7 Nighttime Rituals to Help You Unwind Before Bed

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Are you one of the millions of Americans who lie awake tossing and turning night after night? The good news is that your problem might be your lifestyle, not an underlying health condition. 

People often feel helpless to take better charge of their lives and health, but it’s not as tough as you think. Your body follows natural rhythms, just like the planet itself. Recognizing these patterns and honoring this cycle with a day’s end wind-down can go far in combating insomnia. 

What should you consider? Here are seven nighttime rituals to help you unwind before bed. 

1. A Post-Dinner Walk 

Taking a post-dinner walk is the perfect start to your nighttime ritual. It has multiple benefits, including: 

• Improved digestion: Gentle movement stimulates your gastrointestinal tract, making food move more quickly and avoiding a heavy, bloated feeling that can keep you awake. 
• Bond with loved ones: Walking with your partner or kids opens communication doors and is less intimidating than face-to-face conversations around the table. 
• Increase your daily step count: Many Americans don’t get enough movement. Even a walk around the block adds over a thousand steps to your pedometer. 

However, the biggest benefit may be the calming effect of the great outdoors. Part of it is due to tuning out of your phone, television, and other electronic devices that can increase stress and anxiety. When you’re out walking, focus on the sights and sounds of the world around you. Put your phone down and enjoy your surroundings. 

2. Set the Mood 

Your mind and body work together in everything — getting ready for bed means calming them both. A perfect way to ease mental stress at day’s end is to create a ritual where you check door and window locks and set your alarm. Knowing you’re safe and sound facilitates sleep. 

However, it also helps to set the mood. Dimmer switches cost little and mimic natural twilight. LED candles and string lights are other options for gentle illumination — going through your home and dimming the lights tells your body it’s time for sleep. You might even try adding soothing background music and an aromatherapy mister if these devices cue your nervous system that bedtime has arrived. 

3. Flow Into Sleep

Yoga is a fabulous way to calm your central nervous system and unwind before bed. However, choosing the right type is key. While you can find thousands of free videos on YouTube and more on various apps, you should seek one of these three styles: 

• Hatha yoga: Hatha yoga ranges from challenging to gentle. It’s good for people who need to relieve nervous tension before bed but ensure the class you choose ends with a slower cool down to ease you into sleep. 
• Restorative yoga: This style originated to help people heal. It features slow, passive poses held for one to twenty minutes — thought usually two or three — and you can do it on your mattress. 
• Yin yoga: Yin uses many similar poses to restorative but focuses more on easing mental stress. You hold passive poses for two to five minutes while finding stillness through breath. 

4. Bedtime Story Time 

Did you love a bedtime story as a kid? Reading one to your child is a helpful nighttime ritual to help you both unwind. 

What if you don’t have children? Reading before bed is a great way to wind down. Select uplifting stories or fantasies that carry you away — nothing heavy or anxiety-provoking. If you absolutely must use a device, apply the twilight setting on your phone or use a Kindle Paperwhite to cut down on blue light. However, it’s best to read offline, which gives you an excuse to visit your local library. 

5. Prepare Your Bed 

Getting into bed should make you feel at ease every night. If you want to enhance your bed’s coziness, there are a few things you can do to make it the ultimate sanctuary: 

• Clean your sheets: Have a consistent schedule for washing your bedding. Bonus tip: add some white vinegar to the washing machine to help remove any odors, and your bedding will come out smelling fresh every time.
• Spray lavender: Lavender is known to be a calming scent, so using a lavender spray on your pillows at night can help lull you to sleep. 
• Clear off clutter: If you have laundry sitting on your bed waiting to be folded, fight the urge to crawl in under it or push it to the floor. Put everything away before bed so you feel accomplished. 
• Fluff your pillows and blankets: If you didn’t make your bed in the morning, take a moment before getting into bed to arrange everything how you like it. 

It also helps to avoid doing other tasks in bed, such as working from home or watching TV. Make sure you don’t get into bed before you’re ready to turn off distractions and wind down. 

6. The Healthy Nightcap 

While you should avoid drinking certain beverages, like alcohol, soda or coffee, before bed, there are other drinks that can help you unwind. Instead, try a nice cup of herbal tea. These caffeine-free teas can promote calmness and relaxation:

• Chamomile
• Lavender
• Passionflower
• Lemon Balm 
• Valerian 

What could be more relaxing than snuggling up in bed with a warm cup of tea?

7. Meditation

As Buddhist monks wind down for bed, they often reflect on their day. What did they do well? How can they improve tomorrow? 

You can follow their example and meditate on your emotional state at the end of the day. If you find your thoughts running away from you, try focusing on  your breath instead. Simply count your inhales and exhales — how far can you get? There are also short guided meditations you might try to ease yourself into the practice.

Nighttime Unwinding Rituals 

A good night’s sleep is an essential part of a healthy and happy life. After a long day, you might just collapse in bed, but it’s not always easy to turn off your thoughts and fully relax. Incorporate these ideas into your life to help you unwind before bed and enjoy your best night’s rest.