Bedtime Routine - Self-care and Mindfulness
By Katie Pierce
With work responsibilities filling up our schedules to the brim, things can get pretty toxic and unhealthy for our physical health and emotional wellness. It is also relatively easy to forego our needs as we attend to a million details as we look after the welfare of our loved ones. And yet, without proper self-care, you may end up exhausted, unmotivated, which can exacerbate symptoms of anxiety and depression.
You may have been thinking about taking better care of yourself, but you’ll need more than that to make it happen. If you don’t intentionally carve out me-time into your busy schedule, you may never get around to doing it. And the easiest way to start? Create a bedtime routine! In this article, we’d like to share with you the best self-care hacks that revolve around your bedtime, so you can be well on your way to wellness and mindfulness.
The Definition of Self-care
But first, what is self-care? It’s typical for the term to be associated with selfishness, a “me-first” mentality. This concept can indeed be carried to the extreme, where oneself is the most important person in the whole world. But this is far from the positive idea of self-care that we’re referring to.
Self-care is defined by the World Health Organization as “the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider.” It is hinged on a healthy perception of yourself as someone worthy of love and attention as others are.
Now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s get to the serious business of getting yourself the care that you need and deserve through a carefully crafted bedtime routine.
How to Create a Bedtime Routine
Step 1: Tuck away your gadgets
By allowing your gadgets to “rest,” you’re also giving yourself a favor. Research shows that the blue light from tech devices with screens, such as your mobile phone and iPads, can prevent the release of melatonin, a hormone that plays a key role in your sleep. Low levels of melatonin can disrupt your circadian rhythm. As a result, you may end up sleeping poorly or get no rest at all. And even if your gadgets have blue light filters, they will keep your brain stimulated, making it difficult for you to sleep.
Help yourself get rid of endlessly scrolling in bed by “retiring” your phone one to two hours before your bedtime. Designate a place where your gadgets are hidden from view, so you won’t get tempted to keep checking for new messages or videos. Don’t forget to turn them off or set them on airplane mode before tucking them away.
Step 2: Set up your bedroom for quality sleep
This next step is quite easy to do. It simply involves getting your bedroom ready to make you ease better into bedtime.
Begin by clearing out your clutter. Studies show that a messy environment can elevate levels of the stress hormone cortisol, leading to anxiety and depression. Conversely, when your physical space is clear, your mind can have the freedom to breathe and relax better.
Using blackout curtains or shutters can improve your overall sleep quality, especially if your work schedule requires you to sleep at odd hours. Next, keep it cool by setting the thermostat to between 60 and 67° F. Create a peaceful space (if you must, wear plugs as you get into bed!). Lastly, make yourself look forward to the night’s rest by having clean and fresh-smelling bed sheets.
Step 3: Indulge in a warm bath
Spoil yourself with a lovely warm bath, which can lower your core temperature, a critical sleep signal, helping you to doze off to dreamland faster.
If you have a tub at home, so much the better. You can soak the day’s cares away in lavender-scented water. Not only are lavender essential oils helpful in reducing inflammation, unclogging pores, and improving skin tone, they can also help you sleep better. Make sure, though, to check for the specific precautions (such as the dilution ratio) of any essential oil product that you’ll be using. When uncertain about how your skin may react, conduct a skin patch test first.
Step 4: Get into bed and chill out
And finally, we come to the most relaxing part of your bedtime routine (or probably a close second to your warm bath), where you can just sit back, relax, and ultimately be in the joy of the moment. This time, you’re already in bed, listening to soothing music, and sipping some calming chamomile tea. Pretty soon, you’ll be enjoying the sweet bliss of a good night’s sleep.
Wrap-Up
With these easy-to-do steps, you need not postpone creating a bedtime routine any longer. However, what may be more critical is that you know why you need and want to do it.
Look in the mirror. That hardworking and selfless person staring back at you also has needs and wants just as much as anyone else. So go ahead and take care of yourself. You definitely deserve it!