Sleep is one of the most important factors when it comes to our health. With the demands of today’s world and hustle culture it’s hard for us to carve out the hours for rest. And the hours that we do carve out tend to be interrupted by not being able to fall asleep or having interrupted sleep. There are various factors that could impact our sleep, whether that’s the food we eat, anxiety, medical conditions, medications or even just the environment that we sleep in.
However, there are some natural ways that we can improve our sleep and those include:
- Self-care night time rituals for better sleep
- Crystals for better sleep
- Yoga Poses and Bedtime Yoga For Better Sleep
- Meditation for better sleep
- Foods For Better Sleep
- Warm baths for better sleep
- Teas for better sleep
Scroll and enjoy for 7 Bedtime Rituals For Better Sleep!
Start with some bedtime self-care
Doing things that help you unwind before bed are super beneficial to better sleep. When we got to bed stressed out or anxious, we’re not very likely to have a good night of rest. Self-care could be anything that helps you de-stress and unwind.
We might be a little biased, but we always enjoy a little pedicure before bed. A warm foot bath will not only make your feet happy, but also will relax your mind. Start with adding some epsom salt to a lukewarm bath and soak your feet for about 15 minutes. Then use our pedicure kit to shape your nails. If you’re not sure how to do an at-home pedicure, follow our easy at-home pedicure guide.
Self-care is one of the simplest way to improve your nighttime rituals for better sleep. It will easy your mind and relax your body.
Make yourself a cup of tea
If you’re looking to kick the habit of being dependent on caffeine, you should try a tea alternative. Caffeine greatly affects the quality of our sleep, making it harder for us to fall asleep and interfering with our internal clock.
Herbal teas are great for relaxation and sleep, reducing fatigue and improving quality of sleep. Some teas that are recommended for better sleep are valerian root, chamomile, lavender and lemon balm.
Meditate
Mediation helps quiet the mind and body improving the quality of sleep. When meditation is done before bed, it can improve insomnia increasing melatonin (the sleep hormone), serotonin and reducing heart rate as well as blood pressure.
Meditation is a quick and easy way to improve your sleep that you can duo routinely before bed. If you’re not sure where to start or are new to mediation read our meditation for beginners.
Take a warm bath
Taking a warm bath before bed helps relax both your mind and body. Research shows that taking an evening shower or bath in water between 104 and 108.5 degrees Fahrenheit helps improve sleep quality (Sleep Foundation).
Believe it or not, a warm bath stimulates body’s thermoregulatory system helping remove body heat and reducing body temperature. The optimal time for a bedtime bath is 10 minutes at minimum.
Whether you’re a morning shower person or an evening shower person, you should try to add a warm bath to your bedtime routine.
Invest in Crystals
This one might seem non-traditional but crystals have healing powers that can aid in better sleep. Some crystals typically used to improve sleep are howlite (for when struggling with insomnia), amethyst (for increasing deep sleep), rose quartz (for a night of peaceful sleep), red tigers eye (for when worry keeps you up at night) and black tourmaline (for nightmares).
You can wear these crystals around your neck or place them next to your bed. You also incorporate crystals into your bedtime meditation routine.
Do some bedtime yoga
Sometimes we go to bed feeling restless and anxious and this is exactly when we need yoga in our lives. Did you know that there are actually certain yoga poses that aid in better sleep?
Some poses that you can do before bed are:
- Child’s Pose: Bend your legs and pull your body forward resting your forehead on the mat. This pose provides calm and stability.
- Lizard Pose: Bend your right leg and extend your left leg back. Rest your elbows on the top of the mat or on a block.
- Locust Pose: Lie on your belly, bend your elbows and lift your arms and legs. Remain here for about 1 minute.
- Head to Knee Pose: Sit down on your mat and bring your forehead to your knees. Remain here for about 1 minute.
- Bridge Pose: Lie on your back and bend your knees keeping your shoulders pressed against the mat, lift your pelvis. Remain here for about 1 minute.
- Corpse Pose: This is the final pose in a yoga flow. Simply rest on your back with your legs relaxing at least hip-distance apart and arms resting at your sides, palms up. Stay in this pose for as long as you’d like. The corpse pose helps us come to a final resting place.
Make sure your diet is balanced
It’s no secret that caffeine is bad for sleep. But did you know that certain foods affect the quality of our sleep as well? High-fat foods, acidic foods, and spicy meals before bed can negatively impact the quality of our sleep. So you should replace these with a healthier alternative.
Some foods that help improve the quality of our sleep are oatmeal, bananas, almonds, salmon, avocado, turkey, kiwi, white rice, and walnuts.
In general it’s best to avoid heavy meals at night and close to your bedtime.
