5 Ways to Unwind Before Bed

When you focus all day long on completing work or taking care of chores (or both!), it can be difficult to divert your attention away from a busy schedule to a calmer state of mind. Nothing is more frustrating than laying wide awake, watching the clock move closer and closer to the time it’s due to ring, which is why we compiled our favorite methods for unwinding before bed! 

1. Clean Your Space

Keeping your bedroom tidy and organized can do wonders for your sleep schedule. A room full of clutter is a room full of distractions. We suggest taking just 10 minutes each evening to put everything away and remove any items that simply do not belong in their current spot. Messy living spaces are known to result in increased stress levels, which are linked to experiencing poor quality of sleep (2). So by avoiding stress, you’re helping out your sleep schedule - sounds like a win-win to us! Plus, waking up to a clean space makes for one less chore you have to worry about, and will be an organized environment to set the tone for the rest of your day. 

2. Turn Down the Lights 

There’s a reason why places such as restaurants and spas dim the lights - it creates a relaxing atmosphere! Gradually dimming the lights for about an hour or so before bed also aids in the physiological progression that the body needs to go through to produce melatonin prior to falling asleep (1). Plus, it’s much more peaceful to not have bright, harsh lights after you’ve been on the go all day. Fortunately, technology is a fantastic thing and you can actually purchase remote-controlled dimming lamps and light bulbs. Many people even suggest opening your blinds or spending time outside as the sun sets. The gradient lighting as the sky grows darker is a natural way that the body recognizes it’s almost time to rest. 

3.Eliminate Screen Time

Not only can blue light stimulate the brain and prevent you from falling asleep sooner, but the content we might view on social media can cause our minds to wander as well. How many times have you thought about just checking your phone *really quick,* to find yourself mindlessly scrolling for a longer period of time than you’d like to admit? Yeah, us too. Electronic devices emit blue light, which can hinder the amount of melatonin production that the body is supposed to produce (3). Exposing our eyes to blue light also has the potential to lessen the amount of time we spend in slow-wave and rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep, which are both stages of the sleep cycle key for cognitive performance, according to research (3). We suggest creating an evening reminder to turn off our devices, or set a limited time for the apps you spend most of your time browsing each day to avoid excessive screen time.

4. Prepare for Tomorrow

After a long and busy day, it can be quite a challenge to avoid thinking about tomorrow’s plans. To lessen the stress of the unknown, aka, all of the goals you wish to accomplish the next day, make a list or continue to fill up space in your planner. This tip will also help to eliminate the frantic feeling of not knowing where to begin once you start working the next day. Everything will already be written out, so nothing should come as a surprise!

5. Take a Sleep Supplement

Even when you take all of the recommended steps to relax and fall asleep faster, it’s not uncommon to supplement your routine with gummies for sleep. When KalaVita developed Nite Nite, our vegan, and sugar-free melatonin supplement, we made sure to emphasize that a healthy sleep cycle is just as important as a proper bedtime routine. That’s why you’ll find ingredients in the gummy bears like L-Theanine, Lemon Balm Extract, Valerian Root, Chamomile Extract, and Passionflower Extract to calm the mind and body for a restful night’s sleep. The dosage of melatonin found in each gummy bear is just enough for you to drift to dreamland, without causing you to wake up confused and out of it. These Jasmine Tea flavored gummies end the day with relaxation, so you can wake up feeling refreshed. 

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Sources

1. http://sleep.mysplus.com/library/category2/article1.html#:~:text=A%20sleep%20routine%20that%20includes,watt%2C%20dimmable%20bulbs%20in%20lamps

2. https://www.mygreenmattress.com/blog/5-reasons-people-sleep-better-in-a-clean-room/#:~:text=One%20easy%20way%20to%20help,only%20priority%20in%20that%20space.

3. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/how-electronics-affect-sleep