10 Simple Ways to Improve Your Rest with an Evening Routine
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Are you taking good care of yourself? Self-care is not selfish. It’s good stewardship of what God gave you. Your body, mind and soul belong to God and if you want to have something to give to others, then you need to be taking care of yourself.
Getting plenty of sleep needs to be a high priority if you want to enjoy optimal health.
A good night’s rest (and a good morning) is best achieved with an evening routine that eases you gently into slumber. This is an excellent time to add some measures of self-care to your day.
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Create your own routine and see what works for you. I have some suggestions that you can use- or you can alter them to best suit your needs. Here are 10 things to do before bed that will help you wake up feeling renewed:
Start winding down about an hour before you actually want to be in bed. Maybe you could set an alarm, if needed as a reminder, if you’re the type who loses track of time in the evenings. This is the time to start turning off the screens, dim the lights, and quiet the music and/or voices.
Take a shower or a bath. An Epsom salt bath will do wonders to soothe sore muscles. I usually add 1 cup of salts to my bath water. Add a few drops of lavender essential oil to the water and it the scent will further ease you towards sleep. Afterwards, treat yourself to some rich moisturizing body cream and/or some perfume.
Take care of your face. Even if you don’t wear make-up, you still need to cleanse your face to remove the day’s dirt and oil. I’m a Rodan + Fields consultant, so if you want some great skincare products, I’m your girl.
Prepare yourself a cup of non-caffeinated herbal tea and a light protein snack. A cup of cottage cheese with berries or peanut butter toast is always good.
Tell any loved ones who are in the house how much you love them and kiss them goodnight.
Splurge on a good mattress and bedding (and wash your sheets often). You spend a lot of time here. It’s worth it. One more thing you might like to add to the bedroom is an essential oil diffuser. A few drops of lavender oil will make your room smell wonderful and is good for sleep.
If there’s any clutter in the bedroom, do a quick cleanup…maybe light a candle or two.
Read a good book or a magazine in bed for a few minutes. If you must look at a screen, I recommend using blue light filtering glasses. They reduce eye strain and protect against the high energy blue light emitted by screens.
Keep a notepad and pen by your bed so you have a place to write down any thoughts or things you want to remember before you go to sleep.
Spend a few minutes praying and thanking God for the blessings of the day.
Try and keep to a nightly routine as often as possible, going to bed and waking at the same time each day. Your body will thank you.
One more important thing to remember as your prepare for sleep each night is some advice that comes from Philippians 4:8: Direct your thoughts towards good things.
What are some of your favorite tips for settling in and having a good night's sleep?
