How to Make the Most of Your Nighttime Routine

A good night's sleep has many benefits. When you’re well-rested, you will be better focused, more likely to successfully complete tomorrow’s tasks at work or home, and protect your immune system. But a good night’s sleep doesn’t just happen—it’s something you can set yourself up for. One of the best ways to do that is by having a consistent bedtime routine. The way you wind down in the evening signals to your body and mind that it’s time to slow down, let go of the day, and get ready for rest. Over time, these small, repeated habits can train your brain to switch into sleep mode more easily, making it simpler to fall asleep and wake up feeling refreshed.

The Value of a Bedtime Routine

When you follow a routine before going to bed each night, it sends a clear message to your body and brain that it's time to prepare for sleep. Your body has been in motion all day. It's essential for it to recognize that it's time to slow down and relax. Your brain, too, has been operating at full speed since you woke up in the morning. It needs to calm down and shift into resting mode.

Establishing Positive Bedtime Habits

Regularity is a key component in an effective bedtime routine. This is a set of positive habits that the body and mind adopt to achieve restful sleep. However, establishing these habits requires setting goals and exercising discipline to achieve them. While this may seem like a lot of work, it's not as difficult as it sounds.

Goal setting in this situation means you’re consciously picturing ways to get a better night’s sleep, and you’re committing to behavior changes to make it happen. The discipline part is sticking to the plan so that your new positive behaviors become second nature.

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Nighttime Routine Tips

Each of us will have a unique routine. Here are some tips for preparing the body and mind for a good night’s sleep.

Body Slow Down

There are several ways to help the body transition from a fully awake state to readiness for sleep.

• Evening Bath/Shower – Many of us find that climbing into bed after a bath or shower just feels right. Warm water relaxes muscles, and clean skin feels more comfortable. After a particularly stressful day, you might want to take some extra bathing time, whether it's a bubble bath or a longer shower. Don’t forget to moisturize with lotion for dry skin.
• Warm Drink – You’ve all heard of the old idea that warm milk helps you fall asleep. While there is no conclusive scientific evidence to support this, many people find that a warm drink, such as milk, herbal tea, or cocoa, has a calming effect. However, a warm drink with too much caffeine may have the opposite effect, and drinks with lots of sugar might be more energizing than you realize.
• Light Snack – Research has shown that consuming a light snack at bedtime can help promote sleep. It can help regulate blood sugar and eliminate hunger pangs that might interfere with sleep. While a snack is okay, a big meal shortly before bed can actually disrupt your sleep.
• Yoga/Meditation – These practices can reduce stress, regulate breathing, promote hormonal balance, and slow the heart rate.
• Stretching – Stretching before bed can relax muscles and reduce bodily tension. Experts recommend gentle and slow stretches. More intensive stretching might rev you up physically. As with all stretching, if it’s painful, stop.
• Avoid Blue Light – Blue light emitted by cell phones, laptops, and televisions has a similar effect as sunlight, which tells the body it should be awake and active. Using a blue light shield on the computers can help. Otherwise, turn off your phone, tablet, or television so the body can transition into a restful state.
• Exercise Earlier – Engaging in physical activity earlier in the day is a great way to promote better sleep. However, working out too soon before bedtime can make it harder for the body to slow down for a good night’s rest.

Brain Slow Down

Preparing mentally and emotionally for sleep is just as important as preparing the body.

• Prepare for Tomorrow – Sometimes, getting to sleep is tough when fretting about all the things that need to be done the next day. One way to approach this is to do some of those things proactively before going to bed. For example, making lunch and laying out clothes ahead of time gives you confidence that the morning will go smoothly.
• The Simple/Important Things – Part of clearing the mind in preparation for sleep is performing personal hygiene tasks, such as brushing your teeth, taking medications, removing makeup, and preparing your hair for the night. They seem simple, but they are important because you’ll feel a gap if any are missed.
• Read a Book – For many, a traditional pre-bedtime ritual is reading a book. This is great unless it’s a book you “just can’t put down.” Consider books with more relaxing content. Audio books or podcasts can also provide soothing vibes.
• Relaxing Hobby – If you have a quiet hobby like puzzles or knitting, a little time indulging in your pastime can help your mind downshift to a lower gear.
• Gentle Music – Listening to quiet music can be a wonderful precursor to a good night’s sleep. Some people even put tranquil tunes on a sleep timer so that after they fall asleep, the music will turn off automatically.
• Spiritual Exercises – For some people, prayer or meditation can be a soothing way to calm a racing mind. The inevitable anxieties of everyday life can spill over into the moments when you’d rather be getting rest. Reading or listening to inspirational content can help calm both the mind and body, setting the stage for a peaceful sleep.

Practical Considerations

While the foregoing suggestions can help you establish a positive bedtime routine, there are some practical aspects to consider.

Hectic Schedules

While it may make sense that a consistent bedtime routine is beneficial, some of us have variable schedules that make this challenging. In these cases, it's wise to conduct an honest analysis of how much of this variability is beyond your control and how much you are choosing. For example, suppose you sabotage your bedtime relaxation routine by jumping on social media at the last minute. If better sleep is important enough, you might decide to silence your social media notifications for the night.

Weekends

Some proponents of a regular bedtime routine insist that it’s a regimen that must be followed seven days a week so that these positive habits can form and persist. While they are not wrong, many of us treasure our weekend “stay up late/wake up late” weekend traditions. A pragmatic approach would be to aim for regularity on weeknights. If you find that weekend indulgences are hanging over into the rest of the week, then a frank appraisal of your “party hearty” activity might be in order.

Starting Your Day

Another way to encourage a good night's rest is to establish a calming morning routine. This can include a gentle alarm that wakes the body slowly, either accompanied by quiet music or a relaxing sound that gradually increases in volume. Or try a light that begins gently and gets brighter, like a sunrise. Waking up slowly allows for a gradual shift in energy, compared to being jolted awake by a blaring alarm.

Once you wake up, try to linger in bed for a minute or two to calm your mind. Many of us immediately start the mental treadmill the moment we become conscious. Instead, quietly speak or think calming affirmations, mantras, or prayers before getting out of bed. This habit will help you set a positive tone for the day.

The way you wind down at night sets the tone for how well you’ll sleep—and how you’ll feel the next day. Find a rhythm that works for you, stick with it, and give it time to become second nature. Small, consistent choices can make a big difference in how rested and ready you feel.

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