10 Smart Things to Include in Your Bedtime Routine for an Easier Morning

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I talk about my morning routine a lot, like sometimes too much. But that’s because it really helps me to get ready for the day. However, what I often forget to mention is that my morning routine wouldn’t be so helpful in setting me up for my day if I didn’t also do a proper bedtime routine.

Having a routine that you complete at the end of every day tells your brain that it’s time to start winding down for the night.

So let’s look at creating that bedtime routine.

What to do Before Bed – Bedtime Routine Ideas

There are two main categories of things you should do in the evening before you go to sleep:

• Things to set yourself up for a productive morning
• Things to wind you down

Set Yourself Up for a Productive Morning

1. Plan for Success

You can’t succeed without first planning to succeed.

Take some time before bed to plan the next day.

What are your top 3 priorities for tomorrow? What do you hope to accomplish? Which goals are you focusing on tomorrow?

Figure out the answer to these questions and write them down. Review them in the morning to start your day.

2. 15-Minute Tidy

A clean house is the best thing to wake up to. Plus it can also help put your mind to rest knowing there isn’t a mess waiting for you in the morning.

Set a timer for 10 to 15 minutes and do a quick pick up. Clean off your desk. Wipe down the kitchen counter. Fold the blankets all over the floor. It may not be much, but just doing those few things will make the room look so much better.

3. Prepare for Tomorrow

What can you do ahead of time for tomorrow?

You can set out your clothes. Pack your gym bag. Make your lunch. Make sure you know what’s for breakfast and dinner tomorrow, and see if you need to pull something out of the freezer to thaw.

And most importantly: set the coffee timer?

Doing these few things can speed up your morning and create less wasteful minutes making these decisions when you may still be half asleep.

Time to Wind Down

The other half of your bedtime routine is meant to help you wind down so you can fall asleep easier.

The following 7 ideas are meant to help you relax so you fall asleep faster. Therefore leading to a better quality of sleep so you can tackle the next day.

4. Self-Care

I like to treat my entire evening routine as my self-care time, or my “me-time”.

Pick a couple of self-care activities to do before bed to treat yourself after a long, hard day. Remember we need to take care of ourselves first.

Some before bed self-care ideas include: having a bath, doing a face mask, making a cup of tea, reading a book, or even just going to bed a half-hour earlier counts as self-care.

5. Stretch Your Body (bedtime yoga)

Start your wind down ritual with some light bedtime yoga. This helps relief the tensions built up from the day, plus it can improve your flexibility.

Try my favorite bedtime yoga sequence by “Yoga with Adriene” on Youtube. See how much better you feel, both at night and in the morning.

6. Skin Care

At the end of a long day, your skin deserves some pampering.

Take off the makeup, wash your face, and put lotion on your skin. Your skin protects your body all day so why not treat it to a nice evening.

The most important thing you can do for your skin is to find the products that work best for it.

I wash my face both in the morning and before bed with E.L.F.s daily face cleanser and pair it with the bedtime night cream. These two things have been my go-to for years and my skin thanks me for it.

After that, I find my favorite smelling lotion and put it on my legs and arms. Currently, I’ve been really into this lotion from Bath and Body Works. I go to bed smelling nice and clean?

And of course, don’t forget to brush those teeth, too.

7. Read a book

If you don’t include reading in your mornings like I do, then this may be the only time you have to indulge in your favorite fictional story.

Spend some time reading just a few pages before bed and you’ll find that love of reading you may have had as a kid before work and life got in the way.

Reading is also the best way to wind down without screens that can inhibit your ability to fall asleep.

Related: Best Personal Development Books to Read in 2021

8. Journal

Now I usually do my big journaling session in the morning but you could also do one at night, too.

It doesn’t have to be that long. You could write about what happened that day and reflect on it. Or write about what you’re grateful for.

That’s all I do and it makes me feel so good right before bed.

9. Turn off the electronics

We have all been told a thousand times that looking at screens before bed is harmful to our sleep. So how about we actually listen to that advice. You’ll get much better sleep, I promise.

Try putting your phone “to bed” about an hour before you plan to shut off the lights. And if you have an alarm clock that isn’t your phone (which I highly recommend), try keeping your phone outside the bedroom or on the other side of the room so you aren’t tempted to reach for it both before bed and first thing in the morning.

Pro Tip: make it cute to “put your phone to bed” by getting one of these cute phone holders on Amazon.

10. Meditate

Try being silent. Like actually truly silent. These days we don’t get to sit in silence all that often cause there is always something going on.

Meditation is the best way, in my opinion, to achieve this silence. It doesn’t have to be that long. Try setting a timer for 5-10 minutes and just focus on your breathing.

This will help put your mind to bed as well and make it easier to fall asleep.

When Should Your Bedtime Routine Start

This will be different from person to person.

You can start your routine an hour before your designated lights out time, or right after you have finished your dinner.

Figure out what you want to do and stick to it. New habits and routines are easier to implement when you pick a consistent time to do them.

Start small

Please don’t try to incorporate all of these ideas into your routine at once. There is a very good chance you won’t stick to your new routine if there is so many steps. Just start with a few at first.

May I recommend a 15 minute tidy, read a book, and try some bedtime yoga. Notice how much better you’ll sleep and how you feel in the morning with just those 3 new habits.

Take some time to figure out what is best for you and slowly integrate it into your everyday routine. Your morning self will so thankful that you don’t have to make as many decisions in the early morning.

What do you do before bed to help you fall asleep faster? Let me know in the comments. I’d love to know.

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