To add to consistency, creating a night time routine helps the body and brain get ready for sleep. Give yourself 30-60 minutes to start a routine that has you relaxing. This could be anything from a bath or shower, starting your evening skincare ritual, reading a book, or journaling. Creating a routine helps signal to your body that it’s time to start winding down and preparing for sleep.
Here are 3 tips to creating a better sleep routine:
1. Give Yourself Time to Decompress
Winding down before bed helps our body and brain prepare for sleep and tells our neurons to slow down. Our brain is actually preparing for sleep about 2 hours before bedtime, so giving our bodies a chance to wind down a couple hours before bed allows the brain to also relax and prepare for sleep.
2. Only Get into Bed When It’s Time to Sleep
With the pandemic, the bed may have turned into a multi-use space but try to keep the bed only for sleep! The more time your body spends in bed not sleeping, the more it gets used to being awake in bed. Try keeping TV watching or book reading to a comfy couch or lounge chair before bed instead.
3. Take a Warm Bath a Few Hours Before Bed
Okay, this one may seem like a dream to most people (ahm, kids anyone?). But if you can schedule one in before bed, having a warm bath can help trigger to drop its body temperature (which happens while you sleep). By increasing your core temperature, your body responds by directing blood flow to your skin releasing heat.
