How to Establish a Bedtime Routine

Do you have trouble falling asleep every night? Before you grab that sleep aid, It may be time to make some behavioral changes. But it all else fails, I have some great methods to help relax your mind and your body so you can have your best night’s sleep ever.

The idea here is to train your body to recognize that you’re winding down for bed. You’re going all day and sometimes your body needs help relaxing and realizing it’s time for rest. Here I want to talk about some activities that can be used as a step in your routine before your head hits the pillow.

Learn to Relax and Shut Off Your Brain

Utilize scent therapy – I have two posts one on oils for anxiety and the other on diffuser blends for deep sleep – check these out for ideas! This method aids your body in the release of hormones that help you sleep, without taking a supplement. The goal is to help teach your body to release it on its own, so you don’t become dependent on an outside substance with other side effects.

Soak in a bubble bath. Need I say more? Get yourself a bubble bar from Lush every now and then (because #treatyoself) but any other time some yummy smelling bubble bath does the trick. Throw in some candles and my next method of relaxation and you are good to go.

Listen to soothing sounds; this could be spa, piano, or classical music (or any music you find soothing), audiobooks, or podcasts. There are some great podcasts for sleep that talk you into a sort of meditation.

1. Nothing Much Happens. This is such a random idea but it works! Each episode is about some situation where…nothing much happens. No need to worry about things going wrong here!
2. Sleep with Me. These are bedtime stories for grownups.
3. Guided Sleep Meditations.
4. Sleep and Relax ASMR. Here’s an ASMR for those of you that find these relaxing!

These are great for people that have trouble turning off their brain because you can focus on the spoken words instead of being left to your own thoughts. When you notice yourself wandering, bring yourself back to the words or story. Don’t fight it too much though! You may feel yourself drifting away and that could be you falling asleep.

I listen to my podcasts on Spotify and a great plus is their sleep timer! That way you don’t have to worry about it playing on loop all night. Spotify also has a collection of classical books, which is another great option for sleep. I like to listen to Pride and Prejudice, which- fun fact – is my favorite book. That way I know what happens and I’m not lying awake in suspense listening to the story. Lastly you should check out the sleep genre/category on Spotify for an endless list of sleep playlists ranging from instrumental to nature noises.

Write it out. Some people find great success in writing down their thoughts before bed. The idea is that getting it out on paper gets it out of your head. If you’re just starting out, pick out a cute journal that makes you want to write in it so you get in the habit. You can even set a reminder on your phone. If you enjoy it, make sure you keep doing it and make it part of your new routine. Some people even find that writing in a journal when they wake up in the morning or middle of the night helpful. This is especially good for those who wake up wide awake from a dream.

Learn a quick yoga routine. Youtube is a gold mine for free yoga videos for every bodily need. Tight lower back? Upper body? You name it, there’s probably a yoga video for it. Find one that’s 10 mins and geared for relaxation/before bed. Though it might be tempting, I honestly I wouldn’t bother paying for an app subscription! Even if you find you love yoga and want to incorporate it more for exercise, youtube is your best bet. Do a little research and find your favorite yoga instructor for at home, no-judgements-in-your-pajamas yoga.

Drink something warm. There’s nothing better than that warm and fuzzy feeling inside when you’re going to bed. Try out some tea! There are some great options for nighttime teas – just make sure you’re not accidentally drinking caffeine right before bed.

Quick & Easy Tricks for Falling asleep Fast

Sometimes it’s not your mind keeping you up. I know some of your are busy bees and you never sit down until your head hits the pillow. Rock on! In these cases I believe you hold tension in your body and this keeps you falling sleep. Rather than leaving it to your body to work itself out (because who knows how long that’ll be, and you’ve got things to do, places to be!) Let’s help our body along with process.

Take slow deep breaths.

In.

Out.

I highly recommend you try out progressive relaxation. This is my number one go-to when I’m tossing and turning. What this means is you tighten and release sections of your body. Starting at your feet, focus on tightening your muscles and flexing them in every way possible, hold it for five seconds, and release. Continue to work you way up your body, but try to leave the previous section relaxed.

This is a good way to refocus your mind as well. By the time you get to your face, your body should feel heavy and one with the bed. At that point, give me 5 min and I’m sound asleep! This one is great as a last resort, or you can start with it every night.

And that’s it for today’s post. I hope this was helpful for you, and you were able to get your best sleep in months. Be sure to hang out with me on social media – you’ll find my links up in the right corner, and subscribe to my email list so you never miss a post!