Things You Should Do Right Before Bed

There are many of us that lack a good night's sleep. Either we sleep past 2 AM, constantly tossing and turning, or your surroundings are preventing you from sleep. Whatever it may be, there's a reason that most people wake up in the morning groggy and in the worst mood.

And nothing is worse than not getting enough sleep. We're supposed to be getting about seven to eight hours of full sleep each day to be well rested. Yet, there are people out there who can only achieve about five to six.

Those people, including yourself, can gain more hours of sleep if you follow the things you should do right before bed. Not only will they benefit a good night's sleep, but the majority will have you snoring away the second you place your head on your pillow. Everyone deserves a well-rested night, so consider giving any of these a shot.

Drink tea.

If I personally can't seem to fall asleep, I'll simply make myself a cup of tea. From the top things you should do right before bed, drinking tea can soothe and calm the body and cause you to fall asleep quicker, because it's one of the best natural remedies for insomnia.

However, you can't just drink any type of tea. Since tea leaves actually have more caffeine than coffee beans, believe it or not, you have to be careful of what type of tea you're drinking.

The best ones that are ideal before sleeping are chamomile, peppermint, lavender, valerian, and other herbs to soothe the body. I guarantee just drinking one cup of any of these tea will knock you out in no time.

Take a hot bath or shower.

Another way to achieve the best sleep is taking a hot shower or bath, right before bed. But, of course, the water shouldn't be hot enough to burn you, but simply to relax you.

And if you decide to take a bath, consider throwing in a bath bomb, bath salts, or any other bath accessory to nourish and calm the body, as well as release sweet and delicious scents around your bathroom. And the minute you step out of the tub or shower, you'll be tired enough to sleep right away.

Stretch.

Right before you get into bed, stretch out your limbs. From the bes things you should do right before bed, stretching can help your body de-stress and loosen up any tension. Especially if you're sitting behind a desk for about nine hours, stretching is very important to loosen up and release built-up tension.

So, before sleeping, take about five to 10 minutes of your time to stretch a little. Stretching out your legs and arms can actually calm you down and help your body get rid of any strains from work. You can even try out some yoga poses for better sleep.

Listen to music.

Listening to music right before bed is the best, especially is you're listing to relaxing music and melodies, from John Mayer to Michael Bublé, or even music played by the harp or violin can easily help you fall asleep.

Out of the things you should do right before bed, listening to music is a must. However, don't listen to music that can be played at parties or clubs like electric, rap, or any other form of house music.

Not only will they pump you up for no reason, but it'll be tough to fall asleep to. Consider slow rhythms and melodies to gain a good night's sleep instead.

Read.

This is a great one among the things you should do right before bed—read! Many people don't take advantage of reading, because not only are there tons and tons of amazing novels and stories out there that will cause you to indulge in them right away, but there are also moments when reading can get you very tired.

Many people choose to read because it gets them to sleep quicker, they're not particularly fond of the story. In fact, reading a boring book will surely get you dreaming after reading just two pages. But if you do consider applying this idea to yourself, make sure you pick a great book! Reading is supposed to be enjoying.

Plan tomorrow's outfit.

Planning out tomorrow's outfit will benefit both your night's sleep and preparing for the day in the morning. So right before bed, take out the outfit you plan on wearing in the morning. Not only will this make your morning routine a quicker process, but you'll sleep comfortably knowing that you don't have to struggle to pick out an outfit tomorrow.

Honestly, nothing is more stressful than wasting time staring at your closet and thinking what goes with what. So planning tomorrow's outfit the night before can save you a lot of time.

Write in a journal.

Aside from reading, writing in a journal is another great idea from the things you should do right before bed. Jot down your ideas, thoughts, or what happened that day into a notebook. This will help not only keep your mind going, but it will soon tire you out, especially if you're handwriting your thoughts.

Just like reading, writing in a journal is a similar form. You're basically writing and reading in your head what you've written down. And once you've written that day's story, you'll sleep easier.

Pamper yourself!

Pamper yourself! Other than taking a bubble bath, put on a face mask, whiten your teeth, exfoliate, do anything that involves pampering. Skincare is a great form of taking care of oneself. Since your skin is the largest organ in your body, you must take great care of it. And the best way to do this is using great skincare products!

The majority of skincare products is not only to care for your skin, but to relax you. So, using any skincare products is ideal when wanting a great night's sleep like a clay mask, peel-off mask, or any other facial mask.

Communicate with your partner.

Communicate with your partner! Since the two of you probably work on the weekdays, catch up on what's been happening at work, talk about thoughts, or even mention some ideas for the future.

However, if you and your partner live in separate houses, talk to each other over the phone. Seeing this is one of the best things you should do right before bed, catching up with your partner is a must, especially in a relationship. And you'll even sleep more comfortably knowing you and your partner are on the same page.

Turn all lights and the TV off.

Lastly, on the things you should do right before bed, make sure you turn off all the lights in your house, as well as the TV. Since you're heading to bed, no light should be on—it's only wasting electricity. And this goes for the TV, as well. If you aren't using the TV, you might as well turn it off, or set a timer.

If the lights are on in the house while you're trying to sleep, not only can it prevent you from actually falling asleep, but your electricity bill will fly through the roof. But if you can't sleep without a source of light by you, consider getting a nightlight that won't harm your electricity bill.