The Complete Bedtime Ritual Guide:
What Is a Bedtime Ritual?
A bedtime ritual is a series of actions performed regularly in a meaningful way before going to bed. Think of it as an established ceremony for going to sleep. The purpose of a bedtime ritual is to signal to the mind and body that it’s time to wind down and prepare for a restful sleep, creating a peaceful environment that can improve the quality of sleep. A bedtime ritual may include reading a book, taking a warm bath, listening to soft music, writing in a journal, meditating, light stretching or a related activity.
Bedtime Ritual VS Bedtime Routine
Essentially, a bedtime ritual and a bedtime routine are the same–they both refer to a series of actions performed before going to bed. However, by replacing “routine” with “ritual,” we are reframing how we think of our actions. Routines can often be happenstance. Rituals are carefully planned out, prepared for, and typically come from a deep tradition or thoughtfully established new system of rites.
It is likely that you were once prescribed a bedtime routine. This likely included either or more of the following: taking a bath, brushing your teeth, putting on your jammies, and getting tucked in with a bedtime story.
As the years change, you likely have made unconscious edits to your routine. Perhaps part of your routine has grown to involve listening to a podcast, eating a midnight snack, scrolling social media, drinking a beer, thinking about work problems, taking a virtual yoga class, or even tucking someone else to bed!
Reframing your routine into a ritual turns a burdensome chore into a nightly ceremony.
Re-establishing your personal bedtime ritual can transform your mundane routine into a custom path towards more nourishing sleep. To reframe your routine into a ritual, assess what parts of your routine are hurting you and what parts of your routine are serving you.
Why Create a Bedtime Ritual?
Creating a bedtime ritual is an important aspect of your self-care. It can help you feel more rejuvenated as well as fall asleep more quickly. It can also promote relaxation, reduce stress, and improve your overall mood.
- Reduce stress and anxiety
- Put your self-care needs first
- Improve your mood
- Have a better sleep hygiene
- Improve your sleep quality
You may find other benefits as you craft your bedtime ritual. Beginning to reframe your nighttime needs is an excellent start to begin a rejuvenating self-care practice.
Caution: A bedtime ritual is NOT a to-do list!
This is where to-do lists lovers mess up: writing a list of to-dos for completing a bedtime ritual carries with it the chores that we commonly associate with stress and achievement. Checking off a to-do to achieve a bedtime ritual is not the same as allowing yourself to indulge in relaxing practices. Refrain from making this into another chore/errand/project.
If you would like to write down your plan or make notes, remember to do so with love. Forgive yourself for any perceived “failures” and know that this is a journey with no ending point.
Ritual Bedtime Activities You Can Start Implementing
Revamp Your Nightly Hygiene
Keeping yourself clean is part of honoring your body. I’m going to assume that 99.9% of you already brush your teeth every night, but maybe this is a time to reassess your time over the bathroom sink. Along with brushing your teeth, you could add:
- Floss your teeth
- Wash your face
- Wash your feet
- Take a Shower
- Put on lotion
Do Yoga for Lasting Relaxation
Some people like to practice yoga in the morning, but it can also be a nighttime activity. A gentle nighttime yoga practice can be great for calming the mind. You can set aside anywhere from 5 minutes or 90 minutes and do it on your own or with an online class. Nighttime yoga can quickly set the mood for a good night’s sleep. Check out Restorative Yoga or Yoga Nidra for some especially relaxing classes.
No time for yoga? Try lightly stretching in bed before you go to sleep! Pick 1-3 poses that are possible in bed. Anything that feels good is fine!
Write a Journal Entry to Reflect on the Day
Journaling can be a simple activity to help you process your emotions. Especially if you’re the type of person to have endless thoughts keeping you up at night, journaling can be a great technique to clear your mind before going to sleep. Keep your journal on your nightstand or in your nightstand drawer with a pen so that it’s readily accessible. You can write about the events of that day, your emotions, or you can even free-write, letting your mind run without thinking what to say.
Tidy Up Around the House [5 to 20 minutes max]
Cleaning?! This is not usually considered a relaxing task, but hear me out…Tidying up can be relaxing if you do it in a mindful way.
Why include tidying up?
Creating a peaceful environment is key to feeling relaxed in your space. Cultivate a calm space by reducing the chaos in your environment whether that is picking up the pile of socks growing by the shoes or wiping down the kitchen counter. It could even be as quick and simple as putting your dirty clothes in the hamper after you change into your pajamas.
The action of tidying up is meant to be short and sweet–a quick win for you to feel in control of your space (this is not the time to do a deep cleaning project). It’s important to focus on the positive during this time. Put on some relaxing music or listen to a little bit of your favorite podcast. Limit this activity to 20 minutes so that you can move on with the next part of your nightly ritual. You’d be surprised what you can do even in 5 minutes.
How to Create a Bedtime Ritual [Step-by-Step Guide]
Now that you have a better understanding of the meaning behind a bedtime ritual, it’s time to create your own. You need to be your own ritual guide. It’s through your own intimate knowledge of yourself and your personal needs that you will cultivate a nourishing experience. Everyone’s bedtime ritual will be different, and this is a time to honor your most unique self.
1. Assess Your Current Routine:
Identify What is Working and What Needs to Change.
You can’t begin a new ritual without reflecting on what your current process is. Ask yourself these questions to better gauge your needs:
- What actions do I usually do during my current bedtime routine?
- What feelings or emotions do I experience during my current bedtime routine?
- What actions are blocking my goal to have a better quality sleep?
- What actions are assisting my goal to have a better quality sleep?
- What makes me feel sleepy?
- What interests me in building a bedtime ritual?
Use your answers to these questions as the foundation for revamping your routine into a newly established ritual.
2. Choose Your Wind-Down Time.
Choosing a time that you’ll consistently start winding down will help build your bedtime ritual as a positive habit. This can be anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours before you wish to go to sleep. Don’t strive for perfection here. There will most definitely be nights where it’s just not possible, but ideally, more often than not, you’ll be able to look at the clock and naturally feel the urge to start winding down. How long you need to wind down will depend on what series of actions you plan on doing as part of your nightly ritual. If you are rushing to bed every night, then your wind-down time might be too short, but you can always adjust this as you smooth out your process.
3. Set the Mood with Dim Lighting.
A big part of a bedtime ritual is the mood! Just like a hopeful lover sets the mood for romance, you are setting the mood for sleep every night. Bright lights can keep us awake for longer. The best practice is to dim the lights two hours before bedtime. This would be an ideal time to make use of a salt lamp, lava lamp, candles, or dim setting on the overhead lights.
4. Set the Mood with What You Wear.
What you wear is just as important as setting dim lighting. Changing into soft pajamas, a cozy robe, or silk nightie triggers your mind that this is now a time to move more slowly and indulge in relaxation. Even if they’re comfortable, don’t wear your same workout clothes to bed–think about it– when going to the gym or workout, you usually are pumping yourself up full of energy, which is definitely not the same vibe you want as you slide into bed. Now a few of you may be wondering what to do if you typically sleep in the nude and that’s totally ok: sleeping in the nude can be great for quality night’s sleep, but it’s still recommended to change out of your day clothes and into something you can identify as bedtime wear to signify your bedtime ritual has begun.
5. Choose an Attainable and Nourishing Activity: Yoga, Meditation, Journaling, Etc.
You can choose any number of activities to integrate into your bedtime ritual. Choose something that you enjoy and that won’t feel like an annoying chore. Attainability is key here–set yourself up for an activity that you can easily commit to every night. Depending on how much time you set aside for each night, you can plan for multiple things like yoga, meditation, journaling, etc. Looking for inspiration? Check out our list of 100 Bedtime Ritual Activities.
6. Prepare By Investing in Your Sleep.
Curate your experience by preparing what you need. Is there anything you need to prepare for or purchase now for your bedtime routine? This could be as small as a container of floss or as big as a new bed. Maybe it’s time for a new pair of pajamas or a luxurious silk pillowcase. You are the guide of your ritual, so it’s up to you to prepare for the details of your nightly experience.
7. Commit to Your New Ritual.
Congratulate yourself for taking the time to create a new self-care plan, and forgive yourself ahead of time if it doesn’t go perfectly every night. This time you’ve set aside for yourself every night is valuable. Get into the right mindset to set yourself up to commit to the bedtime ritual you designed.
8. Be Flexible and Allow for Changes.
Reflecting on your needs and allowing for adjustments as life changes is important. Continue to be mindful about your sleep needs and re-evaluate your bedtime ritual as often as you’d like.
Remember, YOU are the guide of your bedtime ritual!
Indulge in Resting and Enjoy the Fruits of Lavish Sleep.
Good Night, Folks!