How to prepare for a restful sleep: 5 tips
What's the story
Starting your wellness journey, especially focusing on a calming bedtime routine, is both exciting and challenging. After all, a restful night's sleep is vital for your well-being. For beginners, learning to create a peaceful environment and adopting simple habits can significantly improve your sleep quality. So, here are five tips to unwind and prepare for a restful night.
Ambiance
Create a relaxing environment
Setting up your bedroom as a tranquil space is vital for relaxation. Consider dimming the lights an hour before bed to signal your body it's time to wind down. Using blackout curtains blocks out external light, while keeping a comfortable room temperature between 18-degrees-Celsius and 22-degrees-Celsius leads to better sleep. Adding calming scents like lavender or chamomile through essential oils or candles may enhance the ambience too.
Digital detox
Limit screen time before bed
Reducing screen exposure at least an hour before bedtime can greatly enhance sleep quality. The blue light from phones, tablets, and computers disrupts melatonin production, making it difficult to sleep. Instead of scrolling through social media or watching videos, try reading a book or listening to soothing music as part of your pre-sleep routine.
Breathing techniques
Practice mindful breathing exercises
If you want to prepare your body for rest, engage in mindful breathing exercises to calm your mind. Deep breathing or the 4-7-8 method can be helpful. It involves inhaling deeply through the nose for four seconds, holding the breath for seven seconds, and then slowly exhaling through the mouth for eight seconds. Practicing these before bed regularly may reduce your stress levels and promote relaxation.
Routine setting
Establish consistent sleep schedule
Keeping a regular sleep-wake cycle by sleeping and waking up at the same time every day, can help regulate your body's internal clock. This habit improves sleep quality over time, by syncing with natural circadian rhythms. Even on weekends or days off, following this routine as closely as possible ensures that you get enough sleep without throwing your body's balance off.
Physical relaxation
Incorporate gentle stretching or yoga
Including soft stretches or yoga in your nightly routine can greatly release the stress accumulated throughout the day, bringing about a sense of physical calm. Simple poses like the child's pose or legs-up-the-wall pose can improve blood circulation without any effort, making them ideal to perform right before heading off to a deep sleep. These exercises aren't just easy to do, they're also extremely useful in getting your body ready to sleep.