Bedtime wellness rituals that will help you sleep like a baby

Be honest, how many times this week did you lie awake at night convincing yourself that it’s okay to watch that one extra episode or you spent the night playing and replaying an old fight in your mind trying to come up with better comebacks? If it's more than three times, you probably should give your nightly routine a long and hard look. 

Our insanely busy lives have made it next to impossible for us to get the kind of wholesome rest our minds and bodies need. It’s not about how many hours we sleep, it’s about the quality of our sleep which is directly related to what we do right before our heads hit the pillow. This is why you sometimes feel like a zombie even after sleeping for 10 hours the previous night and drinking coffee like you’re trying to replace all the blood in your veins with caffeine. 

The fact is, no matter how hard we try, we can’t instantly switch on and off. We need hours of undisturbed and peaceful sleep to feel fresh. But to improve your sleep hygiene, you must first consciously tweak your nighttime schedule. We have listed down a few wellness habits that will help you clear your mind and wind down. Include these habits in your routine to wake up feeling relaxed and rejuvenated. 

Turn off all your screens two hours before you sleep   

While lounging and watching a movie or a show after a long day seems like a good way to unwind, it’s probably messing with your sleep pattern. Ideally, you should keep all your screens away two hours before you go to bed. This means curbing that ‘one more episode’ temptation and no doomscrolling until the phone falls on your face. The science behind this is quite simple. The backlight from these devices suppresses our melatonin production and tricks our brain into believing its still daytime. It throws off our internal clock making it difficult for us to fall asleep and stay asleep.    

Listen to a bedtime story or calming music

If you ever feel like you're extremely worked up and the noise in your mind isn’t letting you fall asleep, putting on a podcast with some bedtime stories is a good way of falling asleep. We should specify that it can’t be anything that riles you up like true crime because that will have the opposite effect and keep you up. Apps like Calm or Headspace have intriguing bedtime stories which are narrated in a soothing pitch. These will calm you down and put you to sleep in no time. 

If bedtime stories aren’t your thing, music can help as well. The genre doesn’t matter as long as it’s music that helps you relax. Just close your eyes and let the music transport you to your happy place. You can also try some white noise or ambient nature sounds. 

Clean the clutter and create a cosy space   

One of the best ways to wind down is to clean the clutter in your room, draw the curtains, put on some mood lights, fix the temperature in your room, and play some soothing music. Transform your room into a sleep oasis and see how much your sleep quality improves. You could throw in some extra pillows or an aroma diffuser to take things to the next level.   

When you are about to fall asleep, your body goes through various changes. One of these changes is the production of melatonin and the drop in body temperature. And research shows that a warm bath can mimic these changes making you feel relaxed. Your body heats up with the water and then quickly cools down as the water evaporates, triggering a similar change and tricking your mind into sleep mode. 

Decide on a set bedtime  

If you want to sleep like a baby every night, your nightly routine needs to be consistent. Work out the habits and stick to them as best as you can; it is a foolproof way to improve your sleep quality. Your brain begins to wind down a few hours before it's your bedtime, so use this time to practice a set routine that relaxes your mind and body. Being consistent with this routine trains your body and mind to feel sleepy at a certain time everyday. However, remember to not overcomplicate things because that would have the opposite effect.   

Lead image: Pexels 

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