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Every night, I like to give myself enough time to wind down after a long busy day. I created this simple and relaxing self care night time routine that helps me do just that!
Having some kind of night time routine can be very beneficial to getting a good night’s sleep. I’m going to be honest, I struggle with sleep and am pretty much an insomniac. I have restless legs and tend to feel wired at night, especially when I’m on my phone right before bedtime!
Integrating this night time routine has really helped me and I notice I sleep much better on the nights that I make sure to do it. Here is what my simple and relaxing night time routine looks like.
1. Put Away My Phone
The first thing I make sure I do is to put my phone away for the day and plug it in to charge. I try to make this the last time I touch my phone at night. This helps me have enough time before I go to bed to unwind and relax without being phone be the last thing I do before trying to sleep!
2. Quick Evening Clean Up
If you haven’t read my minimalist cleaning routine, I share that I usually split my cleaning into to sections: morning and evening. I like to clean daily to make sure my space is always kept clean and tidy, or at least as much as possible. In the evening, I make sure dishes are washed and put away, wipe down all surfaces, and do a quick vacuuming of the main living area. I have a hard time relaxing when my space is messy, so this step is essential and actually quite comforting to do. I also use this DIY natural homemade cleaner made with essential oils and it smells amazing!
3. Skincare Routine
Once my space is clean, I like to take time for myself. I like to do my evening skincare routine along with taking a shower and brushing my teeth. I am basically getting ready for bed at this point, but doing a skincare routine at night is so relaxing! If you haven’t already, you can check out my simple and affordable skincare routine here. I use minimal products, but I must say the zinc + niacinamde serum by The Ordinary has saved my skin. It basically reduces redness and the appearance of acne scars all while preventing new acne and blemishes from making an appearance.
4. Epilating
Ever heard of epilating? I didn’t know what the heck epilating was until about 2 years ago when I was desperately looking for a way to remove hair that wouldn’t leave my skin irritated. I have very sensitive AND thick dark hair so this is something I always struggled with. Shaving would always leave me with razor burn no matter what I tried. Waxing was fine, but way too expensive to keep up with! Finally, I discovered epilating. Epilating is a form of removing body hair by plucking it and removing it from the root. Similar to waxing, it lasts a longer time than shaving and leaves hair feeling softer as it grows back.
Basically, an epilator is a tool that has a bunch of small tweezers that rotate, plucking multiple hairs at once. I know what you are thinking. OUCH! And yes, the first time will be painful. However, after the first time it gets less and less painful. I think it’s so worth it because it leaves you with smooth skin for weeks and it’s so much cheaper than waxing! My epilator was only about $30 and I haven’t bought razors and waxed in years! It’s compact as well which makes it perfect for your minimalist lifestyle.
Anyway, now that it’s not painful at all for me, I love removing any leg and armpit hair by epilating at night as part of my night time and self care routine.
5. Stretching
Stretching is a very healthy and good thing to do before bed. I think most people know that by now. It helps me so much especially because I have restless legs! I like to stretch for 10-15 min before hopping in bed to help my body relax and prepare for rest. My husband and I usually stretch together and we will usually chat for a bit afterwards and spend sometime chatting, being completely unplugged from our phones.
7. Reading
Once I stretch, I will hop into bed and open up my Bible to get some reading in. I usually read a chapter or two and really try to take my time to understand what I am reading. After all, it’s God’s word and I want to make sure I am focusing on the message he is giving. As of now, I am reading through the Old Testament, which is the hardest for me to read through and understand. However, I am continually asking God for wisdom to help me understand and make sense of it all. Reading my Bible at night really helps me end the day of right, and I am also currently working on reading a bit in the mornings!
As you can see, there is nothing super fancy about my night time routine. I just find it so important to create a routine because otherwise I tend to stare on my phone most of the night, scrolling mindlessly, and then struggling to fall asleep! Something else I take every so often is Magnesium Glycinate, which is simply a supplement that helps your muscles relax. This stuff is seriously amazing and non habit forming as well. It’s not a drug, just a supplement, so I feel fine with taking it. I get these from amazon and they work phenomenally!
What are some things that you like to do before bed to unwind? Or are you just a great sleeper that a routine doesn’t matter? If so, I’m jealous! But I enjoy my routine so I am happy either way 🙂 Hope you enjoyed reading my simple and relaxing self care night time routine!
Sincerely,
Denise XOXO
