Are you one of those people that slips out of your clothes to pull on your jammies and crash into bed? Or are you one of those people with meticulous rituals before hitting the sack? Whichever category you fall, these six bedtime rituals will help prepare your body for a more restful and good sleep.

Remove all your makeup.

I can’t begin to stress how helpful this is. Going to sleep with your makeup on, not only is it a minefield for gaining more acne if your skin is acne-prone or oily, but keeping dirt, grime, and chemicals into your sleep will also cause premature skin aging and dullness. For the best sleep, having clean skin is a must. And since the skin regenerates and heals during the night hours, this is when you want to use any acne topical medication or Vitamin C serum for cell turnover.

Drink Tart Cherry Juice.

I know we’ve always been told to drink Chamomile tea to best relax you and induce you to sleep, or to brew valerian root if you need something stronger. But what most people don’t know is that cherry juice is full of melatonin, the hormone that helps you fall asleep. For best results, drink a glass of this about an hour or two before you’re aiming to go to bed, and allow yourself to be lulled into a restful sleep.

Do 5-8 mins of Mild Stretching.

I usually spend about 10 minutes every morning doing stretches to help kickstart my morning and get my muscles to wake up from the night. Stretching before going to bed can also help by allowing the muscles to not get cramped while you sleep. I usually combine a mixture of yoga and ballet stretches, because they’re the most effective in getting your muscles warmed up without having to necessarily break a crazy sweat before hitting the sack.

Brush & Floss Your Teeth.

This should be a given, but you don’t know how many people skip this essential night time ritual. Not only is this helpful to deter bad breath and cavities, but it also allows you to have that clean feeling in your mouth. And having a clean mouth allows for a better sleep as you won’t have bothersome chunks of food stuck in your teeth or the lingering taste of whatever you ate before going to bed marinate the inside of your mouth. A clean mouth isn’t only good for your oral hygiene, but a must for a goodnight’s sleep.

Listening to Soothing Music Before Bed.

Now I’m not saying you have to listen to nature sounds (but if it works for you, go ahead and do it!), but you can choose from instrumentals, to songs with lyrics. Years ago (back in the day when music compilations were a thing), I had made a mix for myself with songs that would better lull me to sleep. What were some of my picks? Not what many would consider “soothing” but nonetheless did the trick for me. Natalie Imbruglia’s Pigeons & the Crumbs, Silverchair’s Across the Night, and The Smashing Pumpkins’ Appels & Oranges. Kind of like Pavlov’s dogs, my brain began associating the songs on the mix to sleep, so as soon as I’d put it on my brain would get into sleep mode. Don’t believe me? Try it.

What are some of your bedtime rituals?

By: Azzurra Nox