I’m flipping our guest bedroom for the third time this month already! While I’m so grateful for the Airbnb guests that we’ve had (and they’ve all been lovely and respectful), this part gets old. However, I do want to give our guests a great experience and a welcoming place to rest their heads. Between this practice and my monthly habit, In Bed by 10, the elements of a nice bedroom have been on my mind. There are really only two things under our control that impact the quality of our sleep: an evening routine and the bedroom space itself. A nice room with a comfy bed and only a few other elements can make all the difference.

THE ESSENTIAL BEDROOM
1. The Bed: We all have those beds that we love sleeping in and continue to remember many nights after. Mine are a hotel in Park City and a nice Tempur-pedic in a friend’s home. If you can’t afford to replicate that bed, at least make sure you have nice clean linens and pillows that still have some life left in them. Outside of a bed, maybe you need a closet and a side table for your current book and a lamp. I’m not a fan of a lot of other furniture in a bedroom because it tends to collect clutter, especially clothes. If your chair only seats yesterday’s clothes, move it out!

2. Light: We talked about this in Creating an Evening Routine... bright or cool lights disrupt our sleep hormones. Light candles if they help you relax. Keep lights low-wattage or on dimmers and invest in blackout shades or curtains. Mmm dark cave like in Vegas. Our bedroom is in the middle of our home and gets very little streetlight but, on some nights, even the moon can keep me up! If you can’t block all the light, try a mask.

3. Air: That said, it’s also a good idea to get natural light into your room during the day. Air quality is so important, especially where we sleep. Sun and an open window can help freshen a room. Also make sure to dust regularly, particularly behind those bedside tables. I can’t even tell you what I’ve found behind some! Plants are so great in bedrooms not just to help clean the air but also as something calming to look at.

4. Art, not clutter: It’s nice to have something pretty to look at when you’re going to bed or waking up. A view, of course, works but so does a plant or artwork that transports you. I’m working on getting a print of Joshua Tree opposite my bed. Our guest room has a little print we picked up on the coast in Italy. However you choose to decorate your room, keep it simple and clutter-free. It’s amazing how much affect clutter in the bedroom can have on your sleep. Remove the taxes from under your bed (used to be guilty!), the bills from your dresser and those letters from past relationships. They weigh on you more than you know!

5. No electronics: Again, the blue light. Your bed should be associated with two things, and those don’t include work or watching movies. Watch tv elsewhere. Charge phones elsewhere. Check email elsewhere. Your sleep (and partner) will appreciate it. ;)

+ Sound is also important in a bedroom. We’ve recently replaced all of our windows which really cuts down on street noise. Oh, and we left Manhattan. If noises distract you while sleeping, try a noise machine with a soothing white noise.

Sleep tight <3

Evenings are a little unpredictable around here. As I mentioned in Creating a Morning Routine, I don’t always know if I’m going to see Greg in the evening or what time I’ll be home. We both workout some nights and work on others, we socialize and go on dates. I’m not really a night owl so when I get home, I usually want to wash up and crawl into bed.

While I like to reserve most of my planning/creating/productivity for the mornings when I have more energy and more resolve, I prefer my evenings focused on winding down. I like to let go of the day and refresh my energy for tomorrow. On the other hand, if you’re not a morning person, a fuller evening routine and a simpler morning routine might work for you.

We’ve had an outline for an evening routine for years but since it requires being home a little while before bed, we rarely follow it to a T. That’s changing this month! With our new monthly experiment, In Bed by 10, we’re at home by 9:30pm every evening and are taking the space to relax and prepare before bed. For me, it’s important to start doing this routine before I’m exhausted… I’m less lazy about putting things away and self care. A good evening ritual helps you close the book on the day, prepare for more restorative sleep, and set yourself up for a fabulous tomorrow!

5 ESSENTIAL ACTIVITIES TO ADD TO YOUR EVENING ROUTINE:
1. Prepare for tomorrow. Quickly check over your schedule to make sure there are no early appointments or things that need to be prepped. Also make sure there isn’t any communication that can’t wait until tomorrow. It’s hard to fall asleep with a to-do like that on your mind. (I don’t plan out my day or select the most important things to accomplish as it would probably wake me up so I do that in the mornings.)
2. Pick up. Pick up the house a little bit (empty out your bag from the day!), do the dishes if you have the energy, and change then put away your clothes. It’s more calming to fall asleep in a clutter-free environment and it’s definitely nicer to wake up to one.
3. Lower the lights. Your body needs a signal that it’s time to power down. Bright lights prevent the release of melatonin which is the hormone that makes you sleepy. Keep the lights in your bedroom at a low wattage or on dimmers to support your circadian rhythms. Candles also work. We have a friend whose lights automatically change to a warmer and softer hue at a programmed time in the evenings. Cool!
4. Unwind. It’s helpful to find a way to brain dump or release the drama of the day before settling in. Meditating works, taking a walk works, washing up or a beauty ritual works, and of course journaling works!
5. Read. Set aside a little time for a relaxing activity (preferably screen-free). Read an undemanding book or do a crossword before the lights go out. Sweet dreams <3

To help get better rest, 5 INESSENTIALS TO REMOVE:
1. Work and Email: These will turn your mind on, not off. Charge your phone away from you bed so notifications don’t distract you.
2. Screens for watching entertainment: This is a hard one for me but the blue light of screens is even worse for sleepiness than the bright lights mentioned above. And I love what Gretchen Rubin said: “If we’re too tired to do anything except watch TV or cruise the internet, go to sleep.”
3. Social Media & Internet Browsing: Remember this article mentioned in Creating a Morning Routine: “Here’s how the Internet hurts your sleep schedule, productivity and personal life”? + From The Onion: “4 Hours Scrolling Through Facebook Before Bed Referred To As ‘Winding Down’” ;)
4. Food, Caffeine and Alcohol: You know what caffeine does and eating right before bed hinders digestion and disrupts the quality of your sleep... those hormones again. I love an evening cocktail but after a few, you get that sugar hit waking you up at 3 in the morning. Ugh.
5. Vigorous exercise, or anything that revs you up: It’s probably best to avoid stimulating hormones and an increased heart rate right before bed.

What about you? What helps you unwind? Evening and morning routines should be about what you want to do in that time as much as what you have to do. Enjoy!