Ben Skute
Your evening routine is designed to help your body wind down and start preparing for sleep. Ideally, the evening routine would include shutting off the use of all electronics a minimum of 1 hour before bed and switching to orange lighting (salt lamps, candle light) 1 hour before bed. This will ensure the body can start producing melatonin naturally. Other good bed time routines include:
- Having a bath or hot shower (this can induce relaxation)
- Drinking tea (this can induce relaxation)
- Reading (This can induce relaxation)
- Blacking out the room completely (this allows the body to follow it’s natural sleep/wake cycle)
- Gentle yoga or stretching (this allows for relaxation to set it)
- No wifi near your head (wifi stimulates our brain and can cause us to stay mentally active)
- No eating 1 hour before bed (this allows the body systems to be in a state of relaxation and rest when they are ready to sleep)
- Journalling (this allows the person to “brain dump” all their thoughts out to decrease the chances of the mind “spinning”)
- Meditation (this induces relaxation and calm)
- Having a gratitude practice (this allows the mind to have a dose of positivity before bed, which can decrease the chances of the mind “spinning”)
Contributors: Tiffany Toombs from Blue Lotus Mind Coaching & Training
