10 things to do just before going to bed

Sleep is a precious commodity. Poor sleep habits can make you grumpy and irritable, lower your immune system and even make you fat.

Sleep is a precious commodity. Poor sleep habits can make you grumpy and irritable, lower your immune system and even make you fat. these before-bed tasks should set you on the path for getting up on the right side of the bed every day :

Have a shower or bath

Your body’s temperature is at its lowest during deep sleep. A hot bath (or shower) will cause your body’s internal thermostat into overdrive to maintain temperature, and induce drowsiness.

Drink hot milk

An old fashioned and still effective sleeping potion is a mug of hot milk. Milk contains tryptophan, an amino acid that converts to serotonin, the calming neurotransmitter. Add a sprinkle of sedating nutmeg.

Power down your devices

Give yourself a short break from your phones, tablets, computers, and screens in general before you go to bed. Freeing up some head space allows you to wind down from the day and just be. (Not to mention that blue light before bed is not great for sleep.)

Make sure your bedroom is dark

Our cavemen ancestors knew that night-time meant sleep time. Light pollution from street lights or even illuminated clocks can negatively impact your sleep. Darken your bedroom cave with block out curtains.

Make a brain dump

Racing thoughts can keep you from falling asleep or could keep you awake if you wake in the middle of the night. Prevent both by getting that ticker tape of thoughts out of your head and onto paper.

Focus on your senses

Take a few minutes to become aware of your body by focusing on your sense of sound, sight, smell, touch, or taste. This might be a mini ritual you do every night, such as purposefully enjoying the scent and sensation of your face wash or turning on a warm glowing diffuser with a favorite essential oil. Paying attention in this way will ground you and help shut out disruptive internal and external noise.

Embrace essential oils

Aromatherapist Fiona Carr recommends the following essential oils to help even the most severe insomniac. Try Vetiver, chamomile, neroli, lavender and sandalwood oil. Add a few drops to your bath or a vaporiser.

Plan your next day.

That’s a simple and quick thing many leaders do each night and it helps them to get ready for the next day and know what they have to do right after they wake up, so that they won’t waste any time and can just start working on it.
So spare a few minutes to make a to-do list, think of all the tasks – big or small – you need to get done tomorrow, even the non-essential ones.
This way you won’t need to remember anything and will know exactly how the next day will go.

Spend time with a loved one

Are you restless because you’re anticipating a rough day? There’s nothing like the soothing voice of (or hugs from) a trusted friend or family member. If you know you’re going to have a challenging work day, make time to talk on the phone or in person with someone who encourages you. Reminding yourself of the love and support you have can put your mind at ease.

Relax your eyes

After long days, mostly in front of a screen, whether it’s a computer, laptop, TV, cell phone, I spend most of my days looking at a screen. And many nights my eyes get so tired they hurt. A tip I use: I put both hands like creating a spoon feeling in front of my open eyes. Keep tweeking your hands until you can see no light coming in. That’s simple, and very relaxing. I do it for 30 seconds and it works wonders.