My Nightly Routine to Unwind

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Withings, part of Nokia. All opinions are 100% mine.

Sometimes I’m so wound up and stimulated from the day, it can be a challenge to unwind at night. Other times, I have no problem climbing into bed early and dozing off when my head hits the pillow.

For the times when my racing mind and wide-awake brain need some help in the chilling out department, My Nightly Routine to Unwind comes in handy. Let’s be real… I’m also wide awake from scrolling through instagram or watching snaps for too long, but we already know that… 

Getting higher quality (and more) sleep is one of my goals for 2017. I’ve been making a conscious effort to clear my head and create an atmosphere that allows me to do so. Start this new year off right with me and follow a nighttime routine! There are five steps, and the first starts before closing the computer for the day.

My 5-Step Nightly Routine:

1. Plan Out the Next Day

Before turning off my brain entirely, writing out a plan for the next day helps my brain to relax. Things I need to remember, what I need to get done, posts that are due, looking at the weather to see if tomorrow will be a good day to shoot a recipe – all of these aspects are considered and jotted down so I’m not rushing to figure life out the next morning. It really helps!

This isn’t always the case as sometimes I work into the night but most nights, this applies and clears my head of whatever it is I need to remember for the next day. Then I can go about the rest of my night whether that be a workout, making dinner, running errands etc.

2. Clear the Clutter and Set The Tone

It?s important to create a clutter-free atmosphere. Having a semi-clean living space where most things are put away and the dishes are done removes the surface level of anxiety that usually crowds our brains before bedtime, at least for me! When a living space is crowded with clutter and mess, our minds are likely to be crowded with clutter too. A cluttered mind is not a relaxed mind! It helps to tidy up to the point where you feel good and at peace with your space. A quick 15-minute cleaning session can work wonders!

While tidying up, I love to light candles and get my oil diffuser going with lavender or any nighttime oil blend to create a dreamy, nighttime friendly atmosphere. Essential oils are a surefire way to relax my mind and put me at ease. They work wonders and are the best kind of holistic medicine, I swear. Can’t live without my diffuser!

Depending on my mood, I’ll either listen to music or a podcast like the Lady Gang, Rich Roll or The Skinny Confidential. What are your favorite podcasts?! Always looking for new ones!

3. Show Some Love For Your Skin

Even when I don’t want to, washing my face and removing makeup is a MUST, or else I feel gross before bed. Just do it! Sleeping in makeup from the day is like asking for zits and dull skin. Don’t be lazy, your skin will thank you for it later! Make the process feel spa-like. Do a face mask and pamper yourself. Apply your favorite night creams!

4. Winding Down with Tea

After washing my face, I love to drink bedtime tea, peppermint tea or tea with magnesium to unwind even more. There’s something so soothing about warm tea before bed! I might watch tv too while snuggling with Taz and Terry too, if he’s here. By this point I’m pretty sleepy and ready to climb in bed!

5. Tracking Sleep

Last but not least, I like to track how many hours I’m getting by wearing my Withings Steel watch! Since sleep is essential for an overall healthy lifestyle and something I’m trying to improve, I find that it helps to see patterns and what your sleep schedule is like. You may be getting a lot less than you thought. Aside from tracking sleep and activity levels, you can set it to vibrate for your own gentle morning alarm, instead of the alarming beeping sound that is sure to put you in a bad mood immediately!!

Alarms suck, but they suck a lot less if you wear a watch that vibrates to wake you. I normally wear my Withings Steel watch all throughout the day and during workouts as it tracks steps and activity levels as well, but if I for some reason took it off, I make sure to put it on before bed. Wearing a watch to bed doesn’t bother me as long as its loose-fitting. With a stainless steel casing, the watchband is available in 9 colors and requires no charging. Steel automatically tracks everything and syncs your info to the Health Mate app, to give you in-depth metrics, personal coaching and more. The Steel watch also pairs with their connected family of products available, like the Body Cardio scale.

That’s it for My Nightly Routine to unwind. How do you guys wind down at night? What does your bedtime routine look like? Do you track your sleep as well?! Leave me a comment below!

Get your own Withings Steel watch 20% off by using the coupon code ?WITH-HEALTH-0BSQG8? at Withings, part of Nokia. Good until 3/1/17, not valid for Steel HR.