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"I'm tired even after sleeping recently." "I can't fall asleep easily." Are you experiencing these concerns? It's common to want to sleep but not be able to. If you've ever thought, "I wish I could just fall asleep smoothly every time!" then this article is a must-read.
In this article, we'll introduce the importance of a night routine for falling asleep smoothly. We'll also explain what kind of night routine is best and what the key points are. By reading this article, you too will be able to fall asleep smoothly!
1. What is a pre-sleep night routine?
What exactly does "night routine" mean? Literally, "night" means evening and "routine" means a set procedure, a customary action, or a daily habit. In other words, it means repeating the same things every night.
For example, coming home, taking a bath first, then turning on the TV, then eating dinner could be considered a routine. While this example is a bit broad, if you bathe every day before dinner, that is a routine.
To bring it closer to bedtime, doing a face mask, drinking a glass of water, turning off the lights, and getting into bed is also a routine. By having a routine, your body and brain can more easily prepare for and switch into certain activities. A baseball player who eats curry every morning could also be said to have a routine.
As you can see, many people actually incorporate routines into their lives. This time, we'll introduce recommended routines for before bedtime. We'll especially focus on the period from bathing to just before falling asleep.
2. "Sleep ritual" - actions to enter sleep - essential for your night routine
Part of a night routine, pre-sleep actions are called sleep rituals. Simply put, a sleep ritual acts as a switch for sleeping, an action to enter sleep. If you have children, you might have read about it in parenting books.
It's particularly effective when you "take a long time to fall asleep" or "can't sleep soundly," and performing a sleep ritual makes it easier to fall asleep. By repeating the same actions every night, your body and brain prepare for sleep.
The important thing is to continue it consistently every day. By gradually getting used to it, you'll feel the effects more easily. So, what kind of sleep rituals are there?
2-1. Sleep rituals vary, including aromatherapy and stretching
Common sleep rituals include enjoying aromatherapy or stretching. Smelling relaxing scents through aromatherapy makes it easier to fall asleep. Similar to aromatherapy, scents from incense or body creams can also help you relax.
Stretching is often done slowly, not vigorously, and has the effect of improving blood circulation. Relaxing your muscles helps loosen up your body, so this is also recommended. By relaxing areas where blood vessels and muscles are concentrated, your core body temperature, which has temporarily risen, will smoothly decrease, making it easier to fall asleep!
2-2. In fact, about 90% of people perform sleep rituals.
When you hear "aromatherapy" or "stretching," some of you might feel that the bar is a bit high. However, you are probably performing a sleep ritual without even realizing it, even you are performing a sleep ritual.
This is because brushing your teeth or going to the bathroom before bed also counts as a sleep ritual. You might think, "Well, that's obvious," but that very feeling is important. To put it another way, it means it has become so habitual that it's taken for granted. By doing these things at the same time, your body and brain prepare for sleep. When you think of it this way, once it becomes a habit, sleep rituals aren't difficult at all.
3. Night routines are performed for good quality sleep.
Night routines are generally performed to achieve good quality sleep. Sleep rituals, which are part of night routines, are no exception.
Everyone eventually sleeps, right? The goal is to aim for that and improve the quality of sleep as much as possible. Therefore, sleep rituals often have specific meanings. As mentioned earlier, aromatherapy has a relaxing effect, and stretching helps regulate core body temperature.
Core body temperature is particularly important, and whether you stretch or not can significantly change how easily you fall asleep!
3-1. Core body temperature is important for good quality sleep
Core body temperature refers to the internal temperature of the body. Typically, during the day, a person's body temperature rises from morning to evening, and then decreases from night to morning. This means that when falling asleep, core body temperature needs to decrease.
Conversely, if your core body temperature is high, you will remain awake and find it difficult to fall asleep. Haven't you experienced your hands getting warm when you're sleepy? This is particularly evident in babies; it's a phenomenon to release heat and lower core body temperature. In this way, your body is naturally preparing for sleep.
3-2. Why skin temperature rises when you get sleepy
Before sleeping, not only your hands, but skin temperature rises from all over your body. This is because the skin temperature increases as heat is released outwards to lower the core body temperature. It's easy to understand if you think of it as a sign of sleep. Especially the extremities of your hands and feet are easy to notice, so please keep that in mind.
The reason why people with poor circulation are said to be more prone to insomnia is that heat is not easily released from their hands and feet, preventing their core body temperature from dropping. That's how important core body temperature is.
4. Our recommended night routine
Now for the main topic. We'll introduce our recommended night routine. Let's look at what kind of night routine is good, keeping core body temperature in mind. We'll also introduce items that can support your night routine!
During bathing: Raise core body temperature with a 15-minute bath!
First, during bathing. It's important to soak in a bathtub, not just take a shower.
Soaking for about 15 minutes is fine. At this time, be careful to avoid water that is too hot. If you get into hot water, your core body temperature will rise more than necessary, making it harder to sleep. Aim for water around 42℃.
90 minutes after getting out of the bath, your core body temperature will be lower than before you got in. That timing is the best for falling asleep, so it's even better if you can work backward from there. It's also recommended to use bath salts that raise your body temperature more easily than regular water.
After bathing: Aim to relax without stimulating the brain.
After bathing, try to relax as much as possible. It's good if you can listen to your favorite music or enjoy a relaxing scent. Dimming the lights slightly will make it easier to fall asleep. It's important to avoid unnecessary stimulation as much as possible.
Just before bed: Choose pajamas and an environment that helps lower core body temperature.
Just before bed, focus on lowering your core body temperature.
That said, there's no need to stand in front of a fan; simply focus on effectively releasing body heat. Many people wear socks to bed, but that's a no-go.
As mentioned earlier, heat is released from the extremities of your hands and feet. Wearing socks prevents this release from happening effectively. Pajamas that easily release heat are also ideal.
It's also important to keep your head cool. When you can't sleep, your cerebrum tends to be at a higher temperature. Unlike other body parts, the brain has fewer muscles and fat around it, making it more directly affected by external temperatures. Adjust it well using a pillow or similar.
5. Grasp the key points of your night routine
"Okay! I'm going to start a night routine right away!" you might think, but you don't know where to start. If that's the case, you can rest assured if you grasp the key points of a night routine. Knowing the key points will make for a better night routine. You'll also get a clearer idea of what to do. Please refer to it.
5-1. Focus on relaxing above all else.
The most important thing in a night routine is to relax. What helps others relax may not necessarily help you relax. For music and scents, choose what you like. If you try something and it doesn't feel right, you can change it. Experiment to find what truly helps you relax. Even with stretching, don't overdo it; stop when it feels good.
5-2. Address tomorrow's anxieties early.
Adding preparing for tomorrow to your night routine can alleviate anxiety and haste, making it easier to fall asleep. By preparing things at night that you would normally prepare in the morning, you create more余裕 (yoyū, meaning leeway or breathing room).
It could be anything, like preparing your clothes for the next day or finishing up a bit of work. Try to pre-empt anything you're anxious about. Incorporating this into your night routine will also help you avoid morning rush!
Summary: Enjoy comfortable nights with a night routine
Sleep is a daily necessity. For this reason, a night routine plays a crucial role. It's best to do whatever you can to make it easier to fall asleep and improve the quality of your sleep. Let's summarize this article:
- A sleep ritual is part of a night routine and acts as a switch for sleep.
- Core body temperature is important for good quality sleep.
- The recommended night routine is a 15-minute bath, followed by aiming for relaxation after the bath, and then creating an environment that helps lower core body temperature.
- Use sleep aids to increase efficiency.
A night routine is meaningless if you don't stick to it. It won't show immediate results, so try to continue it for at least two weeks. It might feel like a chore at first, but once it becomes a routine, you'll be able to do it naturally. If you haven't been conscious of it until now, take this opportunity to create your own routine.
