“The way to a more productive, more inspired, more joyful life is getting enough sleep” ~Ariana Huffington, The Sleep Revolution
I get a lot of questions regarding how to get sleep when you can’t, how to sleep better and faster, bedtime routines/rituals for adults, bedtime routines/activities for anxiety. In this article, all doubts will be cleared.
The activities you indulge in to close the blinds of the day is very important, it is one thing to start your day on a productive note and more important to end it feeling fulfilled and pumped to kick off the next despite the chaos and stress. And this is vital to building a successful and healthy life.
Your bedtime routine is highly impactful to your mornings. The ancient saying that “early to bed, early to rise” is a testament of how impactful your night can be. However, the problem is that many do not know how or what to do in their bedtime routines.
A bedtime routine is a routine strictly meant to be carried out in the evening to help you have a healthy sleep and wake up to a better day. Your bedtime routine is that thing you do before going to bed. For instance, you might have the habit of working out before sleeping, that is your night routine.
However, many people do not have bedtime routines and only take the nights as they come. While that might seem like they are having flexible nights, they need to be aware of the fact that their bedtime routine is as important as their morning routine.
I mean, when you create a morning routine for yourself, it shields you from being confused in the morning. This means having a morning routine is actually beneficial. Well, I must say that having a bedtime routine is also beneficial. What are some of the benefits?
- Your brain will be able to process your activities properly the next day.
- You will have a better sleep.
- You will be able to tackle the tasks of the next day in a more productive way.
- You will be able detox negative thoughts, emotions and activities that are limiting you.
Disclaimer! If you are here for little tips that would not require much effort, then I am sorry, you have come to the wrong place.
Roll up your sleeves guys, we have work to do…
1. Stay Hydrated
One major bedtime routine you need to adopt is drinking more water and staying hydrated. Your body needs water. Apart from the normal functions of water, it helps your body stay cool. Also, dehydration has been proven to cause sluggishness. And so, if you ever want to stay active throughout the day, ensure that you never sleep dehydrated.
Water is important to nearly every part of your body and continual intake of water not just before bedtime but all through the day will improve your overall health.
2. Avoid Caffeine And Alcohol After 4PM
If you are a 9-5er, then you have to master the art of making preparations for your bedtime routines earlier enough. And this includes avoiding the intake of any substance that would hinder your sleep process.
Caffeinated drinks are meant to keep you awake and active, even at times when you should be sleeping. This would take a negative toll on your body the next day and is capable of influencing your level of productivity negatively.
You want to make sure that you are avoiding alcohol as much as you can. Alcohol has the potentials of making you drowsy and sluggish, which is not good for your mental and physical health. Also, the more you take alcohol, the more likely you are to get addicted and when you do get addicted, it’s definitely going to take its toll.
3. Decide When The Work Day Ends
As you might know, I am a big self-care enthusiast. I love taking actions and steps that enhance my body’s healthiness. One of the few things I do not joke with is sticking to the time my work day ends. And so, I try to be disciplined enough to finish up all of my tasks before that time.
Deciding a time when your work day ends, give your body the freedom to rest early and fully. For me, once it’s 11 pm, I have nothing to do with work activities. I respect my body’s health by taking a break from all forms of work activities.
This helps me follow through with my night time routine. This may sound very late but this time perfectly suites my schedule and I am still able to create adequate time to get enough rest.
4. Reflect On Your Day
This is one vital bedroom routine that I never fail to carry out, no matter how stressful, long and chaotic my day was I always make out time to reflect before going to bed.
It could be in the form of journaling, meditating or just calmly sitting by myself and recalling all that happened. And this is one of the most therapeutic bedtime routines. With the bustle and hustle of survival, it can be really challenging to stay on track with your mental and inner stability or effectively reflect.
Before you sleep, have a rethink about your day. Was it productive? Did you have a great time at work? Do you think there are areas you could have done better? What things can you do to have a better tomorrow? You can write your answers to these questions down and work on them. At the end of the day, you will wake up a better person with a fuller knowledge of what and what-not to do.
Below are some questions that will enable you reflect on your day;
- What was the best thing that happened to me today?
- How much stress did I experience?
- Did I do something that was out of my comfort zone?
- What made me smile?
- What do I need to do more of?
- What do I need to do less of?
- What made you particularly proud or grateful?
- What did I discover new about myself?
- What could I have done better today?
- What is the most important thing I must accomplish tomorrow?
- What new thing can I try tomorrow?
5. Express Gratitude
If you count all your assets, you always show a profit
Another important bedtime routine you need to adopt is expressing gratitude. Before you retire for the day you must take time out to recall the good things no matter how little that has come your way and give thanks for it.
“Enough” is a feast no matter the situation or phase you are in there is always happiness, good and color stained on the canvas, you have a place to stay, a family to love you, sanity of your mind, the ability to make adjustments for changes in your life all these little big things shouldn’t be overlooked.
So before you close the chapters of the day write out some gratitude. Here are some deep gratitude questions that can guide you as you express gratitude;
- What are you grateful for in your day so far?
- What are the top 3 good things that happened today?
- What made you smile today?
- What made you laugh today?
- What was the best thing that happened today?
- Who makes you feel loved and why?
- What is the best thing that happened this week?
- List the treasures around you in your life.
- What did you accomplish today that you are proud of?
- What season are you grateful for?
6. Prepare For The Next Day
You should use your bedtime to prepare for your next day. What time do you want to wake up? What outfit do you want to put on? What meal are you having for your breakfast? These are some of the things that should be properly settled before you go to bed.
When you have all these and more in place, the next day will definitely be easy to go through. In the course of preparing for the next day, you should outline your schedule for the next day.
What are your plans for the next day? Write out a schedule for your day in advance. A schedule will help you stick to your plans and eventually, your day will be productive. I do this a lot. I have a lot of activities competing for my time every day and so, having a schedule helps me a lot to plan my time in preparation for the next day.
7. Have A Healthy Dinner
What are you going to have for dinner? If you are going to have a bedtime routine, you have to acknowledge that you do not eat carelessly. For me, I take a light meal. Balanced but light. A few hours before you sleep is definitely not the best time to take a heavy meal. And like I said, your meal must be balanced.
You want to make sure that you are not eating a meal highly concentrated with carbohydrates and lacking other food components.
8. Take Time To Tidy
As much as you can, tidy up your surrounding before you sleep. Tidy up your bed, and other areas of your room. Having a tidy and decluttered room, help you mentally to stay calm as you achieve your goals. Do the dishes. Mop the floor. Do the laundry. Arrange the books. Just do whatever it takes to ensure that your room is tidy.
9. Take Time For Yourself
Focus on yourself. You matter more. Create more time for yourself if need be. At the end of the day, you are the one to carry out the routine and also benefit from it.
10. Have An Off-Screen Time
This is another important part of your bedtime routine. Your phones, laptops and tablets can be distracting. Before you sleep, you have to ensure that you take away your gadgets. You have had a busy day and your night should be solely for you. And so, any form of distraction should be cut off. You can always reply to your messages later.
11. Read A Book
This is an extra tip. Want to learn how to fall asleep in 10 seconds? If you are finding it hard to sleep at night, you might want to try this out. It has worked for a lot of people. Just a few minutes before you sleep, you can pick up a book, preferably a boring book (haha), and read it up! In no time, you will off into the sweet world of sleep.
How To Stick To Your Bedtime Routine
1. Have A Clear Plan: Attaching clarity to your plans is very important. Without clarity, you would have no direction as to what and what-not to do. Ensure that you know what to do at what time. This would make the bedtime routine easier to follow through.
2. Create Reminders And Alarms: This is another important factor in sticking to your bedtime. Ensure that you have a reminder and alarm to call you back to order in case you are derailing from the norm. I use reminders a lot.
In fact, I set my reminders 30 minutes before the actual time. This helps me stay focused and have the routine at the back of my mind.
3. Start Small, Introduce Ease Into It: Lastly, do not start with too much at a time. In the long run, when your routines become easier for you, you may consider doing so much. But for starters, you need to start small. And then, you gradually progress with discipline.
Also, you need to introduce ease into the process. As you start the routine, you are advised to make the process look easy. Do not do too many tasks at a time.
So, there you have it! The ultimate bedtime routine for productive routines! If you do not have a bedtime routine, I encourage you to start one. These tips will help you learn how to sleep at night naturally.
It helps your day and enhances your productivity. Again, your bedtime routine is as important as your morning routine in that it helps you sleep properly and make the best of your night in preparation for the next day.
Meanwhile, I’d like to know what your bedtime routine list looks like via the comment section. Is there anything you think should be on that list? Let me know your thoughts via the comment section!
FOR YOU:
Hey there! Thank you very much for reading this article. I am confident that you have learned a thing or two. Your bedtime routine is just as important as your morning routine in your journey to productivity. So, do not joke with it.
And yes! Do not forget to get our productivity books: The Afam Uche Self-development Journal (Here: The Life Compass Workbook) and Planner (Here: Goal Chaser). Feel free to give us feedback regarding the workbook and planner!
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