How to Relax Before Bed So You Sleep Better
In this article, you’ll learn how to relax before bed.
There are important benefits for relaxing before you sleep. Relaxing before bed is an important cue for your body to wind down.
It’s a signal to our body’s internal clock (circadian rhythm) that we are ready to sleep.
That, in turn, helps induce the feeling of sleepiness which helps us to fall asleep faster.
In this article, we’ll go over some of the things you can do to help you relax before bed.
1. Find a consistent time to start relaxing
Humans are creatures of habit. And our routines lead to habits.
A good way to relax before bed is to find a time and stick to it throughout the week.
Studies in both toddlers and adults show that a bedtime routine can help ease problems with sleeping.
It helps you to fall asleep faster and also reduces symptoms of insomnia.
Sure, it’ll be different on weekdays and weekends.
I personally sleep around the same time on weekdays, around 10 and 11 pm. On weekends, depending on plans, I tend to sleep late but sleep in as well.
One helpful cue is to start doing bedtime stretches around the same time.
The goal is to create a habit that will become a powerful indicator for the body to start shutting down.
Related: Good Sleeping Habits to Help You Sleep Better at Night
2. Adjust bedroom light
Bedroom light can affect sleep quality. A good rule of thumb is to reduce your exposure to blue light.
When you want to relax before bed, you want to feel sleepy and tired enough.
But blue light does the exact opposite. It stimulates attention and energy.
In one study, researchers looked into the impact of exposure to bedroom light before sleeping.
They found that bedroom light exerts a profound suppressive effect on melatonin levels.
Melatonin is a hormone in the body that enables us to fall asleep and wake up.
Bedroom light can also shorten the body’s internal representation of night duration.
If you cannot have a dark bedroom while you sleep, consider using red rights.
Red lights, unlike blue lights, can help influence your circadian rhythm and stave off melatonin.
3. Listen to music
Music is not only food for the soul. It can accelerate sleep as it helps you wind down.
Research has shown that listening to music while sleeping can help people to sleep.
Take for example a study published in the International Journal of Nursing Studies.
The researchers enrolled 50 adults with chronic insomnia to understand the effects of music on sleep quality.
Also, the researchers split the participants into two groups: 25 to the music group and the other 25 to a control group.
The group that listened to music significantly increased their rested state during sleep. They also shortened the time their brain waves shut down.
Most people cannot sleep in loud environments. If that’s you, consider using white noise to block out distractions and sleep faster.
4. Set the right bedroom temperature
When we have the right temperature, not only do we sleep well, we also sleep longer.
This is because our body’s temperature because of our body’s sleep cycle and rhythm follow that of our body temperature.
Why is room temperature important?
If temperatures are high, we are more awake. If temperatures are low, we are more sleepy. It’s as simple as that.
An important sleep hygiene tip is to make sure that the temperature in your room is neither too cold nor too warm (see effects of poor sleep hygiene)
The temperature of our bedrooms needs to be between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit for us to rest well.
Part of having a good temperature and feeling good is to improve the air circulation in your room.
Don’t be afraid to open the windows, if you have to for a brief moment to clear out stuffed out air.
5. Wear something comfortable
This is important if you want to relax. If you’re the type that sleeps with pajamas or nightgowns, make sure you choose the right materials
What we wear affects our body’s temperature. This is because of our body’s sleep cycle and rhythm follows that of our body temperature.
Avoid synthetic material because they hold more heat and make you warmer. Instead, choose breathable materials can help you sleep better.
In addition to the right type of materials, make sure what you wear is the right fit and feel.
Too tight and things can get uncomfortable and even dangerous for your health.
Also, if you’re the type that likes to sleep naked, go for it. Strip it all away.
In fact, there are so many benefits to sleeping naked. One of them is that it cools down our temperature and signals to our bodies to wind down.
