Prepare for the next day
Our mornings are a little hectic getting everyone ready and out the door so anything I can do the night before to prepare, is CRITICAL. Currently, I only have to make a lunch for my youngest so I try and do that the night before to save some time in the morning. I also like to lay out outfits for myself and the boys so there’s no confusion when they get up. Lastly, I get their backpacks packed with their snacks and water bottles ready to go.
Put the kitchen to bed
There’s nothing I hate more than waking up to dishes in the sink so every night after the boys go to bed, I also put the rest of the house, specifically the kitchen, to bed. I wipe down all the surfaces, put the dishes away, fold blankets, put toys away, and go to sleep knowing the house is tidy. My type A personality can sleep soundly.
Hot tub, bubble bath or sauna
Every night, especially when it’s chilly or rainy out, I need to wind down from the day and get warm and cozy. This will either be in the form of a bubble bath, hot tub or sauna session. Something about the warmth prepares my mind and body for a restful night’s sleep. Then I’ll come upstairs and start my skincare routine.
Skincare routine
I never skip this step. I double cleanse, apply tretinoin (retinol), eye cream and moisturizer. Sometimes I’ll do a mask on Sundays (anything Jan Marini is amazing for sensitive, acne prone skin like mine) depending on what my skin needs at that moment. About 2-3x per week I will also whiten my teeth or put on a hair mask.
Stretch
My back has started to give me some trouble in my older age lol and I think it’s from twisting in pickleball and tennis. So now, stretching is a non-negotiable. I lay on the floor, watch my Bravo show of the night, and stretch. Sometimes I’ll do a Peloton class stretch or I’ll just do my own based on what I’ve learned from my years of dance and yoga. But it loosens everything up and I get into bed relaxed.
Read (no phone at least an hour befor bed)
I turn my phone on Do Not Disturb around 6 pm when we’re eating dinner and we’re home as a family. But it is especially important to me that I am not on my phone at least an hour before I actually go to sleep. The harsh red and blue light has proven to interrupt sleep cycles and I take my sleep far too seriously for that nonsense. The phone gets put away and I read for at least 20-30 minutes so I get nice and sleepy.
Mouth tape
This is a new one! At first, I was like who could ever sleep with mouth tape on?! But the more I saw it on social media and heard about it in podcasts I thought I’d give it a shot. And my sleep is forever changed. I had noticed myself waking up a couple times a night and I was mouth breathing and my throat was dry.. ICK. I got this mouth tape because her packaging and marketing is brilliant and I am a sucker for it but there is a small slit so you don’t feel like you’re suffocating. I even had my husband try it. He said he was so surprised he was able to fall asleep with it on since it’s kinda strange at first. But wow, I have had the best night’s sleep I’ve had in a long time and I credit this part of my nighttime routine for it. I got Alix on board, too. INFLUENCED!
Sweet Dreams! xx, H
