My Night-time Routine for Optimal Relaxation & Sleep

Huge Tim Ferriss fan. Love his podcast. And his latest book, Tribe Of Mentors. So this post is a very Tim-ish post. Basically I wanted to break down my best-case scenario night-time routine for you. Like Tim, I believe a reliable nighttime routine is VERY MUCH important.

The better the sleep, the less stress. Always.

So here’s five steps that HAVE TO HAPPEN during my nighttime routine:

STEP ONE: GTFO CELL PHONE, COMPUTER, IPAD, ETC.

First off, & this one is very important, I HAVE TO LIMIT ELECTRONICS. Now this has been VERY difficult for me. I am a night owl & work best at night in front of my computer, with Bossanova, & a cup of mint tea. This comes from my days of bartending until midnight. I’d come home after an extremely long shift & get to work until 3 AM. However lately, I have found the sooner I get off the electronics, the better sleep I have, the better the next day is. You know, it’s kind of a Domino effect here. Which again is sort of devastating because I love working at night.

To be completely transparent we are kind of a work in progress here.

So instead of shutting down at 12:30 PM, I’m aiming for 9 PM now. Getting off electronics doesn’t just help sleep guys! It’s good for the libido. No really, Michael likes the bedroom to stay as a sleep/sex room. HA.

AS FAR AS WINDING DOWN OFF ELECTRONICS: I use my blue light glasses or computer software called f.lux, both of which help block the blue light that stimulates the brain. I usually throw on my obnoxious but necessary glasses around 8-ish. And of course, CALM or peppermint tea is nearby. Quick tip: lately, instead of tea bags I’ve been using actual fresh mint over hot water & it’s DIVINE!

STEP TWO: LOUNGEWEAR REALNESS

As you can imagine I’m very specific about my pajama situation. I don’t want tags sticking everywhere. ThirdLove sent me a pair of their loungewear & it was love at first sight. There’s multiple reasons why I like to wind down in it: 1.) the fit: they come in half sizes & they tested millions of women in the fit department so they know their shit. 2.) no tags: which is the real win for me. It doesn’t feel like you’re wearing a bra at all- which is trippy. 3.) the fabric is BUTTERY soft. 4.) NO WIRES: there’s no wires poking into your boobs, you know? Thank God. What’s also badass is there’s The Fit Finder on the ThirdLove website so you can find your perfect size. YES PLZ!

Anyway, I’ve been wearing this to bed every single night AND IT IS SO COMFORTABLE. Also I still feel pretty. You know the 8 million times when you throw on your husband’s oversized Creature From The Black Lagoon 600 year old pajamas? Well, those days are over for me.

I’m a huge fan of treating myself & practicing self-love/self-wellness, so if you’re like me you will love their loungewear. Also it’s perfect for a gift ( I feel like my stepmom & mother-in-law would LOVE this brand too ). Go for the ballet pink because it really is the perfect pink.

It’s all uphill from here. Pink, buttery loungewear & all.

What else?

STEP THREE: PAY ATTENTION TO NOISE:

ADMITTEDLY, Michael & I very much copied Tim Ferriss on this step. Tim recommends a white noise sound machine. We bought the Marpac Dohm one & we love it- it’s not super pricey. We turn on our ceiling fan, diffuse lavender oil, & switch on the white noise sound machine.

The machine has 6 high quality natural sounds: rain, brook, ocean, thunder, white noise, summer night. The thing is that natural sounds mask background noises so you sleep better. Fall asleep easier, sleep better, wake-up refreshed. You get it.

I can’t even explain this weirdness, but it works!

STEP FOUR: READ A REAL BOOK!

IMAGINE THAT! A real book! Like one that’s not on our iPad or phone! Crazytown, I know. But really there’s something calming ( & charming ) about reading a real book before bed. When I was little I would read so late my parents would actually yell at me. Reading as always been the way I unwind & decompress…which is why for me, it’s the ideal thing to do before bed.

Michael is a huge reader, as you know, so we are like old grandparents laying in bed with our dogs, reading away. Right now I am reading a few books: Younger by Dr. Lancer, Tribe of Mentors by Tim Ferriss, and The Ayurveda Bible by Anne McIntyre.

Don’t actual books smell better anyway? I think so.

STEP FIVE: MY THREE RANDOM THINGS:

There’s three things you can ALWAYS count on happening before bed.

Acupressure pillow is QUEEN for me. As you know I love the mat too- I can’t live without it actually. But lately the pillow has become my appendage. Here’s why: I lay on the pillow in bed for about 15 minutes before I go to sleep & the pillow ACTUALLY puts me to sleep. I’m not kidding here, guys. It’s NUTS. Between the pillow & the white noise, I am out. Try it if you don’t believe me.

And since we’re on the subject of acupressure mats & pillows– let’s take a look at the benefits.

HOLD PLEASE, LET ME PULL OUT MY SCROLL:

BENEFITS OF USING ACUPRESSURE MATS:

relieve stress from body
relaxes mind & body
increases blood circulation
oxygenates the body i.e. improve oxygen level in body
gives relief with headaches
heals back pain including lower back aches on daily using
reduces anxiety & related problems
reduces depression levels by stimulating endorphins to make you feel good
reduces neck pain
removes sleeping disorders & also helpful for insomnia
relieves muscle tension & shoulder tension
relieves heartburn & inflammation
heals leg/foot pain
reduces Sciatica pain
gives relief in sinus congestion & nasal problems
beneficial in diabetes
reduces constipation & indigestion problems
re-energizes your body & Improves efficiency
heals fatigue problems

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YES! AS YOU CAN SEE IT IS NO JOKE. STALK THIS POST if you want more info.

The second non-negotiable is my SETTLE DOWN CALMING spray BY K’PURE. I actually spray it on the dogs too- LOL. It’s a blend of essential oils created by a TSC reader ( who I adore! ). In the morning I use her KEEP GOING spray, but that’s another post. SO, yes her SETTLE DOWN spray is delicious over the bed & on my pillow before bed. Can’t live without it.

Lastly, I end the night with taking probiotics, amino acids, & collagen. This is something I have done forever & there’s multiple posts on The Skinny Confidential for each supplement.

I HOPE THAT HELPS! That’s a very specific way of how I like to unwind. So get off your phone, grab a set of delicious pajamas, turn on the white noise, read a book, & spray some essential oils…all while laying on your acupressure pillow, of course.

How do you wind down? Come on, tell me what else I have to add to my list?

G2G because it IS getting past my bedtime. Just have to stay on track guys. ZZZzzzz.

X lauryn

+ SHOP THE POST: ballet pink bra | tank | jogger set | mug | cosmetic bag | sleep mask

++ this post is in collaboration with ThirdLove. As always all opinions are my own.

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