Arianna Huffington, founder of Thrive Global and author of The Sleep Revolution, believes the secret to succeeding is to get more sleep. As we’ve written about previously in How to Get a Better Night’s Sleep, bedtime rituals are particularly helpful in training your mind and body to get ready to sleep. Arianna’s bedtime routine consists of “escorting” her devices out of her room, a hot bath with Epsom salts, dressing for sleep, and reading.
To help establish your own bedtime ritual, we’ve got some suggestions below. Developing any new habit takes time and effort. Making your nightly ritual fun and personal to you will help embed them into your life. We suggest picking two or three bedtime rituals that resonate and trying them for at least a week.
Drink a Hot Beverage.
Whether it’s herbal tea, hot water with lemon, or warm milk, having a hot drink can be a nice way to kick off your bedtime ritual. It’s recommended you avoid caffeine.
Meditate.
People talk about how life changing meditating can be. To see if it’s for you, download one of the many apps that offer free trials such as Headspace, Smiling Mind, or Calm. Remember you are learning how to meditate and feeling uncertain is normal.
Read a Book.
You can read a non-fiction book to make yourself drowsy or read a book you enjoy activating dopamine – the reward chemical. Either way, avoid reading on devices as that can interfere with your sleep.
Use Scents to Aid Sleep.
Lavender is commonly associated with sleep however any scent you find calming will work. If you’re someone who forms strong associations between smells and memories you might like to invest in a candle, spritzer, or diffuser as part of your bedtime ritual.
Reboot Your Hygiene Routine.
Rather than rushing through brushing your teeth and washing your face, practice being mindful. You may also like to purchase some fancy facewash and face cream to add a touch of self-care to the routine.
Reflect on the Day.
Thinking through or writing down what went well, what you learnt or who you are grateful for can be a beneficial way to end the day. Practicing gratitude has the benefit of building resilience.
Connect With Family or Friends.
This could be another way to reflect on how your day went and practice gratitude. Additionally, connection with others provides a boost of oxytocin – the love hormone, right before bed.
Write a to-do List Before Going to Bed.
This may be helpful if you are someone who struggles to fall asleep due to worrying about all the things you need to do the next day.
You may find you do one ritual every night and mix it with other rituals depending on your mood or life demands. Regardless of how you do it, figure out what works for you, and do it!
As always, please let us know if there are any particular topics you would love us to look into or you have any queries or feedback.
