My Bedtime Routine
It all starts with a good night’s rest
Pilates is my expertise. But over the last 2 decades I have committed myself to learning and evolving my lifestyle to feel better with endless market research. Sleep is hands down one of the most important parts of our day and prioritizing it is essential. If you’re looking for some ways to improve your night’s rest keep reading for my tips and tricks.
My typical night routine:
Finish eating dinner around 7pm so I have some good time to digest before bed.
Make a cup of tea to help start the winding down of my night. I love Sakara’s Detox or Sleep teas.
Take magnesium to help me relax my mind and body. I love Arrae or Calm (be sure to get unflavored to avoid “natural flavors”). (Most people are deficient in magnesium.)
Get my son down for bed.
Once he’s down I take my own shower (or sometimes an epsom salt bath). I find this helpful to me relax. I have been loving Neom Magnesium Body Butter after the shower at night.
I set up my humidifier and aromatherapy so it’s flowing before I actually get into bed and don’t have to deal with it later.
Finish catching up on the day on my phone, occasionally watch tv, finish household chores, spend time with my husband, etc.
Maybe even spend some time rolling out my feet with these balls, foam rolling, some easy stretching. This helps me work out the kinks if I feel tightness or uncomfortable at all. I don’t do this every night but it definitely helps release tension in my body. Be sure to check out my “Regenerative or Stretching Focused” classes in my library for some guidance!
I crack my window (or turn the AC to 67) so it stays cool all night.
I love sleeping in long sleeve sleep shirts because they keep my arms warm outside of the covers but my legs bare so I don’t get too hot.
Get into bed if possible by 9:30 or earlier if I can! I put my toe spacers on and slide my legs up the wall for at least 5 minutes to help calm my nervous system and get some circulation going. I typically read even just a few pages of a book. I love using this amber reading light to keep the light disruption low as I’m winding down for bed.
I then sprinkle a few drops of lavender on my pillow and turn on my favorite bedtime meditation - Breathing into Sleep on Insight Timer. This is my favorite way to relax my mind and most of the time fall asleep by the end.
A few tips to get you started that are tried, true, and proven to make a difference:
Commit to a consistent bedtime most days of the week. I typically go to bed around 9:30pm and get out of bed between 5 and 5:30am.
Shoot for 7-8 hours of sleep a night.
Start and end your day with natural sunlight. This will help set your circadian rhythm which is the basis of your sleep cycle.
Keep your room pitch black - use an eye mask if you’d like. I don’t use one personally as I don’t like things on my face.
Use a humidifier to keep the room from getting too dry.
I use the “sleep” essential oil by Vitruvi with their diffuser (I love this one) using your sense of smell is a great way to tell your body it’s time to wind down and go to bed.
Stop using devices 30-60 minutes before bedtime. Schedule night mode on your phone. It will automatically dim the phone light and turn your phone on “sleep mode” nightly so you’re using less blue light and aren’t as easily distracted by your phone.
Use blue light blocking glasses throughout the day to help manage the effects of technology on your circadian rhythm.
Keep your room around 67 degrees. A cooler room will help you stay asleep.
Figure out what sleeping attire you like best.
Learn how to breathe through your nose at night. I used mouth tape for a while but the adhesive is very bothersome to me. I know I still sometimes breathe through my nose but by a lot of conscious effort I now primarily breathe through my nose and often wake up when I now breathe through my mouth. This is the tape I used and would recommend trying.
Try using a sleep tracker like Oura Ring to help monitor how your sleep is going. I wasn’t sure if this was for me but the guidance in how I am sleeping, how rested I am for the day and more has been very beneficial to helping me tune into my body. It has many times told me that I was getting sick, getting my period and more. If you’re interested to check it out, click here for $50 off your purchase. I have the gold and am wearing a size 8 on my right pointer finger.
And with that, I’ll say goodnight! I hope this inspires you and gets you a few more zzz’s. If you have any questions comment below or send me a message!
xx, Ashley