A Bedtime Routine for Better Sleep

As a nurse, many of my patients come to me with complaints about sleep because sleeping through the night and waking up rested is so rare in our generation of ‘do-more.’ Nowadays, we all put so much pressure on ourselves to be the best person we can be, all while building a business and maintaining sustainable and healthy relationships.

I don’t know about you but sometimes sleep is hard. There are so many things that I want to stay up and accomplish: blog posts that I want to write and/or videos that I want to create. Sometimes it is hard to shut off my brain from thinking about all the things I still need to do and/or things in my life that I wish went differently. It’s like as soon as nighttime comes so do my deepest, darkest thoughts and wildest goals.

This past year I have made sleep a priority because it is so vital for my physical and emotional well-being. Personally, I need a good seven hours of sleep every night or I cannot function at my highest capacity. Thankfully, I’ve have found many tips that make falling asleep easy.

Meditation: Meditation is a topic that I just recently got into and haven’t been the same since. For me, meditation is best at nighttime because it helps me quiet my mind and racing thoughts. I have tried many different apps for meditation but honestly, searching “guided meditation for sleep” on YouTube has been more effective than everything else.

Turn Off Electronics: This is huge. Electronics stimulate your brain and the light from your phone and/or laptop interfere with your internal body clock so your body doesn’t actually unwind. The rule of thumb is to turn off electronics one hour before bed.

Melatonin: Melatonin is a hormone that controls the wake/sleep cycle. The production of Melatonin rises after the sun goes down which triggers the feeling of being tired. Sometimes our body doesn’t respond to melatonin in the desired way so it is available as a supplement. Normally, meditation and turning off electronics will put me right to sleep but for those nights when I am finishing a deadline late at night or don’t feel super tired I like to use melatonin gummies to give my body a boost. (Need some extra assistance? Try out some of these sleep aids recommended by Sleepedia)

Tea: Your body craves routine and it likes to know what signals bedtime. Whether it is candles, essential oils or a cup of tea. For me, a warm cup of tea is comforting and relaxing. It allows my body to relax in a totally therapeutic way. My go-to is Sleepytime tea!

Get more information about healthy sleep habits here.

This is a sponsored post. As always, all opinions are my own.

LYMI, Liv