I’ve written before about our morning routines and how to keep our home buzzing. Now it’s time for me to paint my nature in my night routine. I also share my current personal nighttime routine and why habits are made.
Mom (and everyone else) night routine
Routines are different from one minute schedule. One of the biggest breakthroughs in the rationality of mom is to switch to block schedules. Routines are perfect for this and are basically a habit of planning. Once we develop the habit of routine, like brushing our teeth every morning, it quickly becomes second nature.
We can reconnect pathways in the brain in a positive way by using programs.
Consistency and flexibility
Children thrive with consistency, routine and knowing what will happen next. This does not mean that our schedule must be rigid and static, but it provides us with a framework. Give yourself space for grace and swing. Nighttime routines don’t work unless they are tailored to your individual needs and my health habits won’t be the same as yours.
Basics of Night Routine
Before designing the ideal night routine, we must consider the ideal morning (and the next day). Reverse Engineer for your perfect day. Determine your priorities and dates for the day ahead and what you need to do to make them as smooth as possible.
If everyone is taking a bunch of supplements in the morning, use a pre-sorted pill box for easy access. If the baby goes to grandma in the afternoon, make sure to stock a diaper bag. Making Coconut Chicken Curry in Instant Pot? Put it on melt.
Do as a family
It will depend on the age and ability of the child, but I find that children can usually do more than we praise. A few years ago, I realized I didn’t have to do everything for my kids. If I don’t, it’s better for them! Teaching children’s responsibility and self-reliance helps them become strong, independent adults.
I have my own night routine, but the kids have their nights with me. Kids can do simple evening chores, lay out clothes, and pack lunches, to name a few. Then there are staples such as brushing teeth, pajamas and bedtime stories.
Create the perfect night routine
There are different elements or steps here that can take you where you want to go. When setting up nighttime routines, determine what works for you and your family. Print the home routine and print and display it in an easy-to-see place, such as a refrigerator. It can be as simple as a list, or it can provide children with precise time or checkboxes.
1. Prepare
My kids are now very independent and can handle their own breakfast and lunch. Older people can even cook from scratch for the entire family. When they were very few, it was all on my shoulders.
If your mornings are busy, you can make breakfast, such as banana noodles wrapped muffins, baked oatmeal or ham and egg cups, which can be a lifeguard. These can be made the day before/night and reheated in the morning.
Will the child go to school the next day or cooperate? Then lunch needs packaging. Is Bulgogi Korean beef a meal plan? Make sure the ingredients are thawed and ready.
2. Avoid confusion
I love to clean up quickly during my night routine so I can start with a clean slat in the morning. A quick cleanup before bed helps ensure where everything (most days) is. This is something the kids can help. Age-friendly chores, such as sweeping the floor after dinner or loading the dishwasher, help everyone.
3. What is tomorrow’s agenda?
Check out your schedule and see what dates to prepare for the next day. Do you need to pack your kids’ lunch/backpack/sports bag? Once they are big enough, they can take this responsibility. Some items can be loaded in the car that night, so there are no bags in the morning!
Kids can also set up their own weather-appropriate clothes for the next day (the capsule wardrobe is great!).
4. Leave time digestion
Our family had a meal earlier that day for several reasons. This is best suited to our schedule, which gives everyone time to really digest their food. When busy digesting food, the body cannot effectively focus resources on sleep.
I tried to stop eating at sunset, or at least a few hours before going to bed. This simple approach helps:
- Supports melatonin production
- Improve blood sugar regulation
- Help us detoxify better during sleep
- Personally, when I do, I notice deeper sleep and calmer heart rate
With that, I stopped drinking liquid about an hour before hitting the hay. This helped me avoid getting up all night to go to the bathroom.
5. Nighttime tonic
I have morning supplements for clearer ideas and more energy, but I also have a routine supplement for nighttime supplements. I take pectin (modified citrus fruit protein) and enzymes regularly, or clean the carbon like an empty stomach. This combination helped me reduce inflammation, support my detox pathways and sleep better. Here is my list of all my nighttime supplements.
6. Avoid blue light
Blue Light’s rap is not good, but we actually need healthy cortisol during the day. But at night, it can ruin sleep and cause many health problems. That’s why I started wearing blue cover glasses a few years ago.
I also switched over elevated light bulbs in the house to mimic daylight. Once the sunset hits, the light with the red bulb will light up. This mimics natural light angles such as bonfires or sunsets by placing night light at or below the eye.
Our family also turned off the screen to avoid blue light at night. And our phones enter the charging drawer in the kitchen before going to bed. If inspiration hits and I want to write, I would use this special Blu-ray-free daylight computer. And, if I have to use my phone, I use it with the red light filter.
By turning off blue light, this helps signal our circadian rhythm and supports the production of melatonin. It also improves blood sugar signals, cortisol levels, and helps us get better nights sleep.
7. Avoid EMF
In the past, we turned off WiFi every night. I learned that over time, this can damage the computer router. Now, the phone goes into the charging drawer and I sleep under the special EMF blocking canopy. Even if my phone is under the canopy, there is no signal!
If you want to turn off WiFi in your home, you can use this EMF Safe Switch to put your work on Autopilot.
8. Optimize your sleep environment
We spend about one-third of our lives in bed. By creating a healthy sleep environment, we can get the greatest significance in healthy habits. That’s why I sleep in linen or silk pajamas and linen sheets. This is an easy way to avoid microplastics (non-natural fiber) on my skin for at least 8 hours a day.
When the temperature drops at night, it triggers the neurons in our brain to release melatonin and helps us fall asleep. One option is to set the thermostat to 60-70 degrees in front of the bed. If you don’t want to add too much to your electricity bill, another option is to sleep on a mattress cooling pad. I love my chilipad, it just cools the mattress and I can pile it on a comfortable blanket.
Besides sleeping, I made sure the room was dark. It’s like not seeing my hands in front of the darkness. The blackout curtains work, but I switched to the blackout shadow that blocked 100% of the light. This helps to signal further to the brain that it is time to rest and improve REM sleep.
I also sleep with white noise or soft background music. With the teenager in the house, I found that I was going to sleep in front of them now, which helped make up for any noise! My air filter does have dual functions and also produces some white noise while keeping the air clean.
9. Red light therapy
Nighttime is usually when I try to get some red light treatment time. During sunrise and sunset, the red light is natural and free, and I take advantage of this as much as possible. I also have a red light panel that can do the same thing. Using a red light helps reduce inflammation, supports mitochondria and signals our hormones to bed. There is also a lot of evidence for skin and other health benefits.
10. Skin care and lymph routines
I spend a few minutes at night doing a simple skincare routine and supporting my lymphatic system. Currently, this involves a weekly clay mask for Alitura and is moisturized with tallow or shea butter (such as tallow). I also love Annmarie Gianni and my Magic Molecular Toner skincare products. I also do a gentle lymphatic massage to support detox and enhance circulation.
11. Finish
During the day, many things happen in any family, and my mother bears a lot of mental burden. Instead of lying down and drifting to sleep, it’s too easy to think about tomorrow’s to-do list. One way to get rid of excess mental disorder is to diary or meditate before going to bed.
I kept a thankful diary to collect my daily thoughts. If you are anxious to forget something, you can also write down tomorrow’s priorities. Writing it all on paper helps our brains sort information and release tension.
Meditation is another truly useful way to end the night. It’s not about clearing the brain of all minds, but helping us gain concentration and deep rest. Even if you have no hassle at night when you go to bed, regular meditation can help make the night better.
Here are some of my peaceful night rituals:
- Drink cocoa calm or herbal tea A few hours before going to bed. This helps calm my nervous system and feel comfortable. I love that it has adaptive herbs that relieve my brain.
- Lift my legs up the wall Continue for 5-10 minutes and use gentle exercise. This simple movement supports lymphatic flow, helps regulate the vagus nerve and calms the nervous system. After a long day, my feet felt especially good!
Stick to night routine
Children need time to relax all day, and so do parents. If possible, have a solid bedtime and don’t stay up all night or watch TV. This helps children have consistency and ensures that they provide enough sleep for brain and body development.
While it doesn’t always happen, especially when there is a baby involved, it’s good to have a goal. Just don’t emphasize that things are not always perfect!
Once the little one hits the hay, it’s tempting to stay up late and catch all the “me” time. But late nights don’t make my body happy, but the morning is hard. Good night’s rest begins with healthy daytime habits!
I found that treating night and morning routines as sacred times that are still, reconnected and consistent with the body’s natural rhythm. Over time, I noticed better sleep, improved hormones, mood and metabolism.
Put it into practice
The good news is that most of these healthy habits are cheap or free. My bedroom is one of the few places I have prioritized spending because many of them are one and have been done. Like the EMF canopy, air filter, my OURA ring (I track health variables when I sleep) and mattress cooling pad. However, these things are not strict and are not necessary for daily work at night.
It’s easy to see a routine like this and want to (or feel like you need) to do all of this. Customize the night routines to suit your needs and start with the baby steps. Try adding something at once to keep the habit going.
What are your nighttime habits and habits? Do you want to change it?
