Lately all anyone is talking about is the importance of Magical Morning Rituals, and they’re right! Rituals are powerful, important things, and starting your day off on a positive foot is super important. But I don’t see enough people talking about a night time routine! What about ending our day on the right note? That propels us into the next day! It’s just as important. So is sleep! So I wanted to write a list of 50 ways to not only create a night time routine, but to ultimately create better sleep hygiene and get better sleep! I hope you find this list helpful. (The first half is more about ways you can prep for getting better sleep and the second half is more focused on your night time routine.)

50 Ways To Create A Night Time Routine And Get Better Sleep

1. Set up a Last Call For Caffeine during your day so there’s no lingering stimulants when you’re trying to fall asleep
2. Keep a sleep diary of when you’re sleeping, how much you’re getting, how rested you feel, etc.
3. Make sure that you set the temperature not too hot (comfortable enough for you to use blankets that work for you!)
4. Invest in an essential oil air diffuser and put in scents like lavender and chammomile that will help you to relax
5. Make sure your sheets are clean, soft, attractive, and not distracting (there’s a reason we sleep so well in hotel beds — they’re all white sheets!)
6. Put a fan on (ceiling or otherwise), oscillating if you can, so it moves air around and it doubles as a white noise machine
7. Get yourself the perfect pillow(s) and make sure to change it out as often as every six months (they actually accumulate some really gross stuff)
8. Figure out how much sleep you need and make sure you’re actually heading to bed with enough time to do your nightly routine, actually fall asleep, and then get your eight (or however many) hours (set an alarm on your phone that reminds you it’s time to start your nightly routine)
9. Also set an alarm that means it’s time to turn screens off (looking at screens tricks your brain into thinking it’s daytime all over again, and we need to focus on getting relaxed and keeping that natural circadian rhythm); ideally you need at least an hour sans screens before bed (but don’t worry, there’s plenty of stuff for you to include in your nightly routine that will fill up that hour!)
10. Taking is a step further, put a sheet over the TV in your bedroom (if you have one) and after you set your alarms for the morning, put your phone face down
11. Try to stop eating a few hours before you go to bed, at least large meals (I know if I eat something heavy I can definitely get sleepy, but then I can wake up with heartburn!); it’s best to stick to small snacks and water at night
12. Also try to avoid alcohol before bed (it might make you sleepy, but it messes with your REM cycles)
13. Dedicate your bedroom to sleep and sexy times and nothing else — that includes decorations, crystals, music, everything (work, exercise, etc. should be done in another space if possible)
14. Naps are wonderful, but if you know yourself and taking a giant nap in the middle of the day is going to keep you up, try to limit your naps or at least the length of them during the day
15. Go to the bathroom before you go to sleep so you aren’t woken up more than necessary to have to pee
16. Use black out curtains to get it extra dark in there and/or wear an eye mask
17. Use nasal spray decongestant or stick-on breathing strips to aid in nasal breathing while you sleep (if you still snore, you might need a sleep study)
18. Wear ear plugs if you’re sleeping with a snoring partner or look into aids that will help them not snore and fix the problem
19. Walk your dog late so they don’t disrupt you in the middle of the night
20. Re-consider letting your kids (and/or pets) sleep with you because it can be way more disruptive than you realize
21. Prep for the next day (plan your goals, your outfits, pack your lunch, etc.) so there’s less mental to do lists to run over in your mind as you try to settle down
22. Use a cooling weighted blanket that triggers neurotransmitters that makes you feel like you’re getting hugged (this can help with anxiety)
23. Put your phone on “Night Shift” or “Night Mode” depending on if you’re iPhone or Android so in case you have to use your phone you’re minimizing the amount of blue light coming in
24. Exercise during the day to literally tire yourself out more
25. Get out in the sun during the day (it’s promoting your natural circadian rhythm); so sun during the day, lack of screens at night

26. Take a warm bath or shower before you’re ready to begin your nightly routine (also a cool scalp promotes sleep)
27. Try ASMR videos that tap into sensory meridians in your body that can make you super sleepy
28. Journal (free associate or use a writing prompt)
29. Have an orgasm (releasing serotonin and norepinephrine which will help you get into deeper stages of your REM cycle)
30. Try a meditation specifically geared towards going to sleep
31. Read a chapter or just for fifteen minutes from your current book
32. Do some light stretching or easy yoga poses
33. Take your make-up off, wash your face, put on night cream
34. Rub lotion on your feet, legs, elbows, hands, etc.
35. Cuddle with your pet or partner
36. Take a milligram of Melatonin if you need help falling asleep
37. Have a cup of sleepy time tea
38. Listen to relaxing music, ideally instrumental
39. Do a body scan where you focus on relaxing every part of your body one at a time
40. Focus on your breath and count it in and out, your brain will eventually become bored
41. Have someone tuck you in
42. Write down what you’re grateful for that day in your Happy Journal
43. Eat some snacks that actually promote sleep: milk, nuts, chickpeas, cherries
44. Set out crystals by your night stand or under your pillow that will help you sleep like Amethyst, Clear Quartz, Labrodorite, Rose Quartz, Ammonite
45. Put on comfy pajamas
46. Brush your teeth and floss
47. Put on some extra moisturizing lip balm
48. Snuggle up with a cute, cozy stuffed animal
49. Stick your feet out from the bottom of your blanket
50. Spray your sheets with a linen spray

What is your nightly routine like?

Photos: Maura Housley