My instinct was to build a morning routine first but after much researching I have now come to believe building an effective night-time routine first is the better approach for me.

Building a night-time routine.

My first step was determining my sleep goals. First I contemplated what my personal “Nice Mode,” sleep amount was. By “nice mode” I’m referring to the amount of sleep I need to wake up and be pleasant.

With seven hours of sleep I can do a lot and not feel like I’m dragging myself through the day. Six hours of sleep makes me cranky and that’s not good for anyone around me. Eight hours of sleep is bliss for me but I truly can’t do nine unless I’m sick. That’s me. That’s how I seem to function best. So my personal sleep goal is seven hours on weekdays and eight on weekends. So far it seems to be working.

Experiment. Have a go at determining your own “nice mode” for sleep. All of this experimenting will aid you in determining when to go to sleep. You’ll know how much time you have to accomplish things between the time you get home from work till bedtime.

I was working so hard during the day that I’d come home, prepare Little J for bed, sit on the couch eat dinner, stay on that couch all night and then turn off the television and roll into my bed. Please, tell me I’m not alone!!!

This definitely has to change. There has to be a better way of living. There is and it starts with a commitment. Decide that the couch will swallow you up whole and you won’t sit in it until you have accomplished your major evening goals.

My must do tasks before bed. My Routine.

Once home, in the first thing I do is prepare my son and myself not just for bed but for the next day. Shower, get ready for the evening and put clothes out. Once Little J is ready for bed I take the time to go through his school bag and prepare him for a successful morning. If he has a book to read for preschool I put it out on his bed so that becomes his bedtime book.

I’m lucky as my husband does most of the cooking while we are doing this part of our routine. Once done with evening prep we can usually go eat. If I was a single mom or the main cook in the household I would move this activity to later in the evening.

My next goal is doing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen before bed. This year I am going to try to tackle this whilst drinking tea, chatting with my husband or watching you tube. Youtube will become my bestie and I’ll leave my husband and son to bond. I like to watch cleaning and homemaker videos as inspiration for cleaning. At the very least I feel these YouTubers are suffering through dishes with me. Drinking tea is my way of not over eating. It cuts my appetite and helps me prevent snacking. At night I go for decaf teas or those that naturally aid in sleep.

I’ll still make it to the couch and completely relax. Now no guilt is following me to the couch there I can rest assured I’ve done at least two smart things before bed..

I then head downstairs for my son’s night-time routine. The last thing on my must list is me. I’ve already had a shower, washed my face and put on my pjs earlier. My focus now is doing my hair and a quick brain drain journaling and planning session before I close my eyes to sleep. If I don’t empty my mind I don’t sleep very well.

These are the main components of my routine.

Let me know what you think.

What are your must before you close your eyes and drift off into dream land? Do you stick to definite order and time? The struggle is real. Let me know and share your tips.

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