I cannot stress enough how important sleep in overall health status. Poor sleep impacts EVERYTHING from your energy, mood, metabolism, what and how much you eat, etc. We talk a lot about how we prioritize sleep on the blog because we both cherish our sleep and know we cannot live well when we are getting good quality sleep. We both love our Oura rings and nerd out on our sleep stats…thats how much we love sleep.
Falling asleep and staying asleep can be challenging for some. Just like having a bed time routine with kids is so important to help their bodies ease into bed time, adults are no different.
By the time we get the girls down around 7pm I’m exhausted. I will typically clean up the house, watch a show with my husband, blog, etc. for about an hour then I start to get ready for bed around 8pm with hopes to be asleep by 9-9:30pm.
I turn off all bright lights in the house and our room and just have my side lamp on. You don’t want bright light at night…you want to keep cortisol low and release melatonin. I tried to get into red light bulbs, but it gave me 50 shades of grey vibes and wasn’t my jam. Also I try to stop eating 2-3 hours before bed because this gives you digestive system time to break down the food and it doesn’t disrupt sleep. So much cellular and muscular repair goes on in your body at night and you want your body to be focusing on that not digesting food 😉
I will up a big water bottle with ice to keep on my bedside table, so I can pound water first thing in the AM.
Here is my routine most nights:
SHOWER/EPSOM SALT BATH
There is nothing more relaxing than showering off the day before I get into bed. A hot bath or shower really signals to my body that we’ve made it to the end of the time and it’s time to chill. I like to use epsom salt and essential oils in my bath to increase muscle recovery and relaxation.
SKIN CARE ROUTINE
I lather my body in lotion, get my pjs on, and do my nightly skin care routine.
MAGNESIUM/CBD
While doing my skincare routine I will sip on my magnesium drink and also will take a little CBD to get my body relaxed and ready for sleep. Then brush and floss my teeth 😉
READ
I read on my Kindle almost every night before bed. I try my very best to not look at my phone an hour before bed (2 hours would be ideal). Reading helps me relax and get sleepy.
EYE MASK
I need it dark. A dark environment helps you fall asleep and get into a deeper more restful sleep. I love my silk eye mask. A sleep mask might also protect the delicate skin around your eyes from wrinkles.
I typically wake up around 5:30am to workout or get organized before the girls wake up. I feel well rested if I get between 7.5-8.5 hours of sleep per night. The Oura ring has helped me figure that out.
xx, A
