We’ve all been there – late night, a few too many drinks and pure exhaustion. You get home and can barely open the door, let alone think about doing a relaxing bedtime routine. Problem is – if you don’t; you wake up through the evening as your brain hasn’t switched off properly. Solution? A tried and tested two-minute bedtime routine. In doing this, you’re more likely to sleep through the night and wake up feeling fresh. Enjoy my three-step routine that makes my sleep better, every time.
1) Do Your Beauty Routine
Wipe your make up off. This isn’t a sleep better strategy, but more of a self-love one. Waking up with remnants of last night’s concealer on your pillow will not leave you feeling fresh in the morning. Instead, you’ll see the makeup and get distracted by the events of last night, distracting you from your morning. Use a makeup wipe – quick, easy and over in a flash.
2) Supplement Your Sleep
To sleep better, take a sleep supplement. Especially if you’ve been out in a loud, light-filled space (bar, club and/or dinner), this one is critical. As blue light delays melatonin, the sleepiness hormone, it’s imperative to take a natural melatonin supplement to spur your mind into sleep mode. Performance Lab Sleep contains Tart Cherry, which is clinically proven to supply the body with melatonin. Further, it contains magnesium – another mineral to support sleep. Avoid over the counter melatonin – it’s synthetic and can lead to morning grogginess.
3) Breathe Your Way Into Rest
Practice deep breathing to fall asleep – Research shows late-night phone users are 39% more likely to experience poor sleep – so instead of scrolling on social media, practice deep breathing and find yourself grounded content and as a result, falling asleep. Focusing on a mantra if helpful (I use “om”), this draws our attention away from distracting thoughts – such as what happened that night or what’s happening tomorrow.
1-2-3. Easy, effective and leaving you with more energy in the morning. What’s not to love?
For the morning, check out the four steps nutritionist Jessica Sepel uses to energize her morning here.