on why a bedtime routine is so important. I hope I’ve convinced you to create one if you dont have one already. If you do, let me know how that has helped you, any improvements you’ve noticed and what your favorite part of your routine is (mine is that night shower ughhhhh! That shit hits different!) See you next week!
-All the love, Wendy xx
留言