Evening routine for better quality sleep

There are few things more vital to our health than a good night’s sleep. Yet so many people struggle to get good quality – the distraction of our phones, social media scrolling and blue light from screens = bad news for our sleeping patterns.

If you’re tired of waking up at random hours of the night and feeling grouchy when your alarm goes off in the morning, you could benefit from winding down an hour or two before you go to bed. I’ve had my fair share of disturbed sleep and insomnia over the years, so I’ve got you covered on an evening routine that will set you up for the deepest possible slumber.

1. Take a sleep supplement

Magnesium is an essential mineral promoting sleep, reducing stress and helping you to relax. According to ‘the sleep doctor’:  ‘Insomnia is a common symptom of magnesium deficiency. Maintaining healthy magnesium levels often leads to deeper, more sound sleep. Magnesium plays a role in supporting deep, restorative sleep by maintaining healthy levels of GABA, a neurotransmitter that promotes sleep. Research indicates supplemental magnesium can improve sleep quality, especially in people with poor sleep.’

Melatonin is a hormone released by the brain at night, associated with the control of the sleep-wake cycle. It can be taken as a dietary supplement.

5-HTP is a supplement involved in helping the body to produce melatonin.

2. Make some chamomile tea

Known for its calming effects and reducing anxiety, chamomile tea is the best drink you can have before bed. It contains a flavonoid called apigenen, which helps us to relax by binding to receptors in our cells.

3. Use Lavender essential oil

There are a few ways you can use lavender oil to help you sleep: by diffusing it in an oil burner or diffuser, putting a few drops into the bath and letting the steam evaporate, and adding a few drops to your pillow. Lavender is supposed to lower your heart rate and blood pressure, leading you to a deep and relaxed sleep.

3. Journal

Sometimes too many thoughts contribute to our struggle with sleep. Overthinking, ruminating over to-do lists and events from the day is easy in the quiet of the night. Our fears and concerns tend to become more prominent when we are alone with our thoughts.

Journaling can really help with processing and offloading whatever is on our mind in the most therapeutic way. I’ve found that spending 5-10mins on a ‘brain dump’ at the end of the day helps to get the issues out of your head. I like to use the app Reflectly for this – it comes with journal prompts and the options of a passcode for additional security.

4. Plan out the next day

Getting clarity on what is coming up saves you time the next day, and means you wake up focused, knowing the tasks and activities to attack that day.

5. Stop screens from 9pm

Turning your phone off 30 minute to an hour before you go to sleep can help you to bring your mind down a gear as you switch off from the outside world.

The blue light from the screen messes with your circadian rhythm: according to psychology today: ‘Looking at screens at night, especially shortly before bed, will make it harder for you to go to sleep…You’ll sleep less deeply, wake less refreshed and it may take hours for you to properly wake up the next day (well into your workday, whoops).’ 

6. Read a fiction book

Read yourself to sleep – a nice fiction book will help your mind to switch off and stimulate your imagination. Save the meaty non-fiction for the daytime! Studies have found that reading helps to reduce stress by taking your mind off of things. Think back to childhood where bedtime stories were a nightly ritual – that doesn’t have to end because you’re an adult.

7. Sleep by Spotify

This playlist features a mixture of relaxing sounds specifically designed to help you drift off. Spotify has a ‘sleep timer’ feature so the playlist automatically stops after a set amount of time. I tend to set it to 15 minutes and have never been awake for it to stop playing – that’s all I’m saying.

8. Wear an eye mask

An eye mask can really help you to sleep better at night. It blocks out any distracting light, and can be great for maintaining your slumber especially for light sleepers. The science behind this is that the blackout helps your brain to sense darkness, thus causing melatonin production (sleep hormone).  This equals more time in REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. Sleep masks are particularly useful when travelling and for migraines. A no-brainer really.

Your evening routine will work best if you are also:

• Going to sleep and waking up at the same time each day
• Not eating heavy meals in the 4 hours before you go to sleep
• Exercising in the day

A deep and consistent sleep pattern will help so many other things fall into place: your physical and mental health, productivity, looks and even relationships. I don’t exaggerate when I say establishing your own night time routine can be life changing. So tonight, start getting ready for bed a bit earlier if you can. Light some candles, burn those essential oils and enjoy your time in lala land.

Have you incorporated any tips listed above in your night time routine? What sleep hacks work for you? Let me know. 

*All product recommendations have been tried and tested by me. 

Disclaimer