Bedtime rituals

Keeping zen all night long

Sleep is the best meditation.

〰️ As I’ve become more interested in Ayurveda I’ve also become more aware of external items that are stimulating for me in the evenings. In response, I've developed some evening rituals to help me sleep easy.

Lighting

Currently, my night ritual includes only using dimmed lights after dinner. In the living room I have a lamp covered by fabric to dim it further, and in my bedroom, I only use a pink Himalayan salt light which has a very soft glow. When I brush my teeth I simply leave my hallway light on instead of the bathroom light so it’s less direct.

I also have my phone set to automatically change to a softer yellow hue after 9 pm, removing the vibrant blue light that keeps you alert and awake. In Ayurvedic terms, I'm a Pitta, which means that I'm rather sensitive to light so soft dim lighting helps me to relax and prepare for bed.

Scent

I love using scents to ease into the evening. I adore my diffuser with essential oils but also love to burn incense or sage when a room feels a bit stagnant like I need to shift the energy in the room.

When I get into bed I spray an essential oil blend over my face with grounding oils, this repetition signals to my brain it’s bedtime via scent.

Mental Stimulation

What I only realised recently is that I have to switch off mental stimulants too. My husband and I have an agreement that when we go to bed we don’t speak about topics such as work, finance or planning. I find these conversations too stimulating, switching my brain on and I’m left wide awake thinking non-stop. If I am having trouble I do a quick meditation focusing on the weight of my body lying in the bed starting from my head and finishing down at my toes. It’s simple but brings me back into my body and out of my head.

All of these little rituals help get me ready for bed and since I've implemented them I've never slept better!