Everyone wants to enjoy a good night’s rest, but sleep doesn’t always come easy. Sometimes, no matter how tired and ready for bed you might think you are, sleep just won’t show up. It’s annoying, frustrating and exhausting and you may even wake up feeling worse than the night before.
At first glance this might not seem like a big deal, but without a good night’s sleep, it’s really difficult to operate at your best throughout the day. In fact, getting a good night’s rest is not just important, it’s essential, for your mental, physical and emotional wellbeing.
Thankfully, there are a lot of different ways to encourage a good night’s rest and re-energize yourself for the day ahead.
Is Sleep Important?
Absolutely! Without sleep we can’t function at our highest level. We feel sluggish, tired and unmotivated for life which can negatively impact the rest of our day.
In this article by the American Psychological Association, Sleep is essential for a person’s health and wellbeing. Lack of sleep can cause fatigue, poor balance and coordination, and mental health issues.
Lack of sleep can also affect your skin, weight and overall appearance.
Hopefully by now you’re beginning to realize just how important having a restful sleep can be. But now comes the question, how do you sleep well?
This is where night time rituals come in. Having a good night time ritual can help you to unwind for the night and signal to your body that it’s time to rest and relax. While insomnia can be a difficult thing to overcome, there are some helpful habits you can use to encourage better sleep during the night.
1. Create a Soothing Environment
The environment around you has a large impact on your emotional and mental wellbeing. You may not realize it at first, but the space around you can greatly affect the way you feel and the quality of your sleep.
If you have too much going on, such as tv going on in the background, music blasting loudly in the distance, or even just too much clutter in your house, you can subconsciously tense up and become irritated, making it much more difficult to unwind for the night.
When we sleep in an environment that is cluttered, crowded or loud, it makes it incredibly difficult to have a good night’s rest. That’s why it’s so important to make your environment as soothing, relaxing and refreshing as you possibly can.
How to create a peaceful sleep environment:
- Light a scented candle
- Use Essential Oils
- Clean your space
- Dim the lights
- Lower excessive noise if you can or play soothing music such as rain sounds or ocean waves
2) Unplug from Technology
Let’s face it, we know we shouldn’t use our smart devices before bed, but it can be difficult at times, especially if we just want to watch the last episode of our favorite show or laugh at a funny YouTube video, but using technology so late into the night can actually make it much more difficult to have a long and restful sleep.
Rather than helping us to unwind, the bright lights and mental overstimulation from our phones and laptops cause our minds to stay awake, making it even more difficult to get our much needed sleep.
Setting a time limit or a screen curfew can be a great way to avoid overstimulating content and can help you to take a break away from the phone, making more time for relaxing activities such as reading, journaling or yoga.
How to unplug before bed:
- Leave your electronics out of your room
- Set a screen curfew
- Turn off your notifications
- Reach for your favorite book instead of your phone
- Practice mindfulness techniques
3) Practice Mindfulness
Another obstacle we often face when it comes to having a restful sleep is having too many negative or cluttered thoughts in our minds. When our minds are constantly racing with all our problems or worries, it can be difficult to come into a space of rest and relaxation.
If you find it difficult to put your busy mind to rest before bed, try engaging in mindfulness activities to slow down your mind, body and spirit.
Practicing mindfulness ultimately means choosing slow, conscious, practices where you can be fully, 100% present and it is entirely possible to make any practice a mindful one.
Even taking a stroll down the hall can be considered a mindful practice if you let it!
How to practice mindfulness:
- Yoga or stretching
- Coloring or drawing
- Meditation or mindful breathing
- Mindfully make yourself a cup of tea
- Any activity where you are fully grounded and aware of the present moment.
Related Post: 7 Ways to Meditate Without Sitting Still
4) Journaling
A wonderful way to wind down before bed is by journaling. This activity is a great alternative to scrolling on your phone and can provide helpful insights into yourself and your life.
When it comes to creating a good night time routine, journaling before bed is one of the best practices to have. Not only does it help you to wind down for the night, but it can also give you better insights into any problems or challenges you may have.
If you’re wondering how to start a journal, you can check out my post, 10 Ways to Journal to help give you some ideas.
Journal prompts:
- Write 5 things that went well today
- Write 5 things that can be improved tomorrow
- What is one habit you can incorporate tomorrow that will improve your overall life?
- Plan 3 things you want to get done tomorrow
Related Post: 55 Journal Prompts to Better Your Life
5) Stretch or Practice Gentle Yoga
Yoga is the perfect practice to slow down your body and mind. Not only does it help to release tension from the physical body, but it also helps you to better connect with your breath, giving you the opportunity to release all the negativity and stress of the day.
If you find it difficult to fall asleep at night, try practicing a gentle bed time yoga to get you feeling peaceful and relaxed.
Yoga poses for rest and relaxation:
- Easy pose
- Seated forward fold
- Seated spinal twist
- Child’s pose
- Cat-cow pose
Related posts: 7 Best Yoga Poses to Unwind and Relax
6) Try Aromatherapy
It’s no secret that certain smells can help us to feel so much more relaxed and refreshed. Lighting a scented candle or smelling some perfume gives us great pleasure, but did you know it can also do so much more than that?
Certain smells actually work with our bodies to improve our sleep and help us to physically and mentally relax.
For example, Lavender is one of the best scents for sleep because it helps to relax both the mind and the body and can help promote feelings of peace and relaxation.
If you have a diffuser, place a couple drops of essential oils into it and enjoy some relaxing aromas as you drift off to sleep. You’ll be surprised by the difference it can make!
Essential oils for rest and relaxation:
- Lavender
- Bergamot
- Lemon
- Chamomile
- Peppermint
7) Create a night routine
The best way to stay on track with all your mindfulness and wellness practices is to keep a routine. Try going to bed around the same time every night so your body knows exactly when it’s time to start winding down for the day.
Creating a night routine can also help you to incorporate some more self-care and mindfulness practices into your life. Make sure to incorporate physical, mental and spiritual wellness activities to get the most out of your night routine.
If you already have a night routine, there’s always something new and refreshing you can add to change things up a bit!
Night routine ideas:
- Practice 10 minutes of meditation before bed
- Write down 5 things you are grateful for
- Repeat uplifting affirmations
- Move your body with stretching, yoga, or a gentle exercise
Related post: Night-time Yoga Routine for a Restful Sleep
Final thoughts
Having a restful sleep is key to feeling your absolute best! You can’t pursue your dreams and have fun while doing it if you’re exhausted all the time.
These night rituals can help you to go to bed feeling relaxed and wake up feeling re-energized and ready to take on the day ahead. Just taking an hour or two before bed to care for your physical and mental wellness can make all the difference when it comes to having a good night’s rest.
Remember! A good night’s rest = a more energized and happier you!
Leave a Reply