5 Top De-Stressing Tips for Bedtime

Stress is a normal part of the human experience. It’s how we defend ourselves against imagined dangers and keep track of what’s going on around us. Stress, on the other hand, may be harmful to our long-term health.

Chronic stress and anxiety have a negative impact on your quality of life. The more cortisol you have in your system at all times, the more likely you are to suffer from heart problems, anxiety, depression, and other issues.

Stress can even stop you from getting a good night’s sleep. Since sleep deprivation increases your chancesof long-term ailments and heart conditions, it’s important to know how you can put your stress to bed before you snooze.

Here are some quick tips to help:

1. Write some things down. Writing things down can make a huge difference to your stress levels. Creating a to-do list for all the things you want to do tomorrow helps you to feel focused and organized, so you can relax. You don’t have to worry about forgetting the things you need to get done.
   
   
   • Consider journaling. Writing your thoughts and feelings down in a structured way is an excellent strategy if you’re worried about something. You can bring your stressful thoughts to the surface and then look for creative ways to overcome your challenges.
     
     
2. Forget the phone. Want to enjoy a healthy bedtime ritual? Reduce your reliance on your phone. Most of us are practically glued to our smartphones these days, but they’re not the best for our sleeping patterns.
   
   
   • Although you can put your phone on dark mode and night mode to reduce your exposure to blue light (which reduces melatonin production), just using your phone can be enough to keep you awake.
     
     
   • When you’re browsing through alerts and messages or checking out social media, you’re actively engaged in doing something, which means it’s harder to switch off. Your brain is overwhelmed by the promise of new experiences as you continue to scroll.
     
     
3. Try some tea and a good book. To replace your phone habit, why not try a light-hearted book? It’s best to avoid anything that’s going to grab your attention, as you’ll be tempted to stay awake and get to the next chapter. A book stops you from focusing on bright screens when you’re trying to relax.
   
   
   • Combine your book with a delicious cup of caffeine-free tea. You can try tons of flavors, ranging from lavender tea to chamomile, valerian, and more. There are plenty of blends out their custom made for those who struggle with stress and sleeping issues.
     
     
4. Enjoy a bath and some tunes. Having a night-time bath in some warm, soapy water that smells like lavender could be the perfect way to unwind after a stressful day.
   
   
   • Warm baths are wonderfully soothing, and soaking helps to release some of the physical stress you’ve been holding in your body too. While you’re relaxing and soaking, give your mind something positive to focus on by turning on the tunes.
     
     
   • Sometimes, deafening silence or the sound of your tap dripping isn’t relaxing. However, thanks to your smartphone and speakers, you can play virtually any music you like while you’re in your tub. If you don’t feel like listening to music, you could try a relaxing podcast instead.
     
     
5. Focus on positives. Finally, as part of your night-time routine, make an effort to focus on something positive.
   
   
   • It could be something that you’re pleased with yourself for, like finishing your hefty workload for the day. Or you could focus on something larger, like the fact that your family is happy and healthy.
     
     
   • It’s up to you to find those positive thoughts that make you smile.
     
     
   • Each day, give yourself positive thoughts to focus your mind on. This will help to reduce the risk of your brain being filled with negative or stressful thoughts when you’re going to bed.

Try one of these strategies the next time you’re agitated before bedtime to relax your mind and body and get a good night’s sleep!