Roger Morph 
Getting a good night’s sleep is essential for everyone. Whether you’re a busy mom, a workaholic, or an active teen, following a healthy bedtime routine can help you get more restful sleep and feel more refreshed in the mornings.
Bedtime routines establish habits that signal to our brains when it’s time to wind down and prepare for sleep. They also reduce late-night stress and anxiety — the kind of worrisome thoughts that can keep you awake at night.
Natural Remedies
Herbs are a natural way to promote relaxation and support a healthy sleep cycle. When used in the right combination, certain herbs can work to create a calming routine that helps prepare your body for restful sleep each night.
Valerian root
Valerian root is a popular herbal remedy for improving sleep. It can help reduce the time it takes to fall asleep, as well as improve the overall quality of sleep.
Valerian root is known to produce a calming effect on the body, allowing you to feel more relaxed and sleepy when it comes time to go to bed. It can help reduce the effects of stress and anxiety that can make it hard to relax and sleep well.
Lavender
The aroma of lavender is known for its calming and soothing effects. Inhaling the scent of lavender has been shown to reduce anxiety and promote relaxation. It can also help improve sleep quality.
One way to incorporate lavender into your nighttime routine is by adding a few drops of essential oil to your bathwater. You can also use an aromatherapy diffuser and add lavender essential oil for an extra boost of relaxation.
CBD
Incorporating cannabidiol (CBD) into your nightly ritual may help you get the restful sleep you need. CBD is a naturally-occurring compound found in the hemp plant that is known for its calming properties and potential health benefits. There are different CBD products you can try to help with better sleep, but the most popular are:
Gummies
Unlike other edibles containing THC, CBD gummies don’t contain any psychoactive effects, so you can enjoy the calming benefits of CBD without worrying about feeling “high.” Taking your dose of CBD sleep gummies just before bed can help to promote relaxation and reduce stress, allowing your body and mind to drift off into a peaceful sleep.
Oils
Taking CBD oil before bed can help your body relax, allowing you to drift off into a peaceful sleep. In addition to taking CBD oil, incorporating other activities that promote relaxation, such as reading, yoga, or meditation, can be beneficial for creating an effective bedtime routine.
Establish a Bedtime Ritual
Establishing a bedtime ritual can be a helpful way to help you prepare for sleep and to promote relaxation. These rituals can include reading, talking, meditation, a warm bath or shower, and even prayer.
You can also try having a special drink before bed, such as hot milk or herbal tea. Both of these beverages contain tryptophan, a hormone that helps you fall asleep.
Another simple ritual that you can do before bed is to read a book or listen to music. Studies have shown that people who have a quiet evening routine before going to bed have better quality sleep and fewer nighttime wake-ups than those who don’t.
Some couples choose to snuggle together in bed before bedtime, which can be a very soothing and intimate experience for both partners. This can make it easier for couples to communicate and improve their relationship.
Making love is also a romantic bedtime ritual that can help strengthen the connection between couples. Many couples find that making love before going to bed can help them to feel more relaxed and secure, as well as rekindle the passion in their relationship.
Set a Reasonable Sleep Schedule
A healthy sleep schedule helps align your body’s natural 24-hour cycles, known as circadian rhythms. These are near-internal cycles that control everything from your body temperature to your appetite and hormones.
To set a reasonable sleep schedule, start by choosing a consistent wake and bedtime. Then gradually adjust it to meet your needs in 15- or 30-minute increments.
If you’re struggling to get a good night’s rest, it might be time to see your doctor. A doctor can help you determine if the reason for your irregular sleep schedule is stress or an underlying sleeping disorder.
A lot of things can disrupt your sleep, from life’s daily stressors to travel or shift work. Identifying the cause of your irregular sleep schedule can help you understand what steps to take to reset it.
Create a Comfortable Sleeping Environment
A comfortable sleeping environment is essential for restful sleep. Getting into the habit of optimizing your bedroom for a good night’s sleep is a great way to help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
A cool, dark, quiet room is the best possible setting for a relaxing night’s sleep. Temperature is a big factor in quality sleep, and one 2012 study found that adjusting the thermostat to a range between 60 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit can improve the quality of your sleep.
You might need to experiment with different temperatures to find the optimal temperature for you. In general, colder temperatures can make it more difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep.
The lighting in your room is also a factor that affects the quality of your sleep. Try to reduce light exposure by turning down the lights before bed and using heavy curtains or window treatments.
Choosing the right mattress and pillow for you is also important for quality sleep. A mattress that is too firm or too soft can cause neck pain, headaches, and other problems.
Depending on how hot or cold you tend to get at night, choose sheets that are made from natural fabrics like cotton, down, linen, silk, or wool. Polyester or other synthetic materials can trap heat and moisture, which makes it harder to sleep.
Limit Screen Time Before Bed
If you have trouble falling asleep, reducing your screen time before bed may be a helpful solution. Blue light emitted from electronic devices can disrupt your body’s natural sleep rhythm and prevent you from producing melatonin, the hormone that makes you feel sleepy.
Ideally, you should limit screen time to an hour before bed. This can help ensure that everyone in your household gets the rest they need to feel refreshed and ready for the day ahead.
Children are especially susceptible to the effects of screen time before bed. They have more trouble calming down than adults, so limiting their use of electronics can help them fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
Parents can also help their kids develop healthy habits by establishing screen-free times throughout the day and setting curfews for using electronic devices before bed. You can encourage your child to wind down with activities like reading or taking a bath before bedtime.
While it can be hard to cut back on screen time, it’s important for your family to establish a consistent routine that helps you and your kids get the rest they need. These tips can help you create a relaxing bedtime routine that will improve the quality of your sleep and the health of your family.
Try Relaxation Techniques
Trying relaxation techniques can be a helpful way to promote better sleep. They can help you fall asleep faster, which is especially helpful for people who have insomnia.
Practicing relaxing exercises on their own can help, but they are usually more effective when used in conjunction with other sleep hygiene methods. These include maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, practicing good sleep hygiene habits, and cultivating daytime activities that support sleep.
For example, progressive muscle relaxation is a meditation-based exercise that helps you learn to recognize the difference between tension and relaxation in different parts of your body. This technique involves working one by one with your muscles to intensify them and then slowly release them.
You can also practice breathing deeply, allowing each breath to relax your muscles. You can do this twice a day for a month and gradually increase the number of breaths to eight per session.
You can try a body scan relaxation exercise that involves scanning your whole body for areas of tension. This can help you overcome any physical or emotional stress before it becomes too much for your mind to handle.
Cut Back on Caffeine and Alcohol Intake
The amount of caffeine you drink is a personal decision, but you should know that drinking coffee, tea, and soda can disrupt your sleeping patterns. These drinks can reduce the amount of deep, restorative sleep you get and increase your waking hours.
Long-term drinking can also lead to insomnia. People with this condition often consume caffeine during the day to help them stay awake, then turn to alcohol to get them to sleep at night. This cycle can be difficult to break, but it’s possible to eliminate these habits to improve your sleep.
Observational and experimental studies indicate that caffeine consumption within 4 hours of bedtime is associated with increases in sleep onset latency and wake-after-sleep onset (WASO), as well as decreased sleep efficiency and total sleep time. However, these findings are limited by small sample sizes and a lack of objective measures of sleep or investigations conducted in naturalistic settings.
Final Words
Creating and sticking to a relaxing bedtime routine is an excellent way to improve your sleep quality. Incorporating stress-reducing activities, dimming the lights, and avoiding screens before bed can help you drift off easily and enjoy restful sleep for the night. By making small tweaks to your nightly pre-bed ritual, you may be able to create a peaceful habit that will relax your body and mind for quality rest.
