5 Ideas to Add to Your Night Routine for Quality Sleep

Oct 02, 2024·By Ashley Sanderson

Introduction

First things first, let’s talk about why sleep is so crucial to having a healthy mind and body. In today’s society, we really take sleep for granted. I can’t tell you the amount of people I run into on a daily basis who mention they’re so tired because they only slept 4-5 hours the previous night. Sleep, especially deep sleep, is the time in which our brain takes out the “trash” and prevents build-up of metabolic waste products. During NREM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep, our glymphatic system takes the fluid around the brain and exchanges it with the fluid inside the brain to dispose of harmful waste. Sleep also plays a huge part in our memory. Our sleep patterns can affect our memory for specific movement sequences such as playing an instrument or learning something new. When you’re running on 4-5 hours of sleep versus 7-8 hours of sleep, it drastically changes the way your body responds to these movement sequences. A full night of sleep also makes it easier to deal with daily emotional challenges and stressors. Getting consistent, adequate sleep leads to positive effects on mental, physical and spiritual well-being.

1. Yoga
Yoga creates a relaxation response from your body by incorporating deep breathing techniques along with stretching and holding poses that relieve muscle tension. This relaxation response can lower cortisol levels, which can help regulate sleep patterns. Do you ever notice before bed that your mind starts racing and you're suddenly thinking about the events from the day or responsibilities of the next day? Yoga encourages mindfulness and presence, allowing your racing mind to calm and focus on your breathing instead. There are specific yoga poses you can do before bedtime that can be particularly calming. Check out this helpful post about yoga for sleep by Jeanie Manchester, founder of Anjaneya Yoga Shala in Boulder, Colorado. https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/yoga-by-benefit/insomnia/15-poses-help-sleep-better/?scope=anon

2. Journaling
Another way to ease your racing mind at the end of the day is by writing down your thoughts and/or feelings to reduce any mental clutter. This helps to externalize and process your worries from the day which leads to overall stress and anxiety reduction and can sometimes even help you work through problems that have been on your mind recently. Journaling helps bring your mind to the present moment and allows you to reflect on your day, which can help clear your head before bed. Specifically journaling about stressors or worries can reduce their emotional charge, making them less likely to keep you up at night. Processing your emotions before bed can make trying to sleep less overwhelming. Journaling gratitude before bed can shift negative thoughts to positive thoughts simply by acknowledging the things that made you grateful that day. Some journal prompts to try before bed:

What were the 3 highlights of your day?
What are 5 things you are grateful for today?
How are you feeling right now and why?
What did you accomplish today? Even if it's small?
What is something you noticed today about the world around you?

3. Reading
One of my favorite ways to relax before bed is by reading a good book. Tuning in to something other than the daily worries and stressors of your day-to-day life can help ease anxiety. By doing this nightly, it can help establish a routine and train your brain to recognize it’s time for bed. I recommend using a physical book rather than using your phone and anything with blue light. Blue light can interfere with your circadian rhythm and melatonin production. Putting your phone on do not disturb and getting lost in a good book is a great way to minimize distractions from notifications and/or overstimulating content from social media. Reading can also induce a calming effect, making you sleepier and more relaxed. Some tips for reading before bed:

Avoid super suspenseful books like thrillers or mysteries, opt for something light and cozy instead
Read in a dimly lit environment, free of distractions
If you find yourself reading for too long, set a time limit
If you use a device to read from, make sure it's on night mode and use blue light blockers

4. Meditation
Meditation is a great way to calm the mind and body by reducing stress levels and promoting a relaxation response. It helps you focus on deep breathing which allows you to really tune in to your body and focus on what you’re feeling/thinking/experiencing in that present moment. Meditating regularly can improve sleep quality by increasing the amount of deep sleep we get. There’s a study that actually proved that meditation can produce melatonin - the hormone responsible for regulating sleep - by activating the pineal gland which can contribute to increased melatonin levels. Some techniques you can try:

Guided meditation - find a guided meditation either on Youtube or using an app, I personally love the app Insight Timer. It provides countless FREE guided meditations by spiritual leaders and enthusiasts. Some YouTube accounts I recommended for meditations include Meditation With Bird (https://www.youtube.com/@MeditationwithBird), Lavendaire (https://www.youtube.com/@lavendaire/videos), and Boho Beautiful Meditations (https://www.youtube.com/@BohoBeautifulMeditation/videos).
Mindfulness meditation - focus on your breathing for 5-10 minutes and bring your awareness to the present moment, try to view any worries/thoughts like they’re on a cloud that’s passing by
Progressive muscle relaxation - this creates a sleep-promoting effect by tensing and gradually relaxing each muscle group in your body, starting from your toes and moving up to the head

5. Taking a cold shower
I know, this can sound absolutely horrible. But trust me when I say it actually works and is evidence-based. I used to see the cold shower wellness trend on social media and would think to myself that these people are crazy! Who would want to take a cold shower? But, cold showers do lower our body temperatures which can signal to the brain that it’s time for bed and that drop in temperature can also trigger the release of melatonin. This causes our bodies to relax especially after a hot summer day. Another benefit of cold showers is that they stimulate our immune system to produce more cells that help fight off infections. Some tips for starting:

Start off with warm water and gradually lower the temperature of the water throughout the shower
At the end of the shower, turn the water cold to the point that it feels slightly uncomfortable
Stay in the water anywhere from 30 seconds - 2 minutes and take deep breaths

Consequences of Sleep Restriction

Chronic sleep restriction is the act of achieving less than 70% of required sleep needs over several days, months or years. Symptoms of sleep loss include attention impairments, memory issues, gastrointestinal problems, headaches, fatigue, mood instability, low back pain and oversensitivity to physical pain. Not getting the sleep your body and mind need can also lead to neurodegeneration, which occurs when nerve cells in the brain lose their function and/or structure. This happens from sleep loss because it can cause a build-up of metabolic waste products or it can impair the function and structure of your glial cells, which are cells that are not neurons. Sleep loss can also dysregulate serotonin production, leading to unpredictable emotions.

The Bottom Line

You can eat healthy and work out all day long, but if you’re not sleeping well consistently it will eventually catch up to you. It will show up as depression, anxiety, health issues, weight gain and illnesses. It’s crucial to our well-being to get the sleep that our bodies need so that we are able to wake up feeling refreshed and ready to start the day. I know that for me when I don’t get a good night's sleep I wake up feeling irritated, rushed and unfocused for the rest of the day. Prioritize creating a night routine that aligns with your needs and get the 7-9 hours that your mind and body deserve.