Increase Your Energy With A Night Time Routine For Better Health

Most of us with children know that kids thrive on a nighttime routine where they do the same thing every night before bed. There may be some variants, or you may have a late night occasionally but overall the daily routine helps them feel more secure and go to sleep without too many issues.

What about you? Do you have a nighttime routine for yourself? You may have one for your kids, or maybe you don't have kids, do you have a routine for yourself? Do you have a way to calm your body down and get ready for bed? There are lots of different list out there but I wanted to offer a few suggestions that maybe you could try if you want. I write these out because if I'm being honest I need to work on some of these myself. I tend to be a night owl but I'm really been working on creating a new pattern for myself.

There are lots of suggestions or ideas below. Don't feel like you need to do them all. If some of them seem like a good idea, try them out, if not move on! You probably already do some of these, in which case amazing job! Just remember, Keep It Simple Sweetheart (KISS).

Here are some Ideas:

1. Don't look at your phone at least 1 hour before bed.

We all know that our phones can be a time suck. If we can put them away sometime before we plan on going to sleep we won't go to bed with the weight of the world on our shoulders. The same is true when you wake up. If you can be in charge of your morning instead of letting the world be in charge of you that can help you stay on the offensive side of your life. I wrote a previous blog post about this. Some have even suggest plugging our phones in far enough away from our beds that we have to get up to get them.

2. Do something that is just for you before going to bed, maybe even a little self-care.

I believe that doing a few things for ourselves every day that's just for you, even as simple as putting lotion on your feet can remind you that you do matter, that you are enough. Some other ideas are reading a calming book, washing your face with some special face-wash, or like I said before putting lotion on your feet.

3. Brush Your Teeth

You probably already do this, but I wanted to make sure to point out that maybe there is just a little bit more we can do that can help us create a pattern for self-care. Maybe use a toothpaste you really like, use a floss you like better, or a water pick as a way to show yourself you matter. This is about improving you.

Our minds like patterns and when the lights are turned down it can naturally bring that feeling of peace that helps us go to bed without all the crazy thoughts.

5. Think About or write down a couple of things you are grateful for that happened that day.

In one study, they say that "grateful people sleep better." I believe that is true and if you can train your brain to look for the good that happened that day, it can really change your perspective.

6. Meditate or Pray

By now you probably know that I'm religious and believe in God. I pray every single night and it really helps me clear my head. I also took a meditation class when I was in college and learned that there are so many benefits from learning to calm our minds and meditate. One person I look up to when it comes to meditation is Jay Shetty. He could be a possible inspiration to you if you are looking for more ideas about this topic. Either way, whether you are religious or not, take time to meditate and/ or pray to the higher power you believe in.

7. Plan for the Next Day

I know this one is last but it may be the most important. One of the best tricks someone told me when I was really struggling getting my kids to the bus in the morning, was to plan everything the night before. We make lunches(and put them in the fridge), set out clothes we are going to wear, make sure all homework or papers needing signed are done and ready to go and backpacks are ready. There may be a few things that need done still but planning ahead makes the morning that much better! Besides, I love my morning routine and I don't want my kids bothering me during that time.