Take A Relaxing Bath Before Bed
Nothing is more calming then soaking in a warm and soothing bath. Remember to leave your phone in your bedroom so you can fully unwind. Treat the bath with your favourite bubble bath or bath bomb for extra indulgence. Be at one with your thoughts alongside a relaxing playlist, or if you struggle to just lay there, bring a book with you to get lost in.
Pamper Your Skin
I always find the process of pampering my skin very therapeutic and relaxing. I think it is because you forget about your thoughts when you are focusing on the task in hand. I like to start by removing hair from all the areas that I do not want it.
I then get into the bath or shower and grab my Susi’s Scrubber’s Body Scrubber and buff away at my skin, this removes all the dead skin cells from my body – leaving me feeling revitalised and my skin looking radiant. Finally, after I dry off after the shower, I smother my entire body in a rich moisturiser.
Treat Your Hair
Bad hair days shouldn’t be something you have to worry at night about, so it is important that you take care of your hair to prevent these days from occurring. To do this, every night before you shower apply a hair mask to your hair. I like to use coconut oil; it is cheap and effective.
It works to stimulate hair growth, prevents hair breakage and promotes a healthy scalp and shine. This is also particularly good if you find your hair gets oily/greasy quickly, as it is known to remove sebum (oil) build-up from hair follicles.
Ditch You Caffeinated Drink
I would recommend avoiding any caffeinated drink six hours before your usual bedtime, although the stimulant effect lasts just a few hours with caffeine, it can stay in your system for much longer than this time, with a half-life of approximately six hours.
Therefore, you should prioritize caffeinated drinks for morning to early afternoon times only. If you crave a hot evening drink swap your usual caffeinated drink for a herbal tea such as chamomile tea, which is known for its relaxing properties.
Don’t Work Out Just Before Bedtime
Exercise releases endorphins which make you feel more awake, this will have a knock-on effect on how easy you’ll be able to get to sleep. Instead, try to work out first thing in the morning (if this works with your routine) as this is where you will see the most benefits from it.
Listen To Music
This can be a great way to unwind before bedtime. The genre should depend on your personal choice and what brings you joy. The most calming genre would be classical, there are also many soothing nature soundtracks, which are known to be calming for the familiar and repetitive sounds.
Watching TV Shows or Movies
Some find avoiding screens before bedtime helps them to get off to sleep quicker, so it is about finding what works best for you. Many of us enjoy lounging on the sofa at the end of the day watching tv. However, to aid the best nights sleep avoiding watching something which is too gripping/exciting.
This will get your adrenaline running and keep you awake. If you watch a favourite show or movie, you will be less captivated due to its familiar nature – this will make it easier to transition going to sleep as you will be in a more relaxed state.
Record Your Thoughts
One of the most common things that keep us awake is our minds worrying. A great way to overcome this is to write your worries down. Start a daily journal where you write your worries down, ask why you are worried about this and a possible solution. When you put pen to paper about your worries, it can help to make them clearer in your mind.
It doesn’t just have to be worries that you jot down, you may have a brilliant business idea – write any thoughts like these down that you can’t stop thinking about. It not only helps to clear your mind but will also be helpful for you to look back on to remember.
I would recommend journaling during the day or at least a few hours before bed – this will allow you to let go of the thoughts that you have written down.
Write a To-Do List
Another common thought is the day ahead, the key to feeling more relaxed about it is to be organised. Write a clear list of everything you need to achieve and in order of importance – this will ensure nothing is forgotten.
Plan
This ties in with the above. In addition, to getting your tasks for the next day in order you must also ensure you are ready for the next day. Plan and layout your outfit for the next morning, pack your bag and if you are going to be on the go ensure your lunch is made – meal prep is a great way to save time, and it is also cost effective. By doing these things you ensure your morning is more relaxed and leisurely – as much as it can be anyway!
Meditate
Meditating is a great way to help your mind switch off and take you to a relaxed state. There are many apps which you can simply download on your smartphone, these apps provide guided meditation sessions. Some apps also provide soundtracks to fall asleep to, these could just be relaxing sounds or someone reading to you – it always worked for us as children so why not try it now?!
Practise Relaxation Exercise
Relaxation exercises are known to be very helpful at reducing racing thoughts and anxiety. An exercise to try which targets progressive muscle relaxation is to work from the feet upwards and go through each muscle group and tensing and then release and relax those muscles.
Distract Your Brain With Mental Exercises
Take your mind away from your worries by focusing on another task. It can be as simple as in your head thinking of fruit beginning with a certain letter.
I hope this post helps you to achieve a better night’s sleep!
