It can be hard to keep a good balance between everyday tasks and winding down for a restful sleep. But creating a calming bedtime routine will build a solid foundation for peaceful nights of restful sleep. Learn how to cultivate a bedtime ritual that works for you and sets the stage for a relaxing end to your day.
1. Setting the Scene for a Successful Bedtime Routine
Getting the Timing Right
Figuring out when to initiate a bedtime routine is key. Establishing a consistent schedule helps to send signals to the brain so that it can begin its natural production of melatonin. For babies, focus on aligning to the natural rise and fall of light, which normally begins to dim at around 6 or 7pm. As your baby learns to adjust to day and night, the timing can move to earlier in the evening to accommodate an earlier bedtime.
For older children, be sure to consider the amount of sleep they need to feel rested. Every child will have individual needs, but generally around 8-10 hours per night is a good benchmark. Develop a schedule that will allow your child to comfortably accomplish the necessary hours.
- Babies: align to natural rise and fall of light, usually around 6 or 7pm.
- Older children: 8-10 hours of sleep per night to feel rested.
Creating a Bedtime Environment
Creating a positive space for your child to rest is important, and can include touches such as dimming the lights, closing any blinds or shades, and cooling down the temperature if necessary.
Major stimulation should be avoided at this time, so discourage your child from using devices like phones, computers or television. Instead, foster activities such as reading stories or listening to calming music before lying down. This will help give a relaxed feeling to the bedtime routine.
2. Benefits of Establishing a Bedtime Ritual
Developing a bedtime ritual can positively affect your physical, emotional and mental well-being. Here are some of the benefits:
- Improved Quality of Sleep: Creating a routine that can be done without effort and on autopilot allows the body to wind down and relax. This improved quality of sleep will help to reduce fatigue, improve concentration and increase the overall energy during daytime.
- Improved Overall Mood: Following a night-time routine can bring a sense of control to your life which will affect your attitude and overall mood. A relaxed body and peaceful mindset before bed will help you to feel calmer and more peaceful the following day.
- Stress Reduction: Having a routine that you do the same way each night allows your mind and body to relax. Going through the same motions each night will help to reduce stress in your life and allow you to deal with any troubling events more easily.
Furthermore, allocating a particular time for winding down each night, will help you to make sure that you don’t stay up late and go to bed late. This consistency can help you to establish an appropriate sleeping schedule with regular sleep wake times. Earning regular and adequate amount of sleep each night will consequently improve concentration levels during day.
Establishing a nightly ritual helps you to give your mind and body time to relax and prepare for sleep. Incorporating a resting practice, such as reading a book, taking a bath or writing in a gratitude journal, into your evening ritual will allow you to transition into sleep with ease.
3. Tips for Constructing Your Calming Bedtime Routine
Create a Dedicated Space
Before creating a calming bedtime routine, it’s important to have the right environment to relax. Consider setting aside a designated bedroom or reading nook where you can go to ease into bedtime. Make sure the space is inviting and soothing—lay down a soft rug, add atmospheric lighting, and include some calming scents like aromatherapy oils. Add plants and artwork if you enjoy them.
Choose a Relaxing Activity
You can choose any activity you find soothing for your routine. Here are some good options:
- Reading
- Meditation
- Yoga
- Writing in a journal
- Colorful
- Crafts
- Listening to music
It can help to intersperse relaxing activities with ones that require a bit more effort, like journaling or doing a simple craft. Doing something that will engage your mind can help you switch gears and start the process of winding down.
Establish a Wind-Down Ritual
Having a few steps to follow each night can help signal to your body it’s time to relax and get ready for sleep. Here are some ideas for a good evening ritual:
- Turn off all electronics and dim the lights.
- Wash your face and brush your teeth.
- Set out your nighttime clothes and put them on.
- Turn on a low-volume sound machine or sleep soundtrack.
- Light some candles.
- Set out your journal and prepare a calming drink like chamomile tea.
Having a ritual that you do each night can help train your body to recognize it’s time to prepare for sleep. It can also be helpful to have an armchair or comfy seat nearby that you can sit in while sipping your tea and completing your bedtime activities.
4. Creating Lasting Habits for Peaceful Nights
Sleep deprivation is never fun. Even worse is when you cannot get a quality rest on a consistent basis. The best way to get a peaceful sleep every night is to create lasting habits that prepare us for it. Here are four strategies to try:
- Go to bed at the same time each night – Try to settle into a schedule and maintain it. That way, your body can acclimate to its DVR timer, at least somewhat.
- Write down your to-do’s – Writing down the things you need to get done can provide a sense of mental relief, that your thoughts are on their way to being recorded, and thus a sense of peace of mind. It might just be the clarity that helps you fall asleep easier.
- Exercise – Make sure you’re physically active throughout the day. Keeping your body active can help you naturally and gradually wind down in the evening.
- Designate a “worry time” – Dedicate one time of the day to ruminating on the worrying thoughts in your head. Penning them down can help relieve some tension and set up for a more restful night.
By creating habitual practices within our lifestyle, we can carve out moments of restful sleep for ourselves for nights to come. After all, we spend almost a third of our lives asleep, and deserve quality rest.
Practising these strategies is the first step to a better night’s sleep! So why not start today?
Creating a bedtime routine can be the best decision you make towards having a more restful night. Enjoying peaceful nights is possible through establishing a consistent calming bedtime routine that you can look forward to. With some patience and perseverance, you can reach a point of having a perfect night!
