5 Ways To Unwind Before Bed

Some nights, I crawl into bed absolutely exhausted. On those nights, I’m basically asleep before my head even hits the pillow. And other nights, too much has happened during the day and my brain is spinning. On those nights, I need a little more help to unwind before bed.

If you need help unwinding (heck, if you googled ways to unwind before bed and ended up here), I’m here to help. From reading to washing with Simple skincare products, I have a great list of ideas for you.

5 Ways To Unwind Before Bed

1. Read a book or magazine.
For Pete, reading is basically a tranquilizer. As soon as he opens a book or magazine, he gets so tired, he usually falls asleep with the magazine open on his lap. It makes it hard to get through a book, but it is a great way for him to unwind and fall asleep.

It’s a good idea to keep a book or magazine on your nightstand. That way, when you’re in bed, you can just reach over and grab it. If it’s in another room and you have to get up to get it, you probably won’t.

2. Put on a podcast.
I used to never be able to fall asleep with sound on, and Pete really likes having noise when he falls asleep. Luckily for me, he changed from playing music to listening to podcasts before bed. Some of the hosts have such soothing voices that no matter how interested I am in in their content, their voices are a lullaby for me.

We used to listen to a scripted series and Pete would put it on at night. I generally would fall asleep somewhere after it started and wake up after it ended. That meant the next day, when I was awake and working, I would actually have to re-listen to the podcast to see what I had missed.

3. Watch television.
My grandma’s favorite way to fall asleep was with the television on. She would set the sleep timer for two hours or so and fall asleep while it was on. If you’re using television to unwind before bed, be sure to set a sleep timer. You don’t want the television on until morning.

For me, unless I’m completely exhausted, the television will keep me up all night. So this tip may not work for everyone.

4. Shower.
I read once that lowering your body temperature helps you fall asleep. So showering before bed is a great way to help your body unwind and get ready to sleep.

Then, do your nighttime skin routine.

5. Play games on your phone.
My favorite way to unwind is to play games on my phone. I know, people say that it actually keeps you awake, but it’s so good for me. For me, I stop thinking about the day and start thinking about strategies to beat the current level I’m on.

I wouldn’t recommend social media though. You might see something that makes you super angry and gets your brain going. You’ll be thinking about it all night long and won’t be able to fall asleep.

Which of these ways to unwind before bed is your favorite?