5 Bed Time Habits for a Better Night Sleep
A Night Time Ritual
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I am a night owl. I am also a morning person. My ideal time of rest (1pm –9pm) is not compatible with the real world. Just as it approaches the time of day to start to unwind I’m usually receiving a second wind or serge of creative inspiration, which does not exactly make we want to crawl under the covers. It is precisely this character trait that often inhibits my ability to get the proper 8 hours of beauty sleep required to keep the body and mind healthy and rejuvenated. It is this same tendency that makes establishing a nighttime ritual essential in aiding me to achieve the proper amount of rest.
1st and foremost I must retreat to bedroom at least an hour prior to turning the lights completely out. Make sure that your bedroom is decorated and setup to be a peaceful, quiet, and comfortable environment. I find that having clutter in my room gives me a feeling of anxiety. So has much as I sometimes disdain putting away my laundry I make sure that everything is organized and put away I my room prior to the start of my bedtime routine. Like Anna, I have also made it a rule for myself to never allow a TV in the bedroom. The hour prior to lights off I make certain to disconnect from all electronics including my cell phone.
2nd I always always take a candlelight bath. My evening bath is key for me to unwind at the end of a long hard day. My time in the bath is when I let everything go and clear mind so that I don’t end up spending my first hour in bed with constant thoughts of how to improve a current design I am working on. My bath time is also my time to take care of my skin. Another point I couldn’t agree with Anna more on is how important it is to always wash your face at the end of everyday. It does not matter how exhausted or impaired I am I make sure to always wash the day off of my face.
3rd Once my bath is over I make myself a cup of decaffeinated tea. I love tea and this is a routine I have had since a little kid, when my family always ended out night together with a cup of tea. For my night time cup of tea I prefer to drink a relaxing blend of chamomile and lavender with a touch of honey and warm almond or hemp milk.
4th I take my tea to my room and I get into my friend with the cutest of pups and spend the next 40 minuets working on a knitting project or reading a good book.
5th My last action of the day is a 10 min candle light meditation. This is a fairly new addition to my evening routine. Since I did my first meditation with Sally Kempton seven years ago, I have waves of highs and lows with my meditation practice. I am finding that a daily practice before bed has helped to really curb the racing thoughts come up as I turn the lights out.
Tell us what are some of your tips for getting a great nights sleep!