Too hyped up to sleep? Rituals to calm your body and mind before bed
📖 Full Retelling
The chaos of the day can make it hard to shut off your brain and fall asleep. Here's how to create a relaxing environment before bedtime to help you quiet the chatter and feel ready for sleep. (Image credit: Photo illustration by Becky Harlan/NPR)
Entity Intersection Graph
No entity connections available yet for this article.
Original Source
Too hyped up to sleep? Rituals to calm your body and mind before bed March 7, 2026 5:00 AM ET Clare Marie Schneider A calming bedtime routine can help tell our bodies it's time for bed. Dim the lights in the evening, pour yourself a relaxing cup of tea and keep a notebook nearby to jot down any stressors (and get them out of your head). Photo illustration by Becky Harlan/NPR hide caption toggle caption Photo illustration by Becky Harlan/NPR This story is adapted from Life Kit's Guide to Better Sleep , a one-week email series. Sign up for the special newsletter here . Do you have a wind-down routine? Enjoyable and relaxing habits that help you get ready for sleep? They can include calming hobbies like knitting or reading, self-care activities like meditation or an evening walk, or adjusting your environment for optimal sleep. Life Kit Get your sleep on track with our Better Sleep newsletter If you don't have a pre-bedtime ritual, it might be time to consider adopting one, says Allison Harvey , a professor and clinical psychologist at the University of California, Berkeley. It can trigger a cascade of biological and physiological responses that tell our bodies it's time for bed. "If we can switch off a sense of any threat that's mounted from the day, that will support our sleep." Sleep specialists share evidence-based strategies to incorporate into your wind-down routine. Strategy 1: Dim the lights in your environment It can encourage our bodies to release melatonin, a naturally occurring hormone that regulates our circadian rhythm and tells our body it's time to sleep. Try this tonight: In the evening, turn off the overhead lighting in the living room and bedroom, and turn on any dimmable lamps or lamps with low wattage to keep the lighting minimal. Don't forget to turn those lamps off at bedtime. Light can disrupt your sleep even if your eyes are closed, says Harvey, so use an eye mask to block out any remaining light if you don't have blackout curtains. Life Kit's ...
Read full article at source