Right for Bedtime: 10 Ideas for Your Bedtime Ritual
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By PAGE Editor
What do experts say that can help you set up your sleep routine for better sleep?
A bedtime ritual prepares your body for sleep and tells your brain it's time to hit the sack. Need help building your sleep routine? Take your pick from these ten evening rituals.
Meditate before bed
Meditating in the evening can become part of a sleep routine, helping you to prepare for a good night's sleep by eliminating stress and negative thoughts. There are many different types of meditation, such as mindfulness meditation or Yoga Nidra. Try out different practices to find the one that suits you best.
In practical terms, how do you meditate before bed?
Wear comfortable clothes, like your pajamas.
Practice your meditation session out of bed in a serene environment.
Listen to relaxing music, white noise, or meditation audio.
Dim the lights to create a cocooning atmosphere more conducive to meditation and sleep.
Listen to a podcast.
Do you like stories but don't feel like starting a new book? Listening to a podcast can relax you before bedtime.
The advantages of a podcast:
They can be listened to anywhere, ideal for traveling or sleeping away from home.
Podcasts cover a wide range of subjects, so you're bound to find something you like.
There are plenty of free podcasts to choose from.
You can listen in the dark or with little light, which is good for sleep.
Some podcast ideas:
Get Sleepy: sleep meditation and sleep stories.
Sleep & Relax ASMR: audio experiments based on ASMR or white noise to help you relax and fall asleep.
Sleep aid: daily episodes (except Fridays and Saturdays), lasting 20 to 30 minutes, consisting of a relaxation phase followed by a pleasant story that will lead you gently into sleep.
Nocturnal Murmurs: guided meditation exclusively dedicated to sleep and falling asleep.
Drink milk before bed.
This evening ritual may seem surprising, but our grandmothers were right: drinking warm milk before bed promotes sleep.
Why does milk help us sleep?
There are several reasons:
It contains tryptophan, an amino acid that plays a role in falling asleep and regulating sleep. It increases the release of serotonin, which triggers the secretion of melatonin.
It is rich in magnesium and calcium, natural muscle relaxants.
Drinking warm milk lowers body temperature, an essential condition for falling asleep.
Pamper yourself
Transform your sleep routine into a cocooning moment with body care products. A bedtime ritual is a special moment to take time for yourself. It's an opportunity to create a daily rendezvous with yourself to relax and reconnect.
Here are a few ideas:
Facial care: remove your make-up, cleanse your skin, make a mask, and apply your lotion.
Hair care: apply vegetable oil to your hair or ends, and massage your scalp for a few minutes.
Skincare: massage moisturizing cream all over your body.
Foot care: massage your feet with an appropriate cream, then slip on socks to enjoy the benefits of foot care all night long.
Body brushing: brush your body with a specially adapted brush. This activates circulation, eliminates dead skin cells, and reduces the appearance of cellulite.
Looking for a place to get all of these pampering items that are both quality and at a reasonable price? Visit this page to start adding these to your bedtime routine.
Brush your teeth
Everyone brushes their teeth at night, so why not make this simple gesture part of your sleep ritual? This habit is repeated every day without even thinking about it so that it can fit perfectly into your evening routine.
Brushing your teeth at night is an excellent base to add other rituals such as showering, putting on pajamas, applying moisturizer, and relaxing by listening to a podcast or reading a book.
What foods should you include in your bedtime ritual?
A light dinner is recommended for a good night's sleep. But did you know that certain foods can help you fall asleep? They can be incorporated into your bedtime routine if you feel peckish at the end of the evening.
Eat an apple before bed.
Apples contain a sedative substance called bromine. Rich in phosphorus, it prevents sleep disorders such as insomnia.
Eat a banana in the evening.
Bananas are rich in potassium, which relaxes muscles and calms the nervous system, making them ideal for falling asleep.
Eat a bowl of cereal.
More generally, foods containing tryptophan, magnesium, potassium, and B vitamins help you get a good night's sleep. This is the case with cereals (oat flakes, for example), which can be combined with cheese or milk to maximize their effects.
Use essential oils
Essential oils have plenty of calming and relaxing benefits. Adding some of them into your bedtime ritual also helps you fall asleep. Which essential oil should you choose for your bedtime ritual?
Some essential oils you can use:
Valerian essential oil
Geranium essential oil
Mandarin essential oil
St. John's wort essential oil
Fine lavender essential oil
Cedarwood essential oil
Orange blossom essential oil
Red mandarin essential oil
Petitgrain bigarade essential oil
Roman chamomile essential oil
Marjoram essential oil
How to use
To use your essential oils in a bedtime ritual, you can:
diffuse
spray on the pillow
use them in synergy (i.e., mix them with vegetable oil) for greater effectiveness
apply to the wrists or solar plexus.
Do some ironing
This bedtime ritual may seem less fun than the others, but it has two advantages:
It's a repetitive activity that doesn't require you to think, which can help you relax;
Get rid of a spot on your to-do list.
Grab your iron and give yourself half an hour's ironing time while listening to a podcast or relaxing music.
Drink herbal tea before bed.
Drinking herbal tea before bed allows you to benefit from certain plants' relaxing and soothing effects while enjoying a real moment of relaxation. In addition to the benefits of herbs, a hot drink lowers body temperature in preparation for sleep. Receptors on the tongue alert the brain, which then adjusts the body's internal temperature.
A herbal tea recipe for a peaceful night's sleep
This herbal tea recipe is ideal before bedtime:
Prepare a mixture of 35 g lime blossom, 35 g orange blossom, and 30 g chamomile flowers.
Pour a spoonful of the mixture into 125 ml of simmering water.
Cover and leave to infuse for 7-8 minutes, then filter.
Add a teaspoon of honey.
Which bedtime rituals will you choose first? Which one works best for you? Do you have any other ideas for an effective sleep routine? There's one routine that will fit your needs.
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