Creating a before bed routine that sets you up for better sleep at night is important. But an element of that which is frequently forgotten about is adding self care to your night time routine. Which is why I am sharing these 6 before bed self care ideas for better sleep at night.
I know that it can be challenging to make self care a priority at all especially when you are tired and ready for bed.
But doing so can help you practice consistent self care and just as importantly- it can help you get better sleep at night. In this post I explain how individual self care ideas can help you get better sleep at night but overall committing to calm and self care oriented routine items before going to sleep can usually help you get better sleep at night.
However, I do want to note that I am not a doctor and if you are struggling with falling asleep, getting sleep at night, feeling tired, etc please seek professional medical advice! These are simply self care items I have started doing at night that help with my personal sleep but they may not help you so please use professionals for medical related sleep concerns.
So let’s jump into these night time self care ideas so you can start implementing them into your night time routine!
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6 Before Bed Self Care Ideas For Better Sleep At Night
{ Night time self care ideas }
1: Avoid screen time for 30 minutes.
Making sure that you take care of your mind and eyes by avoiding screen time is an essential before bed item.
All you need to do is try to avoid going on your phone or watching TV for the 30 minutes before you go to sleep. I know that it easier said than done but it is so important for your mental wellness and your health.
By going on your phone right before you try to sleep it can keep your brain awake which makes it harder to sleep and it can make the transition into sleep harder.
Also, looking at a bright screen in a dark room puts a strain on your eyes and can cause long term vision damage!
So avoiding looking at screens for 30 minutes before going to sleep is a win-win.
2: Drink water before bed.
Hydration is so important for so many reasons. And I am sure you have heard that a million times!
And before bed hydration is so exception. Drinking water before bed has a bunch of health benefits and being hydrated it also shown to be good for your sleep.
What I like to do is keep a stainless water bottle next to my bed and drink half of it at night and the other half in the morning. And the stainless water bottles help keep the water cool enough for the morning time as well.
Anything you can do to stay hydrated is important for your health, sleep, and taking care of yourself in general.
3: Write in your journal before sleeping.
Journaling is a great way to get in touch with your emotions and recap your day. It is also an activity you can do before bed that isn’t on your phone so you can avoid the bright screens!
If you don’t like just journaling about your day I have a bunch of posts about journal prompts you can follow for different situations. Here are some of them:
- 53 Journal Prompts For Improved Productivity
- 31 Inspiring Journal Prompts To Better Yourself
- 52 Journal Prompts For College Students
- 40 Journal Prompts For When You Are Stressed
- 75 Self Improvement Journal Prompts: how journaling leads to self improvement.
And of course if you like journaling about your day then go for that! For me it definitely depends on my mood, energy, and what happened that day if I want to free journal or follow a prompt. So do what works the best for you.
4: Try meditating (or just stretching).
Meditation is probably one of the most commonly suggested self care night time routine items and for a good reason. Meditating is so calming and can really help you relax and unwind after a tough day. Or after any day!
However, I know that meditating is not for everyone and if you feel that way that’s totally okay. In that case I recommend committing about 15 minutes to stretching in silence which is good for your body and your mind. Loosening your muscles before sleeping can help you sleep better at night too.
Also, if you are new to meditating I recommend heading over to YouTube and following a free guided meditation on there. Or downloading a free meditation app. Either way, no need to buy expense meditation courses!
5: Do a full skin care routine.
Skin care can actually be so relaxing if you make sure to plan for the time surrounding it.
Not only is it of course good for your skin now and in the long run but doing a skin care routine is also a great opportunity to commit to some “you” time before bed.
I like to put on a soothing playlist while doing my night time skin care routine and try not to rush it!
Also, little bonus tip: I recommend not being afraid to try new skin care items sometimes. It’s easy to get sucked into the same routine but your skin can change with time and different situations. So if you notice your skin care routine is no longer working don’t be afraid to change it.
I started using this face mask from origins at night even though I didn’t think I needed a super moisturizing night cream and I was so wrong! It is fantastic and has really helped my skin. So I am thankful I tried something new.
6: Use scents while getting ready for bed.
The final idea for before bed self care ideas is to use scents before bed. Different scents can help create different environments. I want to share a couple of my favorite night time scents and products quickly!
Pillow mist– Nuvo sleep mist (lavender and chamomile). This pillow mist is so calming and create a peaceful environment for you to put your head down on while trying to fall asleep.
Candle- Sweet Water Decor in “spa day”. I like to light this candle at night while doing my skin care and journaling. It create a serene setting and the scent lingers for a while after putting out the candle so you can fall asleep to a light scent in the air.
Lotion– Bath and Body Works “Sleep Black Chamomile”. This is a long term favorite of mine because it is so relaxing and calming. I love applying this lotion all over before climbing into bed!
I hope that this post was helpful and gave you some ideas and inspiration for your self care night time routine!
Committing to before bed self care can be challenging but if you take it one night at a time and slowly add in new items it is manageable and can really help you have calmer days and get better sleep at night.
Make sure to let me know in the comments what else you do at night for better sleep and your before bed self care ideas!
Korra-Shay
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If you liked this post on before bed self care ideas then you probably (hopefully!) will like these too:
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