A typical morning might look like jotting ome things down in a gratitude journal, then drinking a large cup of water before working out. Then jumping in the shower to start the day with kids and breakfast. Most people have some sort of morning routine it seems. But what about at night? There was a survey recently that asked about the nighttime face washing routine. That got me to thinking about the rest of the wind down time and what that looks like. Having a solid nighttime routine can work wonders for your health and how well you sleep.

So many people talk about how they aren’t sleeping well during this covid crisis. Including our favorite forever First Lady, Michelle Obama. The lack of good sleep has a few different factors. There’s the fact that we’re less active during the day now and so we’re not really tired at night like usual. It takes longer to get worn out. Then there’s the worry and anxiety we all seem to be feeling on some level. Even if you do get to sleep, the stress of the current reality can certainly keep you up at night. There are a few ideas that have been working over here.

The nighttime routine tells your body it’s time to wind down. So letting go of the caffeine a few hours before bedtime is always a good idea. The caffeine gives your body a boost you just don’t need at night. When the kids were small we had black out shades. They worked wonders when the time changed and it stayed light longer. Keeping the room dark works to tell your body it’s time to sleep.

We all have heard how good meditation is for bringing inner calm, right? Try a sleep meditation or a bedtime story to help lull you off to sleep. There are some good ones on the Calm and Peloton apps.

Unplug a few hours before bed. Let social media take a rest and give your eyes a break from staring at a screen. Maybe swap the phone for a book to snuggle up to before sleeping.

You know how a good stretch after a workout leaves you feeling so relaxed. How about doing a nice full body stretch before bed to release any tension in your body and help you sleep better.

Speaking of exercise, if you can avoid it, don’t do it right before bed. Exercise tends to get the adrenalin flowing and wakes your body up instead of the wind down you need at night.

Try a brain dump! Write down everything you need to do the next day in a brain dump. You’ll feel like you Then those things are less likely to be running around your head at night and keeping you up.

Another tip is to leave your phone charging at night in another room. You’ll be less tempted to pick it up and get sucked in.