HEATHER FINLAY
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How to Relax Before Bed
Apr 26, 2019
Learn to relax before bedtime so you can get some good restful sleep.
You're so exhausted your eyelids feel like lead, but you can't actually get yourself to drift off to dreamland. Instead, your mind is racing with everything that went wrong during the day—or that could go wrong tomorrow. Lack of sleep can heavily impact our mental ability to deal with everything life throws at us and over time can heavily weigh on our mental & physical health.
Below you can find 5 different ways to help you wind down at the end of your evening to help you get a good night’s rest and be ready for the next day’s challenges.
1. Take the time to wind down.
“Set aside at least 30 to 45 minutes—an hour is even better—to wind down before bed. During that window of time, you should ban yourself from anything that might be stimulating, including texting and computer work. Keep a good ritual for that wind-down hour so your body and mind start to know that each step is one step closer to bed."
2. Tune in if it helps you tune out.
You may have heard that you shouldn't watch TV before bed, and admittedly some sleep experts aren't big fans, but many say a little TV before bed or something else mundane can actually stop your brain thinking about anything else and allow your body and mind to get ready to fall asleep. Don't watch or read anything too stimulating or stressful. That means skipping the nightly news and tuning in to something lighter.
3. Do some deep breathing.
Not into prayer or formal meditation? Simply take 10 minutes to sit still and breathe, says M.J. Ryan, one of the creators of The New York Times bestselling Random Acts of Kindness series and the author of The Happiness Makeover. "The practice is really easy: All you do is notice your breath, and every time you are aware your mind went elsewhere, bring it back to your breath. When 10 minutes is up, stop. That's all it takes."
4. Take a hot bath.
It's a cliché—but it works. "A hot bath will not only relax your muscles, but it will also raise your core body temperature, which acts as a trigger to help people fall asleep," says Michael Breus, PhD, author of Beauty Sleep: Look Younger, Lose Weight, and Feel Great Through Better Sleep.
5. Exercise.
There's no doubt that it's a great stress reliever—just make sure to do it at least three hours before bedtime, says Dr. Ojile. Otherwise it could actually rev you up and make it harder to sleep.
Honourable Mention:
A growing body of research shows that aromatherapy can be effective. For people having sleep trouble, we recommend essential oils in a diffuser to help you drift off to sleep. Some good ones for rest: lavender, petitgrain, chamomile, geranium, sandalwood and rose.
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