11 Things I Do Before Going to Bed

Like everyone, I have my quirks. Some people have to wash their hair every day or they feel gross. Others need to have a snack at 3 o’clock on the dot. My quirks are these 11 Things I Do Before Going to Bed.

Each one of these is a requirement. I do them every night. Yes, even while traveling. It’s actually more important when I travel. I’m way less dazed and confused when I wake up the next morning and it’s so much easier to fall asleep when I know my checklist has been marked off.

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Table of Contents

11 Things I Do Before Going to Bed

I’m a simple woman with simple needs. However, these 11 things will keep me up for hours and eventually I cave. Then I can rest soundly.

Brush my teeth

This is it. This is the creme de la creme of them all. If I do not brush my teeth, I will not sleep. That’s the end of it. Especially if I had one too many glasses of red wine (specifically). I will get up. I will brush my teeth with an appropriate amount of toothpaste. Then I will finally pass out.

Read for 15-60 minutes

If I’m not reading, then I will trade this time to write in my journal. Reading has been a major priority for me this year, as you guys have found out. I’m saving my $$ for something big this year. Reading is inexpensive, if I go through the library, and buy used books. Plus, book time helps my heart rate slow down and gives my body time to catch up. My body understand that book time means bedtime.

_{Check out my post on how to get free books here.}

Take off my pants

I can’t sleep with pants on. It’s 100% not for me. I get so tangled up. Trust me, I know, it’s weird. I don’t understand it either. I wake up multiple times throughout the night, with my PJs twisted unnaturally around my waist… and I am miserable. Bedtime is a no-pants zone.

Wash my face

This is another must for me. Last year I went to bed twice, all year, without washing my face. I have to wash my face and do my regime so I can fall asleep in peace.

Stop eating at 7:30 pm

This is a weird one but typically I stop eating at 7:30 pm. I start getting ready for bed at 9:30 pm and I’m in bed by 9:45 pm. When I go to sleep, I’ve fully digested my dinner/dessert and I can fall asleep with ease. It’s a very little thing but always very effective. If I don’t, I have to stay up later til I feel digested enough. The exception is often traveling, especially around Europe where they don’t eat dinner til 8-9 o’clock at night.

Charge my phone

The moment my phone goes off and tells me to get ready for bed, I get up and plug it in. I will check my phone once more, right before I get into bed but that’s it. My phone lives across the room from me so when the alarm goes off in the morning, I have to physically get out of bed to get it. I also set it face down so I can’t see notifications through the night.

Turn on my noise machine

My noise machine is my lifeline. I live in the city and hear sirens all night. I’m now trained. When my noise machine turns on and I get into bed to read, my body knows it’s time to settle down for sleep.

Check my windows, the stove, and my door locks

Enough said. Safety first! Everything has to be secured and locked. My stove and oven better be turned off. I also check to make sure candles are blown out if I lit one earlier.

Grab a glass of water for my bedside table

Sometimes I will wake up so parched in the middle of the night. Other times, I will barely drink from my water tumbler but it’s in my routine.

Apply lavender lotion

This is something I picked up after buying a local natural lavender essential oil last year (post here). I would mix it into my body lotion and apply it to my chest and shoulders before hopping into bed. It’s so calming and soothing. It helps brings down my stress of the day and also helps soften my skin by the morning. Now I use a lavender lotion.

Turn down my bed

Every morning I make my bed. So, naturally, when I need to turn down my bed before going to sleep. I also cannot rest with anything on my bed. So, I clear it off and tidy up before jumping in. Yes, I also do this when I am traveling. Especially solo because it’s an active part of my routine and I forget things when I stray from the norm.

Is anyone else as meticulous about their bedtime routine? What are some things you need to do before crawling into bed each night?

Sweet Dreams!