This post is all about the step-by-step guide to winding down before bed.
You’re tossing. You’re turning. Sleep just won’t come to you when you anxiously need it because it’s almost midnight and you’re still awake. What’s the issue? You’re not letting your body efficiently wind down at night.
Take it from me. A college student that used to stay up late nights studying and snacking on junk food. I know how the troubled sleep goes but I am not here to tell you all about how I don’t deal with this issue anymore and am able to fall asleep within 5-10 minutes of closing my eyes. (I’m being serious!)
This post is all about the step-by-step guide to winding down before bed.
Disclaimer
I am not an expert in health, nutrition, or how to wind down before bedtime. I only speak from my experiences. You, the reader, will read at your own risk and should take this post for informational purposes only. I will not be held liable or responsible for any consequences that arise should you take my advice. Everyone is different and everyone’s bodies are different so the contents of this post cannot guarantee that you will successfully be able to wind down at night; however, it will get you a few steps closer to figuring it out.
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Let’s begin.
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The Step-By-Step Guide To Winding Down Before Bed
1. Eat 3 to 4 Hours Before Your Sleep
Eating 3 to 4 hours before you sleep ensures your body has plenty of time to digest your food. Laying down on a full stomach delay or interrupt the digestion process and may lead to uncomfortable circumstances such as indigestion.
There was this one time I ate dinner about an hour before bed and my stomach hurt really bad. The main issue was that I either ate too fast or swallowed too much air because releasing gas (ew) made the tummy aches happen. If I had eaten dinner 3 to 4 hours before bed, I could have resolved that issue sooner.
So, eat 3 to 4 hours before you sleep and let your body digest.
2. Exercise Once During the Day
You may not think so but exercising is really important to help you wind down before bed because it gets your blood flowing and tires your body out. It’ll also give you more energy throughout the day to get more tasks done too.
Not only will exercising once during the day help you fall asleep faster but it will help you have a deeper and more refreshing sleep too.
I definitely feel the benefits of exercise when I sleep too. I don’t wake up in the middle of the night as much as before and I feel more refreshed when I wake up too.
Remember to not exercise right before bed though. Even though exercising does get you tired and makes you think that you’ll be able to fall asleep easier, exercising will actually make it harder to fall asleep.
Your body temperature will be high and your heart rate would be higher than normal too. You want to be relaxed and calm when you sleep, not energetic.
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3. Drink Lots of Water
There is always a mention of drinking more water when it comes to me talking about how to be healthier. I don’t really know the exact benefits that drinking water has on your body when it comes to winding down at night, but I do know that drinking water is really good for you regardless of your reasoning.
I’m thinking that drinking water may benefit you winding down to sleep because it gives your body enough fluids to begin repairing itself. You know, I totally made that up but if it’s true, let me know.
All in all, just drink lots of water, it’ll help you in many ways that you didn’t think of before.
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4. Have a Nightly Routine
A nightly routine could mean washing up before bed, light stretching before bed, anything really. Something slow and intentional that keeps you 100% focused on yourself.
My nightly routine is to start washing up at 8:00 pm. This would mean showering, washing my face, flossing, brushing my teeth, and having one last bathroom break. With my washing-up routine, I am 100% focused on myself, being intentional with every movement I have, and helping my body realize that it should slow down. It’s a good time.
I don’t know what your winding down routine would be but make sure it is something that you for sure do every night before bed that relaxes you.
For all you know, you probably already have one and just never labeled it.
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5. Keep the Room at a Cool Temperature
It’s much easier for the body to fall asleep at a cooler temperature. If you’re in a hot room, you are at risk of sweating and having a higher heart rate. This will surely keep you awake and energized.
You’ll also be spending your time in bed thinking about how hot and sweaty you are too. No one wants to sleep in their own sweat either. It’s super uncomfortable. With a cooler room, you can always just add layers to sleep under and take it off as needed.
If your room is hot, there are only so many layers you can take off before you’ll feel comfortable again.
6. Have a Comfy Bedding Arrangement
Having a comfy bedding arrangement is really important for being comfortable when you’re trying to fall asleep.
You need to make sure your pillow is comfortable, your blankets are nice and toasty, and you have a lot of space on your bed to switch positions and move around. Your bed should feel like your sanctuary.
(Lol, I didn’t have much to say about this one. Just make sure your bed is comfy!)
7. Dim the Lights Right Before You Sleep
The body knows when it’s bedtime. Your body is not a fool. But, we aren’t fools either and we can trick the body into thinking it’s bedtime (sneaky, sneaky). What you need to do is dim your lights.
It is known that when your body is in bright lights, it assumes its time to be awake and active. Your body is focused on your surroundings and is wanting to do whatever it can get its hands on (I am totally making this up as I go). But then when it’s bedtime, all you have to do is dim your lights, or even just turn them off, and your body will automatically start to relax and focus on itself.
Your body will begin the repairing process, release melatonin from your brain, and help you sleep.
8. Get in Bed 30 Minutes Before Your Sleep Time
Getting in bed 30 minutes before your sleep time gives your body a sufficient amount of time to realize it’s time to sleep and wind down.
Your body will begin to relax, your eyes will start to feel heavy, and by the time you sleep time comes, you’ll be able to close your eyes and fall asleep almost instantly.
Spending 30 minutes just lying in bed is a lot of time, you’re right. During those 30 minutes, you can do a little mild brain activity. This takes us to my next point.
9. Do Mild Brain Activity
While you’re laying in bed 30 minutes before your self scheduled bedtime. Do some form of mild or light brain activity.
Mild or light brain activity can include reading or writing or maybe even talking on the phone with someone you love and adore. (I do a variation of all three during my 30 minutes.)
While you’re in bed, your body is relaxed and is winding down after a long, eventful, and tiring day, but the only thing left is to wind down and relax is your brain. By doing these light brain activities, you’re giving your brain a chance to know whether it can handle more thinking or not.
I don’t know if I am describing this right but what happens to me is when I am reading, writing, or talking to someone on the phone during my 30 minutes, my eyes start to get heavy and my focus starts to get away from what I am doing. In other words, I am slowly drifting off to sleep.
I’ve fallen asleep on a call with my boyfriend before but he understands. Try out some mild brain activity. Preferably not with technology use but if that’s all you have then it might work too. (Because tech light can trick your brain into thinking it’s still daytime and you won’t produce enough melatonin to fall asleep.)
Just remember to lower the brightness all the way down so that you don’t have eye strain. (I use my phone most of the time, it’s okay.)
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10. EXTRA Tip (We love the extra tips, don’t we?)
Sleep and wake up at the same time every day and night to reset your internal clock. You’ll automatically start feeling tired and winding down about an hour before your planned bedtime.
So if your bedtime is 9 pm and you wake up at 5 am every morning, you’ll start feeling tired around 7-8 pm and will be ready to fall asleep by or before 9 pm. This is assuming you also follow the previous 9 tips.
Ending Note
These are my 10 tips on how you can wind down before bed and enter into a successful period of sleep. I know you love your sleep, don’t deny it! Just remember that winding down before bed takes practice.
I know there is a lot that we want to do in our day and how little time we have to do everything but trust me, if you get quality sleep, you’ll have more energy to do everything that you need to do. You’ll have more energy to stay focused and be more productive with your day too.
Let me know in the comments what you thought of these tips or if you have any other tips that would help you wind down. Have a great day and have a great, relaxing sleep tonight!
This post was all about the step-by-step guide to winding down before sleep.
Zainab says
Love this post! Thank you for sharing, hydration is so important – as you said!
According to Chren says
Awesome tips! I can definitely work on drinking more water during the day and sticking to a bedtime routine.