Bedtime routine
If you follow a nighttime routine every night about 30 minutes before you fall asleep, your body will naturally start to get tired at that time. Consistent sleep schedules reinforce your body’s natural rhythm, which improves the quality of your sleep. Moms with small children are likely to be woken up several times throughout the night by the little ones which makes it even more important to be consistent with an evening ritual and get as much of a quality sleep as possible when possible.
Turn off all electronics
If you spend your evenings scrolling through Instagram or frequently checking your inbox, you’ll probably notice your muscles tensing up and your heart beating faster. With social media platforms and news sites easily accessible on your smartphone, you receive constant reminders which can raise anxiety levels and make falling asleep a difficult task. Plus, the bright light on your phone and computer trick your body into thinking it is daytime, making you feel wide awake at night. To bring down your stress levels and relax your body, do yourself a favour and put away your devices.
Reflect on your day
Instead of climbing into bed holding on to all of your worries, you can leave them at the door by getting them down on paper. Writing down your thoughts and feelings can help you avoid getting stuck in a spiral of negative thinking. In addition to writing down any lingering thoughts and feelings, take the time to write down all of your accomplishments from the day. Identify any areas in which you’d like to improve. This practice of reviewing the day allows you to end your day on a positive note and prepare you for a more successful next day.
Stretch your limbs
Doing a few slow stretches before bed is an excellent way to fall asleep and stay asleep. Perhaps try one of Withsara’s decompression flows, yoga evening flow, or even a full body stretch class. These meditative movements shift your attention from daily stressors to your breath and body, which is a mindful practice that increases your sleep quality. Stretching also alleviates muscle tension and relaxes your muscles, which reduces the likelihood that you’ll wake up in the middle of the night with a muscle cramp.
A regular bedtime routine can not only help you get peace of mind, it allows you to be more productive the next day. By taking these three small steps, it can put you in the right headspace to drift peacefully off into sleep. Go ahead, create a sleep routine and get ready to take on tomorrow!
Hi! I'm Sara, the founder of Withsara. I have been a fitness group instructor, Barre teacher and Yoga teacher for over 10 years. I am also a certified Nutritional Health Coach from IIN in New York, USA.
After giving birth to my two beautiful daughters, I have had to build up my body twice after my pregnancies. With my experience, I have created a workout that is a great combination of low impact, functional movement, pilates, barre, and yoga. It builds up deep core strength, creates sustainable and lasting change, relieves physical tension and mental stress, and gives you an overall healthier and happier body.
