{"id":101141,"date":"2017-04-04T02:00:38","date_gmt":"2017-04-04T09:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fabfitfun.com\/magazine\/?p=101141"},"modified":"2020-08-05T16:59:54","modified_gmt":"2020-08-05T23:59:54","slug":"bedtime-rituals-you-should-try","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fabfitfun.com\/magazine\/bedtime-rituals-you-should-try\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Bedtime Rituals You Need to Start Doing Now"},"content":{"rendered":"

If your hands and eyes are glued to your phone before you catch some z’s, consider that a tell-tale sign that your bedtime ritual needs a makeover. Sleep researchers recommend setting phones down<\/a> at least an hour before bed because the light from your little screen can disrupt your natural sleeping patterns (aka it takes you longer to fall asleep, you feel more tired the next day, and you have shorter REM sleep).<\/p>\n

Want the most out of your beauty sleep? Keep calm, put the phone down, and make a few tweaks to your bedtime routine. Trust us, you’ll be glad you did.<\/p>\n

1. Calm down with chamomile.<\/strong> Chamomile tea is basically your wing woman for sleep. Aside from the wide range of health benefits<\/a> that this herbal tea offers (including easing anxiety and relieving unpleasant stomach aches), chamomile is an excellent sleep inducer<\/a>. Often used to treat insomnia and promote sleep, one cup of this caffeine-free drink will get you all cozied up for a good night\u2019s rest. So set that wine glass down and get that tea brewing!<\/p>\n

2. Lay with lavender.<\/strong> There\u2019s a reason why every yoga studio smells of lavender. It\u2019s the crown jewel of essential oils, known for its ability to relax the body and calm the restless mind. Lavender is often used<\/a> to treat insomnia, anxiety, and depression as it\u2019s been shown to slow down the autonomic nervous system. Add a few drops of lavender oil to your aromatherapy diffuser or use a lavender body oil<\/a> to inhale and apply onto your skin. You can also try a\u00a0quick 20-minute yoga bedtime routine<\/a> with the lavender to help relieve even more tension from the day. Not only will you get better sleep, but you\u2019ll also wake up feeling more energized!<\/p>\n

3. Keep a gratitude journal.<\/strong> If Oprah swears by a gratitude journal<\/a>, there must be something to it. Not only does practicing gratitude enhance happiness, it\u2019s also been shown to improve sleep quality<\/a> overall! This bedtime ritual is most effective when done a few times a week, rather than daily. Write down five things you\u2019re grateful for in a journal. It can be as simple as, \u201cI am grateful for my warm bed and fuzzy socks,\u201d or something bigger like, \u201cI am grateful that I received a promotion at work!\u201d The perk of this practice is a two-fold — you go to bed in a positive state of mind and wake up with one too.<\/p>\n

4. Zone out with color.<\/strong> Coloring isn\u2019t just for children (as proven\u00a0by the sudden popularity of adult coloring books<\/a> in recent years). Heralded as a creative way to reduce stress and ease tension, coloring can be the perfect nighttime activity for those who can\u2019t bear to pick up a book or journal before bed. It\u2019s easy, fun, and requires very little effort on your part to get the much-needed mental break after a long day.<\/p>\n

5. Pick, pack, and prep your next day. <\/strong>Pick out your outfit. Pack your purse or bag with everything you need. Prep food for one or all three meals.\u00a0<\/strong>For those\u00a0who struggle to wake up in the morning, this nighttime ritual is a game-changer. Spend 15-20 minutes doing one or all of the items on your morning to-do list. You\u2019ll get a head start on tomorrow and making your mornings less hectic and less stressful than they need to be! Make this a habit and you\u2019ll go to bed feeling productive and wake up feeling positive.<\/p>\n

xx, The FabFitFun Team<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":"If your hands and eyes are glued to your phone before you catch some z's, ...","author":7537484,"featured_media":101191,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4,5,260],"tags":[],"thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/static.fabfitfun.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/04100921\/nomao-saeki-63687-660x400.jpg","thumbnail_url_middle_card":"https:\/\/static.fabfitfun.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/04100921\/nomao-saeki-63687.jpg","formated_date":"April 4, 2017","category_name":"Wellness","category_icon":"https:\/\/d3vodd1ws13xud.cloudfront.net\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/10113835\/health-2.svg","author_name":"Kristen Lee","trending":false,"sponsored":false,"random_color":"#cd99e8","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fabfitfun.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101141"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fabfitfun.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fabfitfun.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fabfitfun.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7537484"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fabfitfun.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=101141"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/fabfitfun.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101141\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fabfitfun.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/101191"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fabfitfun.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=101141"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fabfitfun.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=101141"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fabfitfun.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=101141"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}