A proper pre-bedtime routine is vital to getting a good night’s rest. Read how to wind down before bed here.
Everyone wants good sleep, especially after a long day, but it isn’t always easy. No matter how comfortable your clothes are, your brain doesn’t just shut down.
The things you do before you hit the hay greatly affect the quality of your slumber. Knowing how to wind down before bed can give you the restful sleep you deserve, along with other positive benefits that will enhance your mood the next day.
Understanding the Importance of Winding Down
Wind-down time simply refers to the set of activities you do a few hours before bedtime. It’s meant to signal to the mind and body that the day’s drawing to a close.
If done habitually, it can lead to better sleep and less anxiety, ultimately preparing you for the next day.
The Science Behind Relaxation Before Sleep
According to a poll by the National Sleep Foundation, 43% of Americans rarely or never get a good night’s sleep. That’s in part because of how we use phones before bed.
I will raise my hand to that. I’m texting or watching YouTube videos constantly before bed.
Terrible, I know.
So, the experts developed recommendations for better sleep and preventing insomnia that they call “sleep health promotion intervention.”
How To Wind Down Before Bed: 5 Essential Steps
Finding the most effective way to unwind before sack time may entail a lot of trial and error. Luckily, the National Sleep Foundation crafted a list for achieving high-quality sleep, which can be categorized into five essential buckets:
- Craft an effective, consistent nighttime routine before it’s time to go to sleep.
- Eat the right amount of food before hitting the sack (or simply don’t eat).
- Limit blue light exposure.
- Exercise regularly, but avoid intense workouts at night.
- Practice calming mental health activities after a long day so you’re body knows it’s time for bed.
Implementing these steps will likely have a positive impact right away.
Men’s Nighttime Routine Key Components
Consistency plays a vital role in creating a successful men’s nighttime routine. Your body likes to know what’s coming so it can put the biological clock to work.
So your goal is to send the mental signal that you’re getting ready for bed, and you can do that in more ways than one.
Creating a Calming Environment in the Bedroom
The bedroom is your sanctuary after a long day, so it’s paramount to keep that space peaceful and calm. Design your room with cool colors like blues, greens, purples, and lavenders, as these promote soothing emotions.
Apart from soft pillows and blankets, you can add sensory experiences by inhaling the scent of essential oil through a diffuser. It can help you relieve stress and improve your sense of well-being.
The Role of Technology and Screen Time
Technology has risen to a level where most men spend hours daily in front of a computer or mobile phone. The blue light from the screen causes negative effects on the circadian rhythm and can even induce headaches.
To avoid long-term backlash, you need to cut down the screen time at least 30 minutes before tucking in. Using specialized glasses throughout the day can also help maintain normal sleeping patterns by encouraging melatonin production.
Skincare and Personal Hygiene Rituals
Taking a nice, warm bath or shower may help you fall asleep faster. A good 90-minute shower, with water temperature between 104 to 109°F, actually helped people get the best quality sleep.
Applying a face moisturizer can do wonders for your skin as you tend to lose more moisture during nighttime (I’m always so thirsty when I wake up). Why only feel great when you wake up when you can also look great?
Choosing the Right Clothing for Comfortable Sleep
The apparel you wear is one of the most important parts of falling asleep. Think about it: if you’re coming from work in a dressy suit, what’s that going to signal to your brain? Most likely, it’s time to grind — not fall asleep.
Go for warm, extra comfortable fabrics such as wool, cashmere, silk, and soft ring-spun cotton t-shirts, pajamas, and underwear.
The Eberjey Henry Modal Short PJ Set is a great choice for pajamas. Its luxuriously soft and temperature-regulating TENCEL™ fabric makes it perfect for drifting into your dreams.
Nutrition and Its Impact on Sleep Quality
Your diet affects everything about your body, including your ability to fall asleep. What you feed your body may lead to, or prevent you from, dozing off.
Another contributing factor to a good snooze is your actual meal time. Some varieties of foods are harder to digest than others, like meat, for example. Consuming them right before you lie down may give you heartburn.
It’s crucial to plan your eating properly so you give your body enough time to digest the food.
What To Eat and What To Avoid Before Bed
First off, you should avoid chowing down late at night because your digestive system converts food into energy, so you’ll have more energy than you need, and it’ll raise your blood pressure.
Avoid eating desserts like chocolates as they contain either sugar, caffeine, or both. They’re stimulants, so those will probably keep you up.
Spicy food like curry can elevate your internal body temperature, interfering with its thermoregulation process. Your body heat should go down when you’re preparing to rest, not the other way around.
Instead, try eating bananas and almonds to satisfy your cravings. They’re high in magnesium, which can relax and calm your muscles before bed. You can add cherries and raw honey, too, as they naturally contain melatonin, which, in turn, can induce deeper sleep.
Physical Activity as a Tool for Winding Down
Things don’t always go as planned at work, and some days may stress you out more than others. Unfortunately, the tension jolts you with adrenaline, which won’t help you catch some ‘Z’s.
If you don’t feel sleepy even if it’s past your bedtime, then consider performing a few light exercises and relaxation techniques that can calm you down.
Relaxation Techniques and Gentle Exercises
Controlling your breathing is an effective method to combat stressful situations. It calms the nerves and takes your mind away from whatever may be going on in life that day.
Get fresh air into your lungs by breathing deeply through the nose from right down to the abdomen. Put one hand on your stomach, and it should rise as you inhale. Do this for a couple of minutes and see how the anxiety just melts away.
Performing light stretches before retiring for the day can relax your muscles and avoid muscle spasms that wake you up. Just hop into your yoga attire and do neck twists or leg raises for around an hour before going to bed.
Mental Health Things Men Should Do Every Night
Excessive stress can cause anxiety, and those ruminating thoughts will surely keep you up after normal hours. Aside from keeping your body healthy, you need to prioritize your mental health if you want to sleep like a log.
Most people will turn to medicine for a quick solution — but there’s a better and more natural remedy against mental fatigue. Here are a few things men should do every night for their mental health.
Meditation and Mindfulness Practices
Mindfulness meditation has a long history across multiple cultures as an effective technique for awareness and attention. It can decrease your anxiety and increase your serotonin and melatonin levels, both associated with achieving high-quality sleep.
Start by finding a comfortable place to sit and relax, then give yourself at least 10 minutes to remain steady and still. Feel your breath, and pay attention to your mind wandering, if it does, direct it back to your breathing.
Successful mindfulness practices come with daily repetition. If you can do it once every day, you should see improvements in your sleeping patterns in no time.
I recommend Headspace (which I’ve used a bunch) or Calm, but most of the apps out there will do the trick.
The Benefits of Listening To Calm Music
Meditation requires discipline, and it can be tough to master if you have a restless mind. You can also play calming classical music as a part of your bedtime routine, as the melodies can help you relax and improve your mood.
Make sure only to use comfortable, lightweight headphones as heavier ones may cause a distraction rather than being relaxing. If you’re planning to meditate for longer than 10 minutes, you might create a playlist of soothing music so you’ll have no interruptions while putting your mind into a trance.
White noise can also be used as a neutral sound to get your mind to stop wandering.
FAQs
How Long to Wind Down Before Bed?
You should start winding down for bed at least a few hours before you plan to fall asleep. This doesn’t mean you need to completely shut off your brain at 6 or 7 pm, but you should start implementing some relaxation techniques around that time.
How Do You Mentally Wind Down Before Bed?
Creating a proper nighttime routine is an effective method to wind down. You can include these activities a few hours before bedtime:
- Perform light stretching exercises to relieve muscle tension.
- Include meditation and deep breathing practices to remove anxiety.
- Take a warm bath or shower to regulate body temperature.
Make sure to avoid using electronic devices and limit your screen time before and after you do your routine. The blue light from the gadgets will put all your wind-down activities to waste.
Is Reading a Good Way To Wind Down Before Bed?
Reading a good book is a low-key activity that can help you wind down if you’re not feeling sleepy. It can ease stress, de-stimulate your brain, and promote longer sleep duration.
It’s best to avoid reading frightening stories and go for titles with heartwarming plots to maximize the benefits.
What Can I Drink To Sleep Faster?
Drinking warm milk is the age-old remedy for drifting into dreamland faster. It contains significant amounts of amino acid tryptophan. The body converts it into melatonin, which helps regulate our natural sleep state.
The Bottom Line
Knowing how to wind down before bed is only the first step on your journey to peaceful sleep. Remain committed to these tips, and you’ll see improvements not only in your sleeping patterns but your energy as well.
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