15 Things To Do Every Night Before Bed!
Getting a good night's sleep is essential to our physical and mental health!
While we spend approximately one third of our life sleeping, for many, they still ignore and lack acknowledgement of the importance of sleep.
Sleep benefits us in almost every way; boosting and optimizing all aspects of our life. Lack of sleep, on the other hand, does the complete opposite.
Over the past few decades, with aid from advanced technology, busier schedules and the plummet in mental health, the quality of sleep for the average person has dramatically dropped.
In this blog post, I will be looking at many of the things you can do each and every night, in order to get a good night's sleep, and start the next day on a positive note.
If you want to become more happy, refreshed, alert and healthy, then youβre at the right place! Here are β15 Things To Do Every Night Before Bed!β
Enjoy!
Go To Bed At The Same Time Each Night:
While it is not always possible, going to bed at a consistent time is ideal for the quality and length of your sleep. When you rapidly change the time you go to bed, it causes your body to be confused as to when you are ready to go to sleep, making you less likely to fall asleep when youβd like to.
Practise Gratitude:
Gratitude is undoubtedly one of the best ways to end your day! No matter how crappy it was, no matter how much it made you feel down, going out of your way to write down things, people and places you are grateful for in your life are a great way to fall asleep soundly. Doing this before bed will help you appreciate your life more, and will leave you in a better mood for the rest of the night and the following morning!
Drink Water:
Make sure that by the time you go to bed, you have drunk a sufficient amount of water to sustain you throughout the night. While it isnβt ideal to drink heaps of water right before bed, I try to drink as much water as I can sometime after dinner, at least 2 hours before I plan to go to bed. This will reduce drowsiness and will boost your energy levels for the next morning!
Set Your Alarm:
THIS ONE IS A MUST!
Who doesnβt HATE the feeling of being woken up by your parents at 8 o'clock, forced to rush around the house in an effort to get ready before you miss the last school bus?! I certainly donβt! So please, DO NOT forget to turn on your alarm! For me, I turn on my alarm for the next morning as soon as I wake up. And in the evening, If I want to change or alter it, I can do just that without stressing the next morning.
Meditate:
Meditation is a great practise to complete at night! It is a calming and deeply relaxing form of exercise that is extremely beneficial for both your physical and mental health. Even if youβre lying in bed just before going to sleep, spend 5 minutes meditating; closing your eyes, breathing deeply, and acknowledging the world around you.
Turn Off Your Phone:
Something I hear all the time from people I know is that the reason they struggle to go to sleep is their phone. Theyβre lying in bed and it buzzes, then they get up to check on it. This then continues all through the night until it's 3am on a tuesday!
Iβve never had a crazy attachment to my phone. While I wouldnβt agree immediately, I wouldnβt struggle to go without it for a few days and usually donβt mind waiting till the morning to check my messages and social media.
However, the best way to get your phone out of the way is by putting it on not disturb and turning your ringer off. I would even go as far as saying put it in a different room! This will stop you from checking your phone!
Prepare Your Clothes For The Next Morning:
You can never be too prepared! I always like to have my clothes prepped for the next morning. It makes it easier for me to get ready, and is there in the case I oversleep or snooze my alarm.
Write A To-Do List:
I LOVE to-do lists! They run my entire life in my mind. Everything I do is a task leading me towards my ultimate goal. And everything I need to do, for school, for my blog, for myself, for my friends, I write down on it!
Writing a to-do list is a great way to get all the stress out of your system before a big day. While it seems overwhelming to write on paper, it will genuinely help you get a better sleep, and will practically be a list of everything you need to do for the next day!
Read, Read, Read!:
Reading! Reading is a great habit to complete each and every night! It is a great way to disconnect and power down from the outside world, and to reconnect with your own feelings and emotions.
Stretch:
Stretching, like meditation, is a great habit to complete each night. While we spend so much of our day hunched over and in front of a screen, 5-10 minutes of stretching is a great way to unwind. On the internet, search up some poses that work for your flexibility level and try it on the ground next to your bed. You will wake up feeling flexible and ready to start your day!
Take Deep Breaths:
Deep breaths are often a positive way to end your day without ongoing feelings of anger, stress or frustration. Rather than end your day on a negative note, let it all go in a few deep breaths as you lie in bed. This habit goes hand in hand with meditation or stretching!
Cut Down On Electronics:
Like your phone, it is super important to cut all electricity at night, especially at least 30 minutes before you plan to go to sleep. While light is beneficial during the daytime, as soon as night comes around, it does the complete opposite. By putting down your electronics, you better your vision, look after your eyes and mind, and get an uninterrupted, calming rest.
Clean Your Bedroom:
For me, the best thing to wake up to is a clean bedroom. Now, I know a lot of people follow the rule of cleaning your room once a week (or donβt!), but Iβm a firm believer in continuous cleaning. This practically means that rather than dedicate Β½ an hour on a Saturday to cleaning, I just spend about 3 minutes each night putting away unfolded clothes and cleaning things up.
Donβt Stress:
Now, as a school student, as many of you are, stress is bound to join you when you attempt to go to sleep at night. But in order to get the best sleep you can, sometimes itβs important to try and let go of that stress, for the sake of getting a good night's rest. I know it can be really difficult, but it is so worth it for a night free from waking up due to stress or nerves.
Take A Bath Or Shower:
Now, this is the question Iβm asking, and youβve gotta answer it very carefully. Are you a bath person or a shower person?!
For me, I'm hands down a showr person. I hate sitting around doing nothing, and get the jitters just thinking about a bath! But a great way to wind down and get ready to go to bed at night, is by having a hot shower or bath.
Not only do you go to bed clean, but you go to bed relaxed and fall asleep faster.
The Bottom Line:
Sleep plays a key role in your health and everyday life. Without sufficient amounts of sleep each night, your body is left exhausted, foggy, drowsy and fatigued.
Lack of sleep also heightens your chances of weight gain, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, a weak immune system, cancer, a car accident and mental health disorders such as depression or insomnia.
By applying these easy habits to your evening routine, you put your health first, and allow yourself to bring your goals and dreams into focus each and every morning.
Thank you for reading!
WHAT IS THE WEIRDEST DREAM YOUβVE EVER HAD? COMMENT IT BELOW!
Donβt forget to comment, share, and like this post!
Hi, Iβm Mia!
Teen dream celebrates, supports and connects young women of all shapes, sizes, ages, races and beliefs. Our website is dedicated to helping young women find balance in life, become organised, stayβ¦
CHECK OUT MY INSTAGRAM!!!
@miasteendream