Create A Night Routine

 

A Night Routine…Why would I possibly need a night routine? Isn’t that just one more laundry list of things that needs to be accomplished before bed? How could the decision to create a night routine possibly help me when I am suffering from decision fatigue?

These are a few of the questions I would love to explore. We are also going to look at some ideas for things you may want to include in your night routine.

 

Why Create A Night Routine?

 

We have already explored the idea of decision fatigue. Click on the link if you would like to read more about it.

One of the ways you can reduce decision fatigue is by creating a night routine. Since this is a routine, very few decisions will have to be made during this time. However, the benefits will be tremendous!

 

Better Sleep

 

Creating a night routine can lead to better sleep. Most people know that getting 7-9 hours of good quality sleep every night is important.

However, even with that knowledge, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) reports that 1 in 3 adults is not getting enough sleep. Not only are we not getting enough sleep, the quality of sleep is not very good.

According to research conducted by Lunsford-Avery, Englehanrd, Navar, & Kollins, irregular sleep patterns can lead to a higher risk for obesity, hypertension, elevated blood sugar, and risk of developing heart disease.

These are not small health problems. Each one can play a part in contributing to other serious health conditions. 

So how does a night routine lead to better sleep? Creating a pre-bed ritual can help your body learn that it is time to start winding down. This can help you fall asleep more quickly.

It can also help you to keep a consistent bedtime. Many people go to bed at random times, which can confuse your body and make it hard to sleep.

 

Prepares You for A Great Morning

 

You can include things in your night routine that will set you up for a great morning the following day. Creating a night routine that works well with your morning routine will set you up to have greater success with fewer decisions. I have previously struggled with this, but I am coming to appreciate the value more and more.

 

Self-Care

 

Creating a night routine you love can be a wonderful form of self-care. We have explored the need to destress and relax. One of the reasons it is hard to sleep at night is that our bodies are trying to process through the stress of the day.

You can incorporate things into your routine that make you feel good and show love to your body. A little dose of self-care every day is a great way to find balance in your life.

 

9 Considerations for a Night Routine

 

Just like with the morning routine, I can’t tell you exactly what you should do or how long you should spend on each thing. However, I want to give you some things to consider, in no particular order of importance, and then you can start implementing them in the way that you see fit.

 

1. Quick Clean

 

The nightly routine is not a time for a whole house clean. It is a good time though, to do a quick tidy of some the first places you will see in the morning. For example, one of the first places you will see is your bathroom.

There is something wonderful about waking up and seeing that the counters are clear. 

Since I am all about the morning coffee, the kitchen is another room that would benefit from tidying. When you head into the kitchen to make that morning cup of coffee, it is extremely energizing to know that there won’t be dishes in the sink or clutter on the counter.

You may also wish to do a quick vacuum. I have a long-haired dog and vacuuming before bed is about the only way to make sure that I wake up to semi clean floors.

It is very refreshing to wake up to clean floors. If I didn’t have my dog, this probably wouldn’t be as big of a deal. It could be something you choose to do a couple of times a week.

 

2. Plan for Next Day

 

Taking a few minutes during your night routine to plan your agenda for the next day can help you to sleep a little better since you know exactly what will be coming up. This is also a great time to make sure that you have some exercise scheduled. 

I have been trying to make better use of my time and be a bit more productive during the summer. I have been using the Erin Condren Life Planner for all my personal planning.

It has been working well so far. I am trying to perfect the time blocking, but it is still a work in progress. 

Regardless, taking a look at what you want to accomplish the night before is a great way to center yourself and make sure you wake up with purpose the following day.

 

3. Set Out Clothes

 

This is probably one that you have heard before and yet may be undervaluing. It only takes a few minutes during you night routine to decide what you will be wearing and it can save you a lot of time in the morning.

I don’t know how any times I have tried to pick out my outfit in the morning and changed my clothes multiple times because I didn’t like the way it looked. If you make that decision the night before, you don’t have to get stuck in the morning try on.

 

4. Prep Food

 

One of the things that succumbs first to the decision fatigue is our eating habits. Try as we might, if there isn’t a plan, all thoughts of healthy eating often go out the window.

Use this part of your nightly routine to review your meal plan for the following day. Prepare anything you can for at least the breakfast and lunch portion of your meals.

This will make it super quick to put together in the morning. Something as simple as putting together some overnight oats can really be a life saver in the morning when you are feeling rushed.

 

5. Foam Roll

 

If you have never foam rolled before, you are missing out. This is a great activity to add to your night routine to loosen up tight muscles before hopping into bed.

Even just foam rolling your calves can be a great way to help prevent muscle spasms in the night. It also helps me to wake up with a little less stiffness, since everything was not so tight all night. Here are a few ideas of how you can foam roll.

 

6. Tea and A Book

 

It is so cozy and relaxing, particularly in the fall and winter, to snuggle up with a cup of tea and a good book.

One of the best things you can do to improve your sleep is to limit screen time before bed. I find that replacing that screen time with a good book can help put your body into a relaxed state and prepare you for bed.

I would recommend being careful about the genre of book you choose to read here. I love a good mystery.

However, if it is getting to the climax of the story, it actually gets me more excited and awake. I end up staying up later to read more. Totally opposite of what I was going for during this time!

Just choose wisely and you will be glad you added this to your night routine.

 

7. Journaling

 

Journaling was something I brought up as a part of the morning routine. You do not necessarily need to do it during both morning and night routine, unless it helps you.

Journaling before bed really helps me. I tend to have a hard time getting to sleep because my thoughts are swirling. 

Taking a few minutes to do a brain dump of everything I am thinking about really helps. This causes me to let go of those things I was worried that I would forget because they are already written down.

You could also do some reflective writing here If that is something that would be relaxing.

 

8. Skin Care

 

Skin care seems to be one of those things that you are either really diligent about or something that you don’t pay much mind to. Including this in your nightly routine is a great way to make it a habit to remove make-up before bed.

Allowing your skin to breathe at night is extremely important since this is the time when it will be rejuvenating itself. 

It is also a great time to include a moisturizing routine. I finally got myself some really nice moisturizer and it has really been helping my dry skin situation.

Before making it part of my routine, I would only apply it half-hazardly and it was not benefiting me as much as it could have been. It is sad that it took this long to try to figure it out.

 

9. Scents

 

You know that I love my scents! What kind of post would this be without including something about essential oils and candles?  This is a night routine must have (in my opinion).

Lighting a candle, particularly during fall and winter, is extremely relaxing. The flicker of the light, the scent permeating the room, a good book and cup of tea, these all make for a relaxing mood and are my idea of some simple self-care I can do every day.

The only caution here is that you choose wisely when lighting the candle. The last thing you want to do is actually fall asleep while it is still lit.

 

Essential Oils

 

Essential oils can give you a scent stimulating result, while not inducing the worry that comes from falling asleep while a candle is still lit.

There are certain scents that are more relaxing and are better fits for the night. 

I have purchased some blends that said they are for sleep, but they actually kept me awake. These are the blends that are all citrus. A strong citrus smell reminds me of morning and cues my senses to wake up.

I have used a lot of the Deep Restful Sleep. While it does have a little mandarin, I smell mostly the lavender. This blend also contains frankincense, which has many health benefits, but is costly to buy as a stand-alone.

Tranquility is another option. It does have a couple of citrus oils in it. However, blended with the other scents such as patchouli and lavender, the citrus doesn’t over power the senses.

Calming is another option. I do not have this particular blend, yet. However, it appears to be a good option. It does have some citrus, but this is balanced with the patchouli and ylang ylang. That should provide for a nice evening scent.

 

Conclusion

 

Creating a night routine can reduce decision fatigue and provide daily self-care. Select the things that are most important to you. Use this time to set you up to have a great morning and relax you to have a great night’s sleep.

Two huge goals in one time block? Why not give it a try?