Why It's Important To Wind Down Before Bed

Do you find it difficult to get to sleep at night? Well giving yourself some time to wind down before bed will help with that.

I wish I could say I'm one of those people who can fall asleep instantly but sadly that I am most certainly not.

Sometimes I find it impossible to get to sleep because my mind is racing with a million different thoughts about work, friendships, the future, the state of the planet or life in general.

Let's be honest, there's plenty for us to stay up thinking/worrying about nowadays!

In my quest to get a better nights sleep I realised that giving myself even a small amount of time to relax both my mind and body is essential.

Unless you're like an old housemate of mine and can go from studying or working to sleeping in about five minutes then it's most likely that you too need some 'wind-down time '.

Giving your mind and body a chance to decompress after a long day will help to slowly get yourself ready for sleep by letting your mind forget about the days' activities and instead focus on something light-hearted, relaxing and enjoyable.

So how do I wind down?

There are lots of different ways to wind down before sleep, however, one thing that definitely does not help is scrolling through social media.

If you're a social media addict like me, then this will be a very difficult habit to break and is one I'm still working on.

I've found that scrolling social media does the opposite of helping me relax and rather gives my brain more to think about.

I love watching a show like Gilmore Girls before bed, something that isn't too dramatic and is a nice easy watch is perfect for helping to switch off.

If you're a book lover or would like to be, then reading before bed is a fantastic way to wind down too.

For those who aren't as interested in reading, audiobooks are another great option.

My personal favourite to listen to before bed is any of the Harry Potter audiobooks which are narrated by Stephen Fry.

Meditation is the relaxation method I've found most helpful when trying to wind down before bed.

There are plenty of meditation apps you can download now that offer free short guided meditations or ambient music that's designed to help you fall asleep.

Giving yourself even an extra half hour before bed to wind down might be the solution to your sleeping problems.