Optimize Your Rest With An Ideal Nighttime Routine
We've defined ourselves so much by our productivity and what we can output that prioritizing sleep seems menial, but the truth is, rest is important.
A good night's rest affords us the vitality and zest we need to thrive. We often speak about starting the morning off right, but when you've had poor quality to sleep, that morning routine can feel like a dud.
Ensuring that you get the most out of your sleep relies heavily on how you set yourself up for bed. Developing a simple nighttime ritual may be challenging because of our fixation on productivity, but it can help you optimize the benefits of a good night's rest.
Choose A Bedtime
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Choose a bedtime that allows you wake up comfortably enough to have an easy start to your morning while getting between seven to nine hours of rest.
Mindfulness
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Engage in mindfulness practices, even in your bed. You can do a guided meditation, be in the moment of preparing to sleep. If you opt for yoga, you may want to avoid a vinyasa flow or hot yoga because the idea isn't to raise your heart rate when you're about to hit the hay.
Love Your Bed
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Invest in some good pillows that will make you feel comfortable. Make your bed a beautiful little island with sheets and bedding, blankies, and the like.
Hygiene
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Every nighttime routine should ideally involve time dedicated to getting clean. Wash off your makeup, floss, brush your teeth, take a shower. Incorporate anything else that may feel right. A good foot and hand rub is always nice to relax the muscles
Wind Down
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Take slow, deep breaths that tell the body to let go of the day. Think peaceful thoughts and avoid falling asleep while scrolling through social media.
Carve Out Time For Loved Ones
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At this time, you might read a bedtime story to the kids. This will also help the younglings get into sleep mode and cultivate a habit of winding down for bed. You can also spend time with your pets or talk to your partner or roommate.
Journaling
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Write down anything that comes to your mind. You can make it a gratitude journal where you right one thing, or one word even of something that you are grateful for, big or small.
Customize Your Routine
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It's important that you feel relaxed in bed in the best way for you. There are a lot more things that you can add to your nighttime routine like music, aromatherapy, a cup of banana or chamomile tea, comfortable pajamas, build a puzzle, read a book, and so much more.