Roaming with Red

Sleeping is something that I was told on repeat by my mother that I did not enjoy as a baby and toddler. It was likely because I lived in a chaotic household and was stressed out, but naturally (in her opinion) I was simply the issue. Nowadays, sleep has become a huge part of 24 hour day, and I realize how much I do, in fact, love and appreciate sleep. My night routine for success and good sleep starts early in the evening and ends when I shut my eyes for bed. While I love some spontaneity in my life, a routine is definitely key to my overall daily success. I like feeling good and alert. If I follow my own advice, which I’m about to give you, I have a stellar night of sleep most of the time. Without further suspense, let’s see what I have to offer you in the sleep department.

Bike Riding with Tater Tot

My Night Routine for Success

A Little Neighborhood Stroll Or Ride

Most evenings involve a walk/stroll around the neighborhood with my small and very hyper active rescue poodle mix, Tater Tot. It makes it easy to get out when you have a small animal staring you down intensely, waiting for his personal night routine for success. He is right. The walk or stroll does help both of us. We get our little evening energy out, enjoy the fresh air, and head home to eat leftovers or make dinner.

For some reason, Tater never offers to take the dinner making off of my plate, and I end up serving him night after night. Typical male, am I right? Kidding, guys, kidding. All jokes aside, this is a great way to kick off your evening so ensure a good night of sleep and bedtime routine for yourself. If it gets really hot outside in the summer, I swap it for a bike ride. And yes, Tater Tot comes with me on that, too. I wouldn’t dare leave him behind.

Farmers Market Dinner

Dinner Chat

I’m in the camp of eating to live and not living to eat, but I do love good food. After years of eating out quite often, I started to realize that I was a better cook than some of the people working behind the stove at restaurants. In no way am I claiming to be Michelin starred at the Roaming with Red residence, but your girl can cook. My secret to success is shopping at the farmers market, where the freshest of fresh ingredients are. This automatically makes for delicious tasting foods. And you and anyone else who eats the food can rest assured that you will be fed a delicious meal. As a key ingredient (pun intended) to my night routine for success, eating a healthy meal before 7 pm is how I keep the flow going towards a good night’s sleep.

A Beautiful and Delicious Mocktail

Cut Out the BS

What am I talking about, cut out the BS? Cut out the booze sipping. If you want to have a night routine for success and sleep, alcohol might be getting in your way. As I have gotten older, I have tuned into my body more and more. Sadly, alcohol does not agree with me, particularly my beloved wine. Last year I did two months of no drinking. And I share the results of decreasing my alcohol intake. I’m not saying I cut it out altogether, but I definitely have lowered the number of days and beverages that I am willing to have in any given week. My sleep is less interrupted and I wake up very early with no alarm clock. To me, that’s success.

Popcorn and Hot Chocolate for Dessert

Dessert

Can I slip this one in here without anyone getting upset with me? I like dessert and I eat it almost every night. Yes, I consider dessert part of my night routine for success because it’s like a little reward for getting through the day. You’re not going to catch me eating an entire pint of ice cream or a whole blueberry pie, but a s’mores I make in the toaster oven never hurt me. Many health-conscious people I know like a piece of chocolate, or in my case hot chocolate with milk, or maybe you do go for a scoop of ice cream. Popcorn is also a great option.

Whatever your choice of poison, or dessert, don’t feel bad about indulging. Also, don’t overdo it. I’d say moderation is key. But a little bite or something is really key. You don’t need a lot to get the same benefit of feeling satiated. So go ahead and eat some dessert.

Maybe Pepper Wants an Evening Shower, Too...

Shower or Bath

Taking a shower at night is something I do not do frequently enough at the end of the day. I'm usually a morning showerer (not a word, I know). When I do, however, I do it right before getting into my bed so I can really get the benefits of it. I’m not into taking baths at all. Anytime I’ve run a bath, by the time it’s finished filling up I’m mentally done with the idea and ready to move on. A shower is a good compromise for me, so that is what I do. Even though I wash my hair every morning (gasp!) I don’t in my nighttime shower. That would be excessive. Showering or bathing is part of a night routine for success that so many experts have claimed helps with winding down. Give it a whirl. You might just get the best sleep of your life.

Write Those Thoughts Out

Even though I journal for about 45 minutes each morning, my brain can go haywire at the end of a day. That makes for a challenging night routine for success. Instead of going to sleep knowing that my mind will likely be about to embark on a mental marathon, I decided to hedge that by having a journal by my bedside. I get to write down all those pesky thoughts that I cannot resolve immediately before bedtime. And it helps put my mind to rest so I can….rest. There was a time when I had a separate night journal, but now I use the same one so I don’t have 17 different notebooks or journals to keep track of, especially when traveling.

Writing out my actual or perceived issues at night has hugely helped me calm my nerves enough to have a full night of sleep, save the bathroom trips that are inevitable because I am “old” and so is my bladder. Fun times.

Reading to Soothe Your Nervous System

Reading is one of the things in my night routine for success that is a total non-negotiable. It’s like brushing my teeth or washing my face - I have to do it before I go to sleep. Most nights I read until I can’t anymore and my eyes are burning. Something I also found out about the act of reading is that it actually activates the parasympathetic nervous system as well, which is always a good thing when we’re talking about calm and rest and ease. Even before I knew that, though, I was a nighttime reader before bed. Some might argue that an actual book is the way to go. But I prefer a Kindle, and I’m sticking to it. You cannot teach an old reader new tricks in this case. I cut down on the blue light issue by having glasses with a special lens that reduces it. I do what I can.

Under a similar umbrella of reading, I choose to not look at social media or be on my computer right before bed. It's too activating of the brain and contributes to stress and a poor night's sleep. Ditch it until daylight hours, and try to put it down when it gets dark. I know it's hard, but it will serve your sleep routine well.

Meditate/Breathe/Pray

When I’m not able to fall asleep, or suspect I am not going to be able to, I do a meditation on my phone. There are apps, and I use an app that has guided meditations. I’m not big on chanting as a preferred method of meditation, so I go for the ones that encourage releasing tension or some kind of reflection. It’s also a great tool to use when I’m traveling and out of my typical element and routine. While I’d like to get better at meditation, I do find breathing exercises are a great alternative to helping yourself get into a calm state of mind. You choose, and start slowly. You'll work up to where you feel more comfortable for longer.

Additionally, I am a person of prayer and always find that giving thanks to my higher source (God for me) lets me relax and fall into deep sleep. Any and all of these have helped me get into a good space. And I'm usually asleep in moments. I don't even need white noise to drop into my slumber, but it could help with noise.

Herbal Tea

One of my newer incorporations to my night routine is drinking herbal tea about an hour before I want to get into bed. Tea makes me pee, so I don't want to be going all night, which is why I don't drink it right before bed. What the tea ritual does is helps me to register that I'm winding down and getting ready to relax for the night. When I was in Paris, I was having a mild meltdown one of the days because when you travel alone you tend to get decision fatigue if you're there long enough. So I marched myself into a grocery store, loaded up on tea, and went back to my room and drank it to relax. I loved it so much that I decided to add it to my home night routine. Most nights I do this, and I sleep like a rock. Here is the tea company I found in Paris - you can buy them on Amazon!

Try Some, Maybe Not All at Once

Full disclosure is that I don't do all of these all of the time, but I do some of them all of the time. I'm very much a person who believes in variety being the spice of my life. So I change up my routines when I feel called to do so. Giving myself much grace at the end of each day also helps me feel like I can slide into a state of sleep with ease. Our days are often filled with so much, whether by choice or not, and it's imperative to give our bodies and minds rest. Being our best selves serves us and all around us. So what do you say? Which ones will you adopt to have a night routine for success?

If you liked these tips on night routines, you might also like my tips on morning routines.

Subscribe here to my delightful bi-weekly (that's twice per month) newsletter and stay in the know. It comes out every other Friday.

Some of the links go to my affiliate account. If you purchase from one, you're helping me grow and support me and my business. Thank you!

My Night Routine for Success: I Love Sleep