My Favorite Night Time Rituals

Routine is great if it works for you. For me, it feels rigid and honestly, boring. Part of me wishes I was more of a routine person, but I’m just not. But, there are certain things I like to do every night, most nights, or a few nights a week that set me up for a good night of sleep. Every evening looks a little bit different for me, so I thought I would write a post about some of my favorite night time rituals.

Epsom salt baths:

I usually take baths once a week, sometimes twice. They’re so relaxing, good for detoxing the body, and great for sore muscles. This is my favorite epsom salt brand.

Foam rolling and Stretching:

The foam rolling part might not be the most relaxing, but it’s so good for breaking up fascia in the body and alleviating sore muscles. It’s also good for reducing cellulite too. I do find stretching to be really relaxing and something that I love to do at night. I usually try to foam roll/stretch 3-4 evenings a week.

Face masks:

I love the feeling of washing my face at night and then putting on a face mask. I don’t do face masks every night because I do think there is such a thing as using too much product on your face. I try to do a mask 1-2 times a week, maybe 3 if I need extra exfoliation or hydration. My few of my favorite masks are Summer Fridays R+R (it smells like roses and is so good for exfoliating), Herbivore Botanicals Brighten (so good for getting glowy skin), and Acure Seriously Soothing Biocellulose Gel Mask (I was seriously shocked with how smooth, bright, and hydrated my face was after this mask).

Legs up the wall pose:

I like to do this a few times a week. You simply lay on the ground and put your legs straight up the wall for 10-15 minutes or whenever you feel like you’ve had enough. It’s so restorative for the adrenals and is really great for those who don’t have great circulation (like myself). It’s also really great for calming anxiety and getting your body out of the fight or flight and into rest and digest. I find it super calming for my mind and a chance for me to just “be” and breathe deeply.

Drinking tea:

This is something I do almost every night. It has become such a habit for me and something I look forward to. My favorite brands of tea are Traditional Medicinals, Mountain Rose Herbs, and Organic India Tulsi Tea. I drink a variety of different kinds; peppermint, dandelion root, red clover, nettle leaf, chamomile, ginger, lemon balm, and sweet rose are my usual go-to’s.

Reading:

I love reading before bed. It really helps me to wind down, relax, and get in the zone to go to sleep. One of my favorite book right now is The Seat of the Soul .

CBD oil:

This is something I started using more recently and I love it. A brand called RELEAFE, based in Bend, Oregon sent me a few of their products including their CBD chapstick and CBD oil. I’m obsessed. Not only is their CBD organic, but it doesn’t have any added chemicals or fillers AND they’re a small business created by really nice people. This oil helps to take any stress or edge off from the day and puts me in a calm state, ready to sleep for the night.

Journaling:

This is something I would like to do more of. If I have a lot on my mind, I like to put pen to paper and get it out. It’s such a good release for me and helps to calm down mental chatter. How many times have you gotten into bed and were ready to fall asleep, but then your mind starts to think about all the things you want to do but haven’t yet or all the mistakes you’ve ever made? I’ve been there. Journaling really helps me to get my thoughts out and “vent” so that I can relax and fall asleep. I love using ban.dō notebooks for my journaling.

On a typical night, I usually do a couple of these things to get me ready to go to sleep. I hope this gave you some good ideas for rituals you can incorporate into your nighttime routine. Remember not to put too much pressure on yourself to have some perfect night time routine; do what works for you and your schedule and what makes you feel like your best self. Xo

With love,

Ashley