9 Healthy Bedtime Routine Habits You Should Adopt Tonight
Sleep is essential to good health, but over one third of U.S. adults get less than the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep each night. In fact, nearly half of all Americans say they feel sleepy during the day roughly three to seven days per week. If that sounds like you, then these nine good bedtime habits can help you stop tossing and turning — and finally enjoy some quality zzz’s.
9 Key Steps for a Healthy Bedtime Routine
1. Set an alarm for bed.
You already set an alarm to help you wake up each morning, but setting a bedtime alarm is just as important. This nightly reminder helps you prioritize sleep and ensures you have enough time to wind down before hitting the sack. Set an alarm approximately one hour before your intended bedtime to check off your bedtime routine to-do list.
Setting a bedtime alarm can also help you keep the entire family on track with a nighttime routine. Consider using this trick to help little ones know when it’s time to get ready for bed. Designating a one-hour window to wrap up their hobbies, put on their pajamas and brush their teeth will help them commit to lights-out by a certain time each night.
2. Unwind with a shower or bath.
One of the best ways to relax at night is with a warm shower or bubble bath — especially when it involves lavender soap or body wash. Our Bulgarian Lavender Body Wash gently rinses away impurities with plant-based cleansers while leaving your senses relaxed. Follow it up with our Bulgarian Lavender Hand & Body Lotion for a calming and moisturizing skincare treat.
3. Try nighttime yoga to manage stress.
While it’s best to avoid vigorous exercise leading up to bedtime, practicing nighttime yoga and meditation can actually work wonders for your sleep health. Try stretching before bed, and practice deep-breathing exercises for enhanced mindfulness and stress relief.
4. Use essential oils.
Try incorporating essential oils into your bedtime routine for enhanced relaxation and peace of mind. Our Dream Weaver Organic Essential Oil is formulated with a tranquil blend of organic frankincense, lavender and sweet marjoram to help promote more restful sleep. Either place it in a diffuser on your nightstand or dilute it with jojoba oil before massaging it onto your skin.
5. Say no to bad habits.
Drinking coffee after 2 p.m. and consuming alcoholic nightcaps can impair your sleep quality, as can eating or exercising within three hours of your intended bedtime. These bad habits are all stimulants that interrupt your body’s natural sleep cycle and decrease the quality of your sleep in general.
Pro Tip: Having trouble nodding off? Try sipping on banana tea before bed. Bananas are rich in magnesium, which is known to help you sleep. But banana peels actually contain three times the magnesium content of the banana itself! Just chop up a banana — peel and all — and add it to boiling water for 10 minutes to create a dreamy nighttime beverage.
6. Commit to a skincare routine.
What’s better than waking up to beautiful, glowing skin? Zenning out with a luxurious skincare routine in the evening. Make time each and every night to thoroughly cleanse, moisturize and treat your skin with natural skincare products. You’ll give your complexion an instant boost while helping your mind relax with this therapeutic ritual.
For more tips on the best nighttime skincare order, check out Your Step-by-Step Guide: How to Correctly Wash Your Face.
7. Practice good sleep hygiene.
Practicing good sleep hygiene isn’t just about taking a shower before bed. It’s actually a process that centers on creating the best sleep environment for you. That can mean setting your bedroom to an optimal sleep temperature between 60–67 degrees F, investing in blackout curtains or wearing socks to bed for added warmth and comfort.
8. Care for your teeth and gums.
Your dental health is just as important as your skincare, so be sure to brush and floss your teeth each night before bed. We also recommend using other oral care products like a mouthwash and brushing rinse to support your teeth and gums. Formulated for use before brushing, our prebiotic brushing rinses help cultivate a healthy mouth microbiome by neutralizing bacteria, purifying teeth and gums and keeping odor-causing bacteria at bay.
9. Unplug from your devices.
Checking your emails and scrolling through social media feeds before bed can seriously derail your bedtime routine. Do your best to shut off your electronics at least one hour before bed — and even keep them outside of your bedroom if needed. Many experts agree that blue light emitted from tablets, laptops and smartphones may potentially suppress melatonin levels and interfere with restful sleep.