At INTU we believe that a good night’s sleep is the best wellness “therapy” to reset brain, body and skin. But it’s not easy to turn off after a hectic day.
That’s why it’s important to have a bedtime routine, a series of regular activities that signal to your brain and body that it’s time to wind down – beyond brushing your teeth and washing your face.
Here are some ideas to rethink your personal go-to-bed routine and help you drift off to sleep.
Prep for tomorrow
Figure out your outfit, make your lunch for work and write a to-do list for the next day, so you get it all out of the way and out of your mind.
Write in your journal. What are you thankful for? Expressing gratitude is a positive way to end the day. Also, noting potential stressful situations that you may encounter the next day, and how to face them, can help ease anxiety.
Set the scene to unwind
Setting up the right scene can turn on the “happy” hormones that help your mood and body feel calmer and drift into sleep.
- Unplug from your electronic devices – no more scrolling or game playing one hour prior to hitting the bed. Easier said than done, but the blue light from electronic devices can send the wrong message to your brain and think that it’s still time to be out and about.
- Turn off bright overhead lights and turn on low, warm ones.
- Light up some candles, essential oils or incense with calming properties like lavender, cedarwood, bergamot or ylang ylang. If you can take a bath, even better.
- Play your favourite soft music.
- Meditate, a great way to bring relaxation to your mind and body at night. If you’re not used to it, try an app.
- Show affection to your loved ones, human or furry. Cuddles, massage exchanges and lovemaking can trigger feelings of affection, trust and safety. These positive emotions just before bed can help you relax.
Turn your bedroom into a sleeping oasis
It’s all about training your body and mind to see your bed as a place for rest.
Dim the lights, draw the black curtains to block the light and set the right temperature in the room. A soothing scent candle and a good book – preferably not a thriller – will help you wind down and get sleepy.
Drink your nightcap
It could be a relaxing tea with chamomile, valerian or lemon balm.
Or even better, INTU Sleep & Skin Renewal the super powder that packs a sleep aid for your body and mind, and a beauty drink for your skin.
Besides Lemon Balm and Passionflower, which has been traditionally been used in Western herbal medicine to relieve restless sleep, it features a blend of magnesium glycinate and magnesium citrate, the type that sends signals throughout the nervous system and brain to calm and relax your body, plus lowers cortisol, the so-called “stress hormone”, helping to relieve mild anxiety and depression.
Stick to your routine
Whatever your bedtime routine, set your bed-and-wake-up times and stick to them every day so you don’t disturb your sleep-awake cycle – ideally even on weekends and holidays. Following a consistent sleep routine helps train your brain to naturally feel tired when it’s bedtime. And then, eventually, you may even train your body to wake up before the alarm goes off.
Do you have more suggestions to help us get to sleep? If so, drop us a line here.