Oh the night routine, perhaps the most overlooked and underrated routine. Everyone does their best to implement perfect morning routines, workout routines, and meal prep. But we seem to forget about nightly self care.
Night routines are just as important as the other routines you might have in your life. Perhaps more so because this sets you up for success for the next day.
Night routines should be calm, relaxing, stress-free, and soothing.
Here are my top 5 must-haves for a night routine. These tasks set me up for a successful and more productive day tomorrow.
Disclaimer: All of the views and opinions in this post are solely my own and are not sponsored. This post includes affiliate links, meaning I earn a commission through links at no cost to you.
- Drink a glass of water
This is probably one of the oldest tricks in the books. Drinking a glass of water before bed is a great way to flush out any unnecessary gunk that is clogging up your gut. There have been a number of studies about the benefits of water before bed, and most have to do with cleansing and preparing your body for sleep.
I’ve found that room temperature water is especially helpful because it doesn’t “shock” your body and helps relax you for sleep.
If you’re like me, you might have to use the restroom before you commit to sleep. Otherwise you’ll be up and down throughout the night.
- Read a book
I’m so glad that I started doing this each night. Reading is a great way to give your brain one last shot at activity as well as to soothe your body into a meditative state. Reading is good for you mind, body, and soul. So who would want to pass that up?
I’ve found that at the end of the day when I’m especially tired but my brain is in full-thinking mode, reading is a great way to ground my thoughts and get me into that sleepy state.
Right now I’m reading Educated by Tara Westover and Circe by Madeline Miller. Both are beautiful written works and wonderful for some light reading.
- Put your phone away an hour before bed
Everybody knows of this trick. And there’s a good reason for that! Putting your phone away an hour before bed is so helpful. I’ll admit, I don’t do this every night. Some nights I like to watch Netflix and fall asleep to a movie on my phone or laptop. Some nights I like to read articles rather than a book.
But I’m here to tell you that every once in a while it is widely beneficial to put that phone away! I’m not saying you have to turn it off, but maybe mute the ringer and sit back with just yourself, a book, a journal, or something that isn’t electronic.
It’s so freeing to separate ourselves from technology. As a blogger, I use tech all the time. By putting my phone down for that last hour before bed, so much stress is lifted from my shoulders!
The benefits of putting your phone away include:
- Letting your body naturally produce melatonin in response to the darkness setting outside.
- The harsh phone light won’t be jarring in your eyes and will promote health.
- Less stress! From texts, to calls, to emails, it can all be overwhelming.
- Free time to get away from constant stimulation and get creative with other activities
These are just a few benefits. But these are the ones I notice most when I put this trick into practice.
- Wash your face
I used to not be into skin care and self care. Like, not at all. It’s not that I didn’t like it, but the idea seemed silly and rather tedious. Since washing my face each night, I’ve found my skin has cleared of acne, my redness is limited, and my puffy eyes are gone! (Unless I pull an all-nighter!)
I use Versed products most nights including their wash it out gel cleanser and their cleansing balm. Sometimes I opt for neutrogena’s oil free cleanser and other times I go with cetaphil. It really depends on the day and the depth of my cleaning.
I use my ProX by Olay cleansing brush to help deep scrub my face.
The benefits of washing your face include:
- feeling refreshed before bed
- Getting rid of the days oil/dirt build up
- Not dirtying your pillow sheets more than you have to!
- Make a to-do list for tomorrow
This is by far my favorite part of my night routine. If you walk away learning anything about me, know that I absolutely adore lists!
Making a to-do list for the next day is a great way to:
- clear thoughts from your head
- Prepare for tomorrow/save time in the morning
- Jot things down before you forget them
- And relieve your mind of worry
All too often, it’s easy for us to lay awake thinking about everything we have to do and all of the tasks we didn’t already finish. That’s no good, especially if you are limited on your sleep time.
Making a nightly list for the next day is a simple way to not only remain organized, but to relieve stress.
If you like this post, check out some similar posts of mine below:
Feel free to leave a comment below and let me know what your nightly routine must-haves are!
You can also email me with questions or concerns you may have at info.amelia.wilson@gmail.com
Also, check out my poetry book, The Lights are on but Nobody’s Home, available now on amazon for $6.99!
Disclaimer: All of the views and opinions in this post are solely my own and are not sponsored. This post includes affiliate links, meaning I earn a commission through links at no cost to you.
Thanks again