6 Ways to Make Your Nighttime Routine Easier

You’ve probably heard about the benefits of a night routine. We all know by now that our phones and general proclivity for staring at screens all hours of the day isn’t exactly healthy. We also know that screens and bedtime DO. NOT. MIX. Yet for reasons unknown to us (perhaps because we’re human?), we still do it anyway. (I’m the first to admit that I used to associate 9pm with “Snapchat Time.”) But no more.

These tips are designed to make establishing a nighttime routine easier. Everyone’s nighttime routine should be tailored to the individual, as different things work for different people. In addition to arming yourself with LUNA Natural Sleep Aid, you can use these suggestions as a guideline to forming your personal routine.

Use an alarm.

Alarms wake us up in the morning, alerting us that our day is starting. They can also tell us it’s time to take our birth control or to send an important email. Similarly, arrange an alarm to kickstart your nighttime routine. Pick a (rough) time you want to be asleep by; say it’s 11 o’clock. Have your alarm set for 10pm. That’s when you’ll start getting ready for bed. Pretty soon after doing this, your body will be ready (like clockwork!) around 10pm every night to start the process.

Eliminate distractions.

Once that 10pm alarm goes off, so does the TV, Apple Q, Netflix and you shift your phone into Airplane Mode. Screen time should conclude an hour before shut-eye, so as soon as that alarm sounds, start pressing power buttons. A lot of people want to fall asleep but can’t seem to tear their eyes away from Instagram. By immediately conditioning your body to shut off your devices by the power source, you’re eliminating the thing that’s most likely to keep you from falling asleep.

Give yourself incentive.

Pick something that you associate only with bedtime: It can be sipping a Sleepy Time tea, reaching for LUNA Natural Sleep Aid, spraying a lavender pillow mist right before you hit the pillow, or slipping on super comfy socks that you only wear at night. This special thing associated only with bedtime will become a treat that you’ll start to crave once the physical body gets tired. You’ll condition your mind to know that when the socks come on or the mist is sprayed, sleep is coming.

Find a new outlet.

Your phone should not be plugged into the outlet directly adjacent to your bed, even if your phone acts as your alarm. Plug your phone in to the outlet all the way across the room. That way when your alarm goes off in the morning, you have to get up to turn it off (making it easier to wake up!) and also barring you from reaching over to scroll through Twitter “one last time.”

Arm your nightstand.

There should be no phone hanging out on your nightstand, as discussed above. Instead, your bedside table should become an arsenal of things that help you get to sleep. You can keep your pillow mist here, a dim lamp, a sleep-inducing candle (that’s not lit), and a book. Your bed should be a tech-free zone, but a reading a few minutes before bedtime can help you fall asleep faster and more peacefully. If you leave the book right there in your arm’s reach, you’ll be more likely to read it before hitting the hay.

Try LUNA Natural Sleep Aid.

LUNA lulls your body and mind into a quiet, relaxed state. It eases racing thoughts and tension from the day, so that you’ll be able to drift into sleep easily. LUNA’s gentle blend of natural herbs helps promote restful, uninterrupted sleep without the groggy, sluggish wake up that you get from prescription medications.

Read more about our sleep tips here: Extremely Tired But Can't Sleep?