I get used to late night meetings, calls and ad-hoc work and do not realize that I have very bad sleeping habits until half a year ago. After another busy day, even though staying up late makes me feel tired, I simply don’t want to go to bed because night time seems to be the only time that fully belongs to myself. The only time that I can do something not related to work and something that I really like. With so many things on the to do list, I can’t easily fall asleep with my mind still thinking about solutions. Gradually my go to bed time goes beyond 12 AM, 2AM or even later. Sleeping too late at night and constantly waking up in the middle of the night is damaging my health and I finally made a decision to reset my bedtime routine and change my sleeping habits.
I tried to go to bed earlier but its not easy to change habits so I started to try different methods, track my sleep habits, make some adjustments based on my own needs and slowly come up with the following 10 things that can help me relax and sleep better.
- Set nighttime skincare routine
Sometimes I skip the skincare routine at night simply because I’m tired or I just want to save the time for other things. Later I find out that 5 minutes skincare routine at night help improve skin texture and more importantly, it makes me feel refreshed.
2. Have a relaxing night-time bath
Now I’m happy to have a relaxing bath at night at least twice a week. With the warm candle light, scent and music, I know it’s time to slow down both physically and mentally.
3. 5 to 10 minutes bedtime yoga (evening stretch)
Just 5 minutes yoga before bedtime and stretch any particular area of the body that feels tense after a day facing the computer.
4. Drink water
I cut down coffee and strong tea and drink water instead, but you can choose drinks based on your own needs, like light herbal tea or milk.
5. Write in your journal
I feel that when I write things down, my depression and negative thoughts may go away.
6. Spend more time with your pets
If you have pets, spend some time with them before you go to bed – you mean the whole world to them.
7. Set an alarm for tomorrow
To me set an alarm means that’s it for today and everything will need to be done tomorrow. It reminds me that it’s time to get out of work mode.
8. Put your phone away
Checking emails, social media messages, and youtube videos on my phone may kill another half an hour to one hour. I forced myself to put my phone away at least half an hour before bedtime, just need to be quiet and without any disturbance.
9. Reading books
Reading books or magazines also help me slow down and feel relaxed.
10. Track sleep habits
You never know your sleep habits, good or bad, until you start to track them and see how things change. That’s why we made Bedtime Routine Planner where you can track your sleep habits, make necessary adjustments after practice and come up with your own routine that help improve your sleep quality.
