10 Healthy Evening Routine Ideas for Better Sleep and Relaxation

For years my evenings went like this. Dinner at ten, tea after, phone in bed until my eyes burned, then a long stare at the ceiling. A healthy evening routine is basically the opposite of that: a few things you do in the last hour or two before bed so your body understands the day is finished. That’s the whole idea. Nobody needs ten steps, and I’d be surprised if anyone actually does all ten.

1. Pick a bedtime and stay near it. I mean within half an hour, weekends too. It took me about two weeks before I stopped lying awake at 11.
2. Eat dinner earlier. Late, heavy food is a bad mix with pregnancy heartburn, and plenty of women I know learned that the hard way after a night of biryani. Two to three hours before sleep is a fair gap. If you get hungry again, a banana, a few almonds.
3. No chai after about 4 pm. Caffeine can hang around in the body for six hours or longer, which is why that evening cup keeps you awake. Warm milk with a pinch of haldi is the usual swap in our house. Pregnant? Ask your doctor before trying herbal teas, since not all of them are safe.
4. Lights down. Just use a lamp.
5. Phone away thirty minutes before bed. The CDC lists less screen time at night among its basic sleep habits, and it’s the one I fail at most. A book works if you can stand it. Even two pages.
6. A warm shower, not hot. You feel sleepy as your body cools afterwards. During pregnancy, keep the water on the mild side.
7. Some gentle stretching, mostly shoulders and neck, because that’s where the day ends up sitting. A slow walk through the house counts too. Skip anything sweaty, as a hard workout at nine at night will only wake you up.
8. Slow breathing for a couple of minutes, in for four counts and out for six. It feels awkward the first night.
9. Keep a small notebook by the bed and empty your head into it. Tomorrow’s chores, a message you forgot to send, whatever someone said that bothered you. I used to think I’d remember it all anyway, and then I’d lie there trying to.
10. Fix the bedroom. Cool, dark, quiet. If you’re pregnant, tuck a pillow between your knees and another under your belly, because that can make side sleeping a lot more comfortable.

Where it goes wrong

Most people try everything at once and quit by the fourth day. Start with one habit and give it a week.

Scrolling in bed fools you. It feels like rest, but your mind is still going at full speed. A long nap at 5 pm doesn’t help either.

Food matters here too, especially for expecting mothers. Spinach, almonds and bananas contain magnesium, which may help your body relax. If your prenatal vitamin makes you queasy at night, ask your doctor whether taking it with breakfast would be okay. ACOG says sleep changes are very common in pregnancy, but tell your provider if it keeps getting worse.

Quick questions