Bedtime routines are magic!

I recently shared an email to my tribe about how and why I wake up at 4am every day (Mon-Fri), check it out HERE.

I received an email back talking about how it starts with the nighttime routine, and I couldn’t agree more!

If you have kids you know all about bedtime routines (and even if you don’t, I bet you have a bedtime routine that you go through without thinking about it). When my son was 3 months old I decided we needed to implement a bedtime routine, and it hasn’t changed much in the past 9 years.

Shower.

Brush your teeth.

Read a story.

Go to bed.

Pretty simple, straight forward, and doesn’t often change. Steven knows what to do because it’s his routine, he doesn’t need to think about it (although apparently he still feels the need to question it; kids, I tell ya).

For myself, I needed a routine that was simple, but still set me up for a successful morning. Now, I’m nowhere near perfect and don’t do all of these every night, but I can say for sure that when I do do all of these steps, I go to bed content and fall asleep quickly.

Step 1: Put out everything you need the night before.

Plain and simple. Go through what you’ll need in the morning and put it somewhere easy to grab and go. Set out your clothes, pack your bag, make sure your coffee is ready to go, and any food you’ll need for the day easy to grab.

I always put my clothes and whatever else I’ll need in our bathroom. My hubby doesn’t wake up early with me, so I try to minimize the amount of noise I make in the mornings, so he can sleep. Also, rummaging around in the dark at 4am is not a fun task. I make sure that my breakfast/lunch is packed and ready to go in the fridge, and sometimes I’ll even prepare my coffee (depends on how on top of it I am, which doesn’t happen often).

Step 2: "Dump" out your thoughts.

Write out all your thoughts, feelings, and things that you need to do. You can take this a step further and write out a to do list for the next day; I like to do this on my mornings at home, so that I can wake up and utilize my time effectively.

“Dumping” out all your thoughts before you get into bed allows your brain to rest. I find on the nights that I don’t do this, I have difficulty falling asleep because all my thoughts keep swirling around. Get them out of your head and onto paper so you don’t need to worry about remembering important things!

Step 3: Go to bed early.

Seems obvious, but it can be challenging if you’re used to staying up late! Whatever time you decide to wake up at will dictate when you should go to bed. You’ll set yourself up for failure if you go to bed at 12am with the intention of waking up at 5am; you probably won’t get enough sleep and it will be a challenge waking up. So, figure out how much sleep you need to feel your best and count backwards from when you want to wake up.

I start getting ready for bed at 8:45pm and I like to be in bed by 9pm. It took awhile to adjust to, and my husband sometimes complains that I go to bed so early, but it’s a routine that serves me best!

Step 4: Leave your phone OUT of your room.

This is something I started doing a couple months ago, and I’m loving it. I have a Fitbit that vibrates as my alarm (perfect for early mornings!), which means I don’t need my phone anymore! How often do you lay in bed scrolling, then try to fall asleep, but your mind is still scrolling? Keeping your phone out of you room eliminates that distraction. Your room should be a peaceful place for you to relax and unwind.

Step 5: Stick to your routine.

This is one of the most important things, because your body and brain thrive off of routine. I only train clients at 5am on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, Tuesday and Thursday I start later. For awhile I was only waking up early for those shifts, allowing myself to sleep in on the off days. I quickly realized that that routine didn’t serve me in the slightest. Not sticking to a consistent bed or wake up time left me feeling tired and out of sorts. Since sticking to a consistent routine I wake up either before or with my alarm, with ease.

All of these steps only take 10-15 minutes before bed. 10-15 minutes that will save you time and your sanity.

Let me know what you think about this nighttime routine. Do you have anything to add or change? Be sure to leave a comment and let me know!

Love,

PS: I would personally like to invite you to my NEW Facebook group Women Who Spark Energy and Live Confidently. I'm sharing my tips to increase your energy, live confidently, and be the best version of yourself- I'd love for you to join us <3