Bad sleep equals a bad day. But good sleep equals a good day. This video explains an evening routine for optimal sleep and relaxation.
Video by BetterThanYesterday
Key Takeaways
Nowadays a lot of people have a morning routine, which is awesome. Maybe you have a cup of coffee or maybe you follow an exercise regimen as soon as you wake up.
A morning routine allows you to get the right things done throughout the day, without having to put too much thought into it. This is why it’s important to have one, if you want to be successful.
However, it seems that people often forget about their evenings. You want to start your day successfully, but you also want to end it that way.
Night routines are not popular, as sticking to them isn’t easy, especially after a whole day of studying or work. But the benefits are worth it. A more restful and higher-quality sleep. And being able to tackle the next morning in a more productive way.
Today I’ll share with you what my evening routine looks like. It might not work as well for you, as it does for me, since we have different goals and different schedules. However you might get some ideas which you could implement and tweak in your own routine.
1. Blue-Light Blocking Glasses
My routine starts about 3 hours before bed, when I put on my blue-light blocking glasses. I have a policy to avoid any kind of work in the evening, so I can slowly wind down. This is why I love to relax and just watch videos or surf the web, which means I’m staring at a computer screen.
- All screens emit blue light which messes with your circadian rhythm and negatively impacts your sleep. This happens, because the blue light mimics the sunlight. You basically confuse your body into thinking it’s day time.
- This is why I always suggest using two filters; twilight and f.lux. They block out most of the blue light, by turning your screen orange or red. However they are not enough, which is why I also use the blue-light blocking glasses.
2. Turn Off Electronics at Least 1.5 Hours Before Going to Bed
One thing I’ve noticed is that no matter how much I dial down the brightness of my computer screen and no matter how many filters I use, if I stare at a screen 1 hour before bed, I won’t be able to fall asleep instantly like I usually can. Instead I’ll toss and turn in my bed, even if I’m super tired.
This is why I turn off any electronics at least 1.5 hours before going to bed.
- That means no more computer and no more smartphone, for the rest of the night. While I enjoy surfing the Internet, my sleep quality is way more important to me. If I don’t sleep well, then the next day is sub-optimal, which I obviously don’t want.
3. Turn Off Bright Lights
Now, I’ve also noticed that it’s not just the blue light from screens that messes with your sleep. But normal overhead lights do so as well, because they also mimic the sun.
That’s why when I turn off the electronics, I also turn off all the bright lights. Instead I use atmospheric lights that allow me to control their brightness, and I’ve also replaced the normal light bulbs with red ones. Why red? Because unlike blue light, red light doesn’t disrupt your rhythm.
4. Reflect and Plan the Next Day
After my electronics are off and my apartment looks like a red-light district, I usually reflect on how my day went. I like to find out which things were done, what wasn’t done and what could be improved upon. I also plan out my next day.
- On a sheet of paper I write down what I need to do, what my goals for the next day are and approximately how long it will take me to do it.
This tiny planning habit takes me only 5-10 minutes, but it’s super important.
When I wake up in the morning the next day, I know precisely what needs to get done. However if I skip my planning, I usually just mindlessly go through the day, with no real direction. But if I plan out the day, I take out all the guess-work. I know what to do. When to do it. And how to do it.
5. Get Everything Ready to Support the Plan
When the planning is done, it’s time to get everything ready to help support that plan. If I have something to do in the morning I make sure to get it ready the day before.
- For example; if I plan on going to the gym, I’ll get my gym clothes ready. This way when I wake up it’s already there waiting for me, and this makes doing any habit, much easier.
- If I have to think about what I need for the gym and look for those things, at the same time, all while being drowsy from waking up, then I just might decide to skip gym instead. In the morning anything can feel like a chore, but if everything I need is ready and waiting for me already, then it becomes much easier to go through with it.
6. Cool Down the Bedroom
About 1 hour before bed, I make sure to cool down my bedroom. Being too hot keeps me from falling asleep, which is one of the reasons why I hate hot summers.
When it’s time for your body to rest, there is an automatic drop in your core body temperature to help initiate sleep. However if the temperature in the environment stays too high, then it can be a bit of challenge to get restful sleep.
- Studies have found that the optimal room temperature for sleep is around 60 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit, or 15 to 20 degrees Celsius.
- I prefer to be quite cool, so I make sure my bedroom is on the lower end of that temperature. If I somehow forget to cool down my room, I already know that I’ll have a harder time falling asleep.
- Since my optimal temperature is different than your optimal temperature, I advise you to experiment with it.
7. Bedtime Tea
While I let my room cool down, I make myself a cup chamomile tea. I love the flavor and it helps me relax.
- Also it doesn’t contain any caffeine, which could keep me up at night. Usually I’ll add a tea-spoon of honey to it, to make it taste even better. While sipping on the tea, I get ready for the core habit of my evening routine, which is reading.
8. Core Bedtime Habit - Reading
Some people like to read in the morning, but I personally prefer to do it in the evening. If you’re not reading on daily basis, you’re missing out big time and I highly recommend you pick up this habit.
- It’s primarily thanks to this reading routine that you get to watch these videos, as most of the information is found in the books I read.
- What I usually read are biographies, science, health and other non-fiction books. I also read for minimum of 20 minutes, just to maintain the habit. Never less. But if I find the book interesting, I usually read for 1 hour.
- When I start re-reading sentences to understand them, it’s a clear sign that it’s time to stop as I’m too tired, and that it’s time to get ready for sleep.
9. Brush/Floss/Glass of Water for Morning/Bathroom
Before I jump into bed, I’ll go brush and floss my teeth, and do it with very low brightness. As I said, any bright light will negatively impact my ability to fall asleep.
I then prepare a glass of water on my nightstand for the next day. This way when I wake up it’s already waiting for me and I can re-hydrate myself as soon as possible. I won’t be drinking any water for more than 8 hours after all.
I also make sure to use the toilet right before heading to bed. Your bladder is not as active during the night, but if you drink a lot of liquid and your bladder is full, you’ll wake up to take a leak.
- You don’t want that to happen, because it could be right in the middle of a sleep cycle, which will result in messing with the quality of your sleep, resulting in waking up already tired. So it’s wise to avoid drinking too much liquid before bed.
Now this is where my routine pretty much ends. I go to bed, where I’ll sleep for 8-9 hours, and I make sure I never sleep less than 7. Sleep is quite a high priority for me, as a good night’s sleep is what allows me to feel amazing.
Bad sleep equals a bad day. But a good sleep equals a good day.